Senior Design Project Summaries: 1997-1998

EE 461, 462, 463 Senior Design Project
Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters 1997-1998

• Project #1: CELESTIAL LOCATOR
• Project #2: COMPUTER CONTROLLED REMOTE MOBILE UNIT
• Project #3: DATA/VOICE TRANSMISSION USING POWER LINE CARRIER
• Project #4: DGPS AUTO-PILOT MODULE
• Project #5: GPS ENABLED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
• Project #6: GPS VEHICLE SECURITY/TRACKER**
• Project #7: INSTALLATION OF PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC) ON PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE
• Project #8: NETWORK DESIGN**
• Project #9: NOISE CANCELLATION USING AN ADAPTIVE FILTERING SYSTEM*
• Project #10: REMOTE EXPERIMENT SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL MODULATION AND DEMODULATION
• Project #11: REMOTE SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM USING ADSP2181 AND WWW
• Project #12: SIDS MONITOR
• Project #13: UNIVERSAL HEAT PUMP CONTROL
• Project #14: WIRELESS STEREO DIGITAL AUDIO LINK

Project #1: CELESTIAL LOCATOR

By: Chin Kim, Roy Johnson, and Richard Gomes
Advisor: Dr. J.M. Heneghan
Description: We chose to design and build a device to aid amateur astronomers to overcome some problems of locating a desired object that go along with setting up a telescope in the precise polar alignment and then being able to read the setting circles on the telescope. Once calibrated, the device we have chosen to build will accurately display the coordinates of the direction that the telescope is pointed. The coordinates of many known celestial objects are stored in memory of the device and can be selected and compared to value displayed to assist in the locating of the object. This device will also store the coordinates of user specified locations in the sky and communicate with a computer via a serial port.

Project #2: COMPUTER CONTROLLED REMOTE MOBILE UNIT

By: Ryan Carlson, Eric Lovegren, and Ross Weber
Advisor: Dr. B.W. Ellis
Description: We are designing a computer controlled remote mobile unit. This system uses computer mapping and control with the aid of video, Global Positioning System (GPS) information, along with differential corrections, and compass information to navigate a prototype vehicle. The computer mapping and control interface was designed using C++. This interface displays a map indicating where the vehicle is, a compass showing its heading, and control buttons used for steering. The vehicle has an onboard computer that manages the information received from the GPS, the compass, and the control information sent to it from the remote computer. Modem and VHF radio transceiver pairs on each end provide data transmission. A video camera and UHF transmitter mounted on the vehicle transmit the video images to a separate monitor positioned near the remote computer. Enhancements to this design would allow exploration of areas unreachable by humans.

Project #3: DATA/VOICE TRANSMISSION USING POWER LINE CARRIER

By: Maria Alexandra Liedman and Farid Sadeghi Ardakani
Advisor: Dr. A. Narayana
Description: The objective of this project is to design and build a data/voice communication link using the power grid of a house as the transmission medium. Users will be able to send digital commands to an appliance across power lines. These commands will be interpreted and executed by the target appliance. Also, we will design and construct an intercom system using the same power-line transmission medium. Users will also have the ability to transmit voice from one point to another across power lines.

Project #4: DGPS AUTO-PILOT MODULE

By: Michael Corraya, Cuong M. Nguyen, and Brian Wadzink
Advisor: Dr. S. Lekhakul
Description: We are designing and building the auto-pilot module using a Differential Global Position System (DGPS) receiver, a RS232 interface unit, a PIC16C65 Microchip Microcontroller and two Futuba Servos. The project will consist of designing a system that will take coordinates of a vehicle's current location and destination from the DGPS receiver, process these endpoints for the most effective path to the destination, and then issue instructions for directing the servo to ultimately reach the destination (See Appendix 6.3.1.). It will be assumed that either a pilot is on-board, or that no obstacles are in the path to the destination.

Project #5: GPS ENABLED EMERGENCY RESPONSE

By: Alfred Kwong, A.K. Masud, and Jeff Pollard
Advisor: Dr. B.W. Ellis
Description: Emergency Response could be a life saving factor for people that do not know their exact location. Our goal is to design, build, and test a possible solution that will hail an effective emergency response to someone who does not know where he/she is. The project uses the GPS to determine the exact location of the user. An emergency signal is sent via a packet radio link consisting of the caller's ID number, type of emergency, and the position of the caller. The importance of such a system lies in that the process can be carried out with the push of a single button and that the exact position of the distressed caller is known by the emergency dispatcher in order to send appropriate help.

Project #6: GPS VEHICLE SECURITY/TRACKER**

By: David Duncan, Robert Wimmer, and Travis Swanson
Advisor: Dr. B.W. Ellis
Description: The objective of the GPS Tracker is to track and provide security for the people in a vehicle. The vehicle's location is transmitted from the vehicle to a remote PC. The PC maps the location of the vehicle. The vehicle unit is interfaced to a car alarm or other security system such that if the car is stolen or broken into, an emergency message is transmitted to the PC. An appropriate message is displayed on the PC showing that the vehicle has been stolen or broken into. The GPS Tracker also provides a user interface to provide the driver the option to send a message to the PC that he/she is stranded or is in an accident. A different message is displayed on the PC for each type of emergency.

