Grade according to• Is the title appropriate?• Are you able to understand the

project title• Are the objectives clear?• Are the objectives well defined?• Are the objectives achievable?• Suggestion for further improvement • Give proper justifications

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Bits and pieces of executing Bits and pieces of executing a projecta project

• Progress of your Final year project– You have a title ?– You have a list of objectives?

• What’s next?– Is it a hardware project?– Is it a software project?– Is it a combination of hardware and

software with a microcontroller?

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Software projectSoftware project• What kind of software?

– Derive a new algorithm to solve a problem in power system?

– Develop a software package?– Do you need GUI?

• What programming language should you use?– C++, Java, C#, MatLab, LabView?

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What programming What programming language to use?language to use?

• Defined by the project?– There is an existing program developed

from other students and you job is to further develop or enhance

• Defined by the supervisor– Your supervisor knows Fortran so you

must write the program in Fortran!• Anything as long as it can get the job

done!

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Which programming Which programming languagelanguage

• C++ is an obvious choice as you know it well!!!!

• C++ can solve most of the engineering problems as well as developing basic GUI

• There are many existing third-party library functions available in the Web!

• Don’t forget the OOP nature of C++ as most third-party algorithms are available in “classes”

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Which programming Which programming languagelanguage

• MatLab?– Good for solving engineering problems– With many tool boxes for different

algorithms• Image processing tool box• Fuzzy logic, • Simulink for control

– MatLab can also work with external function written in C

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MatLabMatLab• MatLab can also develop into a GUI• http://blinkdagger.com/matlab/matla

b-gui-graphical-user-interface-tutorial-for-beginners/

• Similar to C++, there are also many third-party MatLab program (.m file) available on the Web

• MatLab program can also convert into a C/C++ program

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LabViewLabView• Do you know what is LabView?• LabView is a graphical programming

environment developed in NI (National Instruments)

• LabView can be used as a stand alone programming tool

• Example – Investigation of repeatable signal

signature in rail condition monitoring with FBG sensors

– Vehicle Number Plate Recognition by Image Processing Techniques

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LabView LabView

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HardwareHardware• Hardware relatively is difficult to

generalize – Certainly design buck-boost converter is

very different from designing a Axial-flux-modulated motor

– Requirements are so different!– What should you build or what should

you buy?

HardwareHardware• There are so many off-the-shelf components

available so is it necessary to re-invent the wheel?

• For example, if you need a buck-boost converter then there are many IC available for the job; same for motor drivers

• Talk to your supervisor before building or buying any expensive components

• Make sure that you understand the key objectives of your project

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Where to buy your hardwareWhere to buy your hardware• In Hong Kong,

– Welfare (Sham Shui Po) – IC master (San Po Kong)– RS – Farnell– DigiKey

• In http://www.hqew.com/• In taobao

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Hardware + software Hardware + software Microprocessor related Microprocessor related

• Which processor?• There are so many processors

available with many features such as– PWM – ADC, DAC– I2C

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MicroprocessorMicroprocessor• Arduino is getting very common in

FYP– http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Hardware

• Come with a IDE for software development

• You can program using C (most microcontroller can be programmed using C language!!)

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ArduinoArduino• It is cheap (below $250) and comes

with many support modules including– IR sensor– Motor driver– RF module

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Other processorsOther processors• ADuC832 also available

– http://www.futurlec.com/ADuC842_Controller.shtml

• Basic Stamp – used to be popular with FYP – Also comes with many supporting

components but rather expensive– Available from www.parallax.com– Very good software support 17

Keil compilerKeil compiler• If you are developing your own

microprocessor system then how to compile/assemble your program?

• Keil is a generic compiler that can support many types of microprocessors

• Programs can be written in C, assembly etc

• http://www.keil.com/ 18

Mechanical issues• Mechanical design is more difficult

than electrical for EE students • Industrial Centre (IC) can help• You can pay for services in IC• You can get some free components• You can get better support from IC if

you can highlight the significant of your project

What’s next?• You have a title?• You have some objectives?• Next step ?

