Self Assessments
From SeniorDesign
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[edit] Elliott Long
- My team is working on a 3 axis CNC Router to cut parts using some sort of CAD file as an input.
- I will be able to complete this project using some of the skills that I have gained from my curriculum at UC. The skills that will help me the most in this project are those I have gained while working in the labs throughout my college career. Specifically the skills gained in Electronic Design Lab will be useful. These hands on experiences will help me complete the physical work required in building and troubleshooting this project. I will also be able to use the critical thinking skills that I have gained from my regular class work. These skills will help move along the design process. By combining these skills I believe my team and I will be successful on this project.
- My skills gained during co-op will be extremely helpful during this project. During my first co-op with KDI I gained a lot of experience working with custom product testing machines that will help a lot with this project. There I worked on circuit design, layout, and construction. I also worked on interfacing those test machines with computers for user control and readout, using mostly Visual Basic. These skills will help me to design, build and test our senior design project. On my second co-op assignment, at Intelligrated, I worked almost exclusively in software which controlled conveyor systems. This will help in automating our project. My most recent co-op assignment at Cincinnati Bell Wireless allowed me to work on a lot of data manipulation which will be helpful in tracking progress and technical aspects of our project.
[edit] Jeremy Shively
- I am helping design a Computer Numerical Controlled Router. The goal is to have it take a three dimensional CAD file and cut what is described in the file.
- The three Computer Science classes that I took will help me contribute to the software side of the project. The three dimensional file will have to be encoded and sent through a messaging program that will interface with our CNC Router. If we decide to write these programs in C++ then I will be able to contribute to their development. I have also taken Microsystems Design; this is important since we are planning on controlling our router using a microcontroller. Other helpful classes I have taken are Electronics 1, 2 and Electronics lab; we will need circuitry between the microcontroller and the motors. I will be able to design and help troubleshoot issues as the arise.
- For my first co-op I spent four quarters at Pole-Zero. They specialize in military communications. I developed hardware that interfaced with their products and as a result I had to integrate my firmware with theirs. I gained experience with microcontroller communication networks and networking protocols. This will be where I can contribute the most for our senior project. I also have experience troubleshooting hardware problems such as signal noise which can be hard to identify. For my final co-op I worked at Amylin Pharmaceuticals. The experience I gained there that will help for our project is good documentation practices. I have worked on a lot of documentation and know how to keep things organized in ways that will increase productivity.
[edit] Paul Vincent
- Our project will be to build a CNC Router. A CNC Router is a computer controlled routing table that can be used to cut 3D shapes out of different materials. There are two major components to a CNC Router, the computer program to control the router table and then the router table which is made up of a three-axis setup that moves the cutting head through the material.
- My school experience has prepared me for this project in several ways. Several of my classes directly relate to this project. A few quarters ago I took a Software Engineering course which was very helpful in explaining different software development processes which I can implement in this project. I have taken a course in robot design which went over the forward kinematics and dynamics which will be helpful in controlling where the cutting head of the router is positioned in x, y, z space. I took Computer Science I & II which expanded my knowledge of object oriented programming and taught me the C++ language. For our project we have not determined which language the software will be written in, it will probably depend on my other teammates’ experience, but through my courses I have had exposure to C, C++, and Java.
- My coop experience has also helped to prepare me for my senior project by giving me experience working with a team, showing me the importance of a good design, and by giving me real world coding experience. I coop at Seapine Software working on the Surround source code management product. For my first quarter of coop I worked on the QA (Quality Assurance) team that tested the Surround product. There I developed an understanding of how important it is for a developer to ensure that a feature works before releasing it to testing. As a developer you need to look at all possible inputs into your program and plan as well as possible to prevent the user from incorrectly using the software. For all of my subsequent quarters I worked on the Software Development team for Surround. For one of my first projects I wrote an integration module for the NetBeans IDE that allowed you to use the Surround product from within NetBeans. A previous coop had started the project but had left before finishing and he had not written any documentation of his design for the project. I was forced to spend a couple weeks reviewing his code before I understood what was going on. Because of this for all of the projects I worked on for Seapine I made sure that I extensively documented my designs and left instructions for how to maintain my code.
[edit] Tom Blauvelt
- The senior project that my group and I are doing is a CNC router. This is a machine that can cut 3D paths in various materials. It can be used to cut circuit boards and various other useful parts.
- My curriculum will really come to use when designing the electronic devices that are required for the project. My knowledge of power supplies, micro-controllers, stepper motors, and multi-directional digital communication will be tested. The knowledge I gained in the lab with the 8051 micro-controller will be invaluable for this project. A micro-controller will control all the moving parts of the router. The micro-controller will also handle communication between the router and the computer. The Digital Design class I took will help with the design of the digital communication. The Electronics Lab that was part of my curriculum provided the knowledge necessary to develop the needed electrical components.
- Where my curriculum covers the knowledge required to design and build the project my Co-op experiences give me the skills to work well with a team. When I was in Boston working with K&M wireless, team work was required every day. While in the field I worked with multiple people to accomplish tasks. My work experiences at Amylin will also help me with this project. I was given many individual tasks at a time; this project will require me to work on multiple parts at the same time. I will have to gauge the importance of what needs finished first.