Project #7: INSTALLATION OF PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC) ON PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE

By: Oai Le, Sue LeVoir, and Maria Paula Castellanos
Advisor: Dr. S. Lekhakul
Description: The goal of this Senior Design Project is to replace a control system based on electro-mechanical relays on a Plastic Injection Molding Machine by a new control system using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) utilizing a schematic language called ladder logic. The same control system will be programmed on a different PLC from General Electric utilizing a natural language called state logic. The differences will be exposed in a comparative information seminar.

Project #8: NETWORK DESIGN**

By: Paul A. Lohr and Safaraz Ahmed
Advisor: Dr. P. George
Description: The objective of this project is to develop a fully functioning peer to peer network. The project will be demonstrated using a four-computer network where data is transferred in a call and wait format. The network is not unlike a token-ring topology in that the source computer will send a token to disable the other computer's ability to transmit while it has control of the network. Also, another similarity is that the network forms a closed loop when communicating. Packets of data will be forwarded by the source computer to the destination computer. The destination computer will then forward the acknowledged packet to the source, thus completing the loop. Finally, our own protocol design will be implemented to handle proper communication and decoding of data.

Project #9: NOISE CANCELLATION USING AN ADAPTIVE FILTERING SYSTEM*

By: Anjan Ghosh and Omar Farooq
Advisor: Dr. A. Narayana
Description: The goal of this project is to design an Adaptive FIR filter using a Texas Instrument TMS320C30 DSP chip. The filter coefficients are updated at each iteration of the filter algorithm. The adaptive filter input is any signal that is correlated with the noise but uncorrelated with the desired signal. When the filter coefficients converge, the output of the filter will be an estimate of the actual noise. This is then subtracted from the noisy signal to produce the desired signal.

Project #10: REMOTE EXPERIMENT SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL MODULATION AND DEMODULATION

By: Matt Nordeen, Lee San Tai, and Ooi In Keong
Advisor: Dr. Y. Zheng
Description: The objective of this project is to design and develop a remotely accessible digital communication experiment system. This system will allow a user to remotely develop and test their modulate/demodulate codes for the ADSP2181. The types of modulation/demodulation that will be implemented are FSK, OOK, QAM, channel modeling, and others. A DSP board including an ADSP2181 will be designed and implemented. A RS232 communication link between a PC and the DSP board will be developed for data uploading and program downloading. C++ and JAVA software will be developed for Internet connection, web browsing, transferring and compiling DSP codes from a remote site to the server, downloading the DSP codes to the DSP board, and uploading processed data and transfer data to the remote site. From a web browser, a user can remotely control the DSP unit to perform the desired modulation or demodulation on a signal.

Project #11: REMOTE SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM USING ADSP2181 AND WWW

By: Wong Joon Tan, Michael Schmidt, and Teoh Hooi Chuan
Advisor: Dr. Y. Zheng
Description: The objective of this project is to develop a remote signal processing system. The system will be able to sample analog signals and process sampled data with a DSP unit. A Web browser through an Internet link will remotely control the functionality of the DSP unit. Some simple digital filters will be implemented for the DSP unit. Experience from the Remote DSP and Communication Lab funded by the Electronic Academy Grant will be utilized for this project. The success of this project will provide an additional DSP system for the Remote DSP and Communication Lab.

Project #12: SIDS MONITOR

By: Ed Shermer and Sean Theisen
Advisor: Dr. J.M. Heneghan
Description: The SIDS Monitor utilizes a pulse sensor strapped to the infant's body. This sensor transmits a signal to a remote location via a wireless link. Once this signal is received, it is analyzed using an Intel 8031 microcomputer. This control circuit outputs a continuously updated pulse rate on a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) letting the parents know that either the child is fine or that the pulse has stopped. If the pulse does stop, the LCD will then display the elapsed time since "no pulse" and an audible alarm is set off. This data can also be logged in a file on a PC and reviewed at a later time to see if there are any trends occurring.

Project #13: UNIVERSAL HEAT PUMP CONTROL

By: Rodney Landers and Greg Hamann
Advisor: Dr. J.M. Heneghan
Description: A universal heat pump control that handles up to three air zones and has the ability to handle off peak signals for a power company.

Project #14: WIRELESS STEREO DIGITAL AUDIO LINK

By: Samuel T. Durbin, Robert J. Lunde, and William L. Schultz
Advisor: Dr. A. Narayana
Description: The purpose of this project is to design a system that transmits two channels of digital audio from a stereo source to a pair of speakers or headphones. This is accomplished using IR light as the transmission media. The transmitter turns two channels of analog audio into a serial data stream of IR light pulses. The receiver detects these pulses and recreates the source audio. The recreated audio is amplified to drive an audio transducer.