The Project Proposal

The proposal outlines the product's benefit to the end customer, the product features, a design overview, the performance specifications the project will meet, and your plan for meeting these project objectives. The plan will show the sequence in which work will be completed, and it will show how work will be shared between the team members.

Below are the items that should be discussed. An appropriate length is approximately five pages.

1. Introduction
   1. Title: Include the project title, and a statement describing why you've selected the project you have, and why you're excited about doing it.
   2. Objectives: Describe the project goals and intended functions. Include a bulleted list of benefits to the end customer (e.g. "able to stay in touch with friends and co-workers through email access from anywhere in the world"), and a bulleted list of product features (e.g. "email sending / receiving, email forwarding, 10 MB storage, fetches email from a POP account, sends attachments).
   
   
2. Design
   1. Block Diagram: Draw a general block diagram of the design ("general" means probably around 5 blocks). Each block should be as modular as possible. In other words, they can be implemented independently and re-assembled later.
   2. Block Descriptions: Describe the function of each block briefly, and explain how it contributes to the overall design and feature list above. Include a discussion of the interface with other blocks.
   3. Performance Requirement: Specify a performance requirement of the finished project based on the benefits and features listed above (e.g. 100 ft transmitter range, < 100ms response delay, etc.)
   4. Special Circuit: If your project does not contain hardware, indicate that you will be performing design of the special circuit.
   
   
3. Verification
   1. Testing Procedures: Outline the test procedures and the resulting tables, graphs, and measured values that will assess the project's performance (e.g. "will determine transmission distance by moving transmitter away from receiver until S/N ratio reaches x", show graph or table of S/N vs. distance).
   2. Tolerance Analysis: As part of your project, describe one engineering component or sub-system that most affects the performance of the project. Later on, you will test this component at extremes and include the results in your notebook and final report. For example: "To perform within a clock frequency specification, Resistor A must be 5K ohms, ±10%, in order for the circuit to perform within specification." Then demonstrate by testing the circuit at the resistor extremes and recording these results in your notebook.
      
      You are to choose any condition in your circuit that has an affect on this signal. Determine the tolerance of this input that maintains operation of your device or causes the affected signal to remain within tolerance. Be sure to include both tolerance extremes in your report, as well as any insights you may have gained while performing this analysis.
      
      Include the results as part of your final written report, although it can be done at any point in the semester. Early in the semester, start determining which signals are most important to your design, as it will help later on in your design cycle.
   
   
4. Cost and Schedule
   1. Cost Analysis: Include a cost analysis of the project by following the outline below. Include a list of any non-standard parts, lab equipment, shop services, etc., which will be needed with an estimated cost for each.
      
      
      • LABOR: (For each partner in the project)
        Assume your dream salary ($/hour) x 2.5 x hours to complete = TOTAL Then total Labor for all partners.
        
        
      • PARTS:
        Sum planned (Engineering Estimate) parts cost
        
        
      • GRAND TOTAL = LABOR + PARTS
      
      
   2. Schedule: Include a time-table showing when each step in the expected sequence of design and construction work will be completed (general, by week), and how the tasks will be shared between the team members. (i.e. Select architecture, Design this, Design that, Buy parts, Assemble this, Assemble that, Prepare mock-up, Integrate prototype, Refine prototype, Test integrated system).

NOTE: Actual COSTS and SCHEDULE will be part of your Final Report. Keep a log of cost and schedule in your notebook.