Guidelines for

Computer Engineering
Senior Design

Prepared by:

Engr. RANDY E. ANGELIA

CEE Research Coordinator

Engr. RODRIGO S. PANGANTIHON JR.

Program Head, Computer Engineering Program
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Table of Content

I. General Introduction 1
II. Objectives 4
III. Project Duration 4
IV. Students Outcomes 4
V. Design Standards 4
VI. Design Constraints 5
VII. Design Trade-offs 5
VIII. Qualification of Senior Design Personnel 5
IX. Assessment Scheme 5
X. Design Record Book 6
XI. Appendices

A. Title Defense Format 8

B. Outline Defense Format 9
C. Final Defense Format 11
D. Patent Search Report Format 14
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I. General Introduction:

The Senior Design project of the Computer Engineering Program provides an integrated
assessment of the student progress towards the attainment of student outcomes (SO). It is a two-
semestral course Design 1 (CpE 501) and Design 2(CpE502) with a pre-requisite course Method of
Research (CpE 421) wherein one of the requirements in order to pass the subject is to secure a study
to be implemented during senior design and have gone title and outline defenses.

During the first semester, of the two-semester sequence of the senior design, students are
expected to come-up with a design and discuss it with their senior design adviser and subject
professor. Students then submit a written report, defend and present the best and acceptable designs
with trade-offs and design constraints consideration at the end of the term.

On the second semester of the senior design is the project implementation. Students will
implement the step by step implementation of the approved design and should be closely monitored
by the adviser. They also collect all results and findings of the study. The designers will also draw
conclusions and recommendations after conducting all the necessary procedures.

After gathering all necessary data, students will now produce a paper following the IEEE
format for the annual Senior Design Project Exhibit organized and sponsored by the College of
Engineering. This activity will be conducted before the Final Defense of the Senior Design. The
objective of this activity is to showcase students output not only to their professors but also to other
students and even outside stakeholders. Judges will be scrutinizing the functionality, efficiency and
acceptability of the final output with the consideration of all the acquired design standards, trade-offs
and constraints.

Final defense then will be scheduled by the Research Coordinator after the project exhibit.
The main goal of this activity is to validate the data and the results being gathered. It is the brilliant
time also for students' to showcase their technical skills, communication skills, teamwork and to
exhibit student learning’s in the computer engineering core subjects.

This senior design project is comprehensive and focus on professional practice and includes a
variety of non-technical issues as speculated in the student outcomes of the program. It is mandatory
to conduct a literature survey, including patentability consideration; perform the relevant
calculations, propose a solution to the problem, and implement their design. Externally sponsored
projects are welcome for the benefit of the industry and guarantee a strong educational experience
for the students with the consideration of all the provisions of University of Mindanao Intellectual
Property Policy (UM IP Policy).
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II – Objectives

 Build an atmosphere for the undergraduate students to use their knowledge, skills and
attitude acquired in the other courses to solve real engineering and technical problems.
 Exhibit the creativity of the students in analyzing and solving engineering and technical
problems in general.
 To promote a multi-disciplinary learning environment and team approach to problem solving.
 To develop the ability of life long and self-learning environment which is integral in the success
of the students future industrial career.

III – Project Duration

Senior (Final year of study) students that are expected to graduate by the end of the academic year
can take the senior design project course which spans to two-semester. During the first semester,
the student registers in phase one of the senior project implementation. After successful completion
of the first part, the student may proceed to enrol to execute project implementation (part two).

IV- Students Outcomes

1. Apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve engineering problems

2. Ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
3. Ability to design a system, component , or process to meet desired needs within realistic
constraints such as economic, environment, social, political, ethical, health and safety,
manufacturability, and sustainability, in accordance with standards.
4. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
5. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
6. Broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global,
economic, environmental, and societal context.
7. Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
8. Knowledge of contemporary issues.
9. Ability to use techniques, sills, and modem engineering tools necessary for engineering
practices.
10. Knowledge and understanding of engineering and management principles as a member and
leader in a team, to manage projects and in multidisciplinary environments.
11. Have knowledge of probability and statistics, including applications appropriate to the
program name of objectives.

V – Design Standards

The engineering design standards are the technical standards used and followed by industries,
developers, consultants, contractors in implementing or designing projects.
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VI - Design Constraints

Design constraint refers to restrictions on the conditions under which a design is developed, or on the
requirements of the project. A design constraint is normally imposed externally, either by the
organization or by some external regulation or stakeholders. It could be on economic, function or
could be in the technology to be used, materials to be incorporated, time taken to develop the system,
environmental impact, etc.