Do you know what’re these• CSLP• Prefecture

Do you know what’re these• CSLP

– Community service learning program

• Prefecture – 縣

Fukushima prefecture 福島縣

What’s next• Curiosity 好奇心；求知慾 • This is very important in doing a

project • You need to demonstrate your

willingness to walk the “extra step”

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Research Methodologies

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Research MethodologiesResearch Methodologies• Simplified Research Process

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Literature reviewLiterature review• Literature review is a written well organized summary ofthe state of the art (= current technology) with a clearlydefined focus• can be the second chapter in your FYP final report and in your proposal the materials become the background(brief review needed in every original scientific paper in theintroduction)• a review is written for experts in the field, a tutorial is areview written for students • a review may include historical notes• papers simply collected in your files are not a review!

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Why Literature review?Why Literature review?•Motivation for literature searches:

•full understanding of subject (ie your objectives)•show originality of own work (compare explicitly yourwork with the earlier work)•list of references for your own paper and thesis•ideas for new research (what to do in case your supervisor does not give you clear instructions!)

Literature reviewLiterature review• Every day more than 1000 papers

are published in electrical engineering and electronics (INSPEC, IEEE Explorer), thus you must carefully select what you read

• the amount of papers is doubled every 10-20 years

• Certainly for FYP, reading books and web-sites may be more appropriate

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Literature reviewLiterature review : Bottom- : Bottom-up Learning Processup Learning Process

Inductive reasoning• It gathers together particular

observations in the form of premises (假定 ), then it reasons from these particular premises to a general conclusion

• Example: all EE students have a $3000 cell phone then all EE students are rich

We use inductive reasoning all of the time. It is very useful. But we must recognize its limits. Most inductive reasoning is not based upon exhaustive evidence, and therefore the form is incomplete

Deductive Reasoning• It takes a general premise and

deduces particular conclusions • Example: All EE students have a cell

phone. If you are EE student then you have a cell phone

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Sources of Technical Papers Sources of Technical Papers for Literature Reviewfor Literature Review

•Example databases for books•Google Book Search, books.google.com•Amazon, www.amazon.com

•Example databases for papers•IEEE Xplore (ieeexplore.ieee.org)•INSPEC (www.engineeringvillage2.org)•Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIExpanded)

•SCOPUS (www.scopus.com)

http://www.engineeringvillage2.org/controller/servlet/Controller?EISESSION=1_bf053f12edb8dd3acM7df0ses1&CID=quickSearch&database=2

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IntroductionIntroduction

Derive your own solution

Try to solve your problem

Output of your project

Hypothesis• An hypothesis is a preliminary or

tentative explanation by the researcher of what the researcher considers the outcome of an investigation will be

• A problem is formulated in the form of a question; it serves as the basis or origin from which an hypothesis is derived

• An hypothesis is a suggested solution to a problem.

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What is Research All About: What is Research All About: Problem and HypothesisProblem and Hypothesis

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Scientific MethodScientific Method• scientific method is “a method of research, in whicha problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, ahypothesis is formulated [discovery], and thehypothesis is empirically tested [verification]”

• two tools of control: observations and experiments(guarantees correspondence with reality) andmathematical analysis (may not be possible in all cases)

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Requirements for successRequirements for success• analytical, curious, need for autonomy and change, flexible,collaborative, tolerant of ambiguity, criticalness (avoidgroupthink)• knowledge of literature, technical skills, communication skills(knowledge of languages, social and pedagogical skills), andcreativity (original thinking)

How does a researcher work?• make always notes in a notebook• make summaries on what has been learned• make plans for the future all the time (outlines, roadmaps,visions)• discuss, ask questions and argue (criticism)

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Critics & Comments Are Our FriendsCritics & Comments Are Our Friends

• The aim of criticism is to show weaknesses and finally improve the quality of the work in international competition• Without criticism we would always compete in the “province league”• Do not prevent criticism although you may become angry because criticism hurts (when was the last time you’re being criticise?)• Criticism must be objective, impersonal, and related• Ideally you should show what should be improved and how• Start and finish with encouragement

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Choosing a ProblemChoosing a Problem• right problem, right timing, right approach, difficulty

of problem and its likely payoff• more experience needed to solve problems

1. discussions (most new ideas are generated by talking with others)

2. experiments (start them early, use experimental-inductive approach)

3. literature (find out existing knowledge)

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Methods of DiscoveryMethods of Discovery

• Traditional methods of problem solving

• Divide and conquer (break a large problem intosimpler subproblems and try to solve them)• Iterative improvement (guess a solution andthen try to improve it)

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Empirical-Inductive Method of DiscoveryEmpirical-Inductive Method of Discovery

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Iterative method of discoveryIterative method of discovery