VII – Design Trade-offs

Conceptualization of the designs comprises of chains of trade-off analysis to its significant parameters
and designs constraints. Materials, instruments, procedures, etc., are being analysed in order to
obtain a compromise design which meets the required designs standards and anchored constraints.

VIII – Qualification of Senior Design Personnel

Subject Teacher
A doctorate degree holder
Master’s degree holder with at least one institutional research
Adviser
A doctorate degree holder or
A master’s degree holder with at least one institutional research
Panel Member
At least a master’s degree holder or
An expert on the field of study
Editor/Reader
A language teacher
At least a master’s degree holder
Statistician
A math/statistics teacher
At least a master’s degree holder
Evaluator
An expert on the field of study
At least a master’s degree holder with institutional research
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IX – Assessment Scheme

GRADING SYSTEM FOR SENIOR DESIGN I

Design Reports 30%

(multiple designs with trade-offs and design constraints
consideration)
Presentation and Defense 20%
(circuit designs, trade-off analysis, constraints consideration,
mathematical computation and other analysis during the designing
process)
Functionality Test 30%
(at least 50% functional)
Activity Record book (Journal) 10%

Corrected final Report 10%

GRADING SYSTEM FOR SENIOR DESIGN II

Student progress and project conduct 25%

(Assessed by the Adviser and student members)
Manuscript 25%
(Assessed by the panel members)
Project Exhibit and Poster 2nd week of Feb 10%
(Assessed by the panel of judges during exhibit, must be 100%
functional)
Final defense presentation 3rd week of Feb 25%
Activity Record book 5%
Corrected Final Report or Hard Bound 10%
(Note: 1 week after project exhibit, final defense)
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IX – Design Record Book

During the senior design project, the students need to use for the first time a project team’s record
book. The record book plays an essential role in documenting and keeping a concise track record of
all phases of the project. Also, it is considered as one of the main ways of communication between
the different parties when working on a project. Good documentation is a key to a successful senior
design project and hence the record book is required. The Record book comprises the following:

1. Records of daily activities conducted by each member of the team.

2. Calculations, ideas, experiments, drawings, handouts etc, which may have bearing on
developments
3. Entries should also include problems worked on possible and actually solutions plus
calculations and tests made
4. Drawings, graphs, handouts etc should be used liberally. They must be dated and signed
by the project supervisor and attached to the log book using glue or staples.
5. If a change is made, draw a line through the original entry and clearly indicate what the
change is and why it was made.

Keep a detailed record for all phases of the project. Project adviser/s and teacher in-charge should
review and sign the log book at regularly during the two semesters. The supervisor can request to look
at the record book without any notice. Therefore, students have to make sure that their record books
are up-to-date.

Defense panels will also require senior designers to submit the record book for counter checking of
documents.

Teacher in-charge will collate all record book before the final defense schedule since it is part of the
assessment.
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APPENDIX-A
Project Design Capsule (title) proposal format

Propose Senior Design title:

Name of proponents:

I. Introduction
This section gives the reader an overview of the specific technology or field in
the international or local setting. The information regarding the technology or
field should be contemporary and not based onoutdated sources. Discussion
must not be too technical or too detailed. This section ends with a discussionon
the problems faced by or that still exist in the specific technology or field (e.g.,
limitations of existing software /algorithms, technologies or chemical processes).
Statements about the problem or issues that would lead to the project research
objectives.

II. Objectives
General:
This section states the over-all goal that must be achieved to answer the problem.
Specific :
This subsection is an elaboration of the general objective. It states the specific
steps that must be undertaken to accomplish the general objective. These
objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bounded.
Each specific objective may start with “To design, To develop, To test etc…
a. Scope and Limitation of The Study

V. Method
This section lists and briefly discusses the specific steps and activities that will be
performed by the proponents to accomplish the project. The discussion covers
the activities from pre-proposal to Final Document Writing. This section also
includes an initial discussion on the theoretical/conceptual framework to be
followed.

VI. Gantt chart

This section contains the Gantt chart showing schedule of the activities outlined.

VII. Patent search report

Attached the official report generated by UMin-ITSO expert, this is to ensure, if
not novel, innovation from existing technologies.
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APPENDIX -B

Capstone outline proposal format

CHAPTER 1
Project description
Background of the study

This section gives the reader an overview of the specific technology or field in
the international or local setting. The information regarding the technology or
field should be contemporary and not based on outdated sources. Discussion
must not be too technical or too detailed. This section ends with a discussion on
the problems faced by or that still exist in the specific technology or field (e.g.,
limitations of existing software /algorithms, technologies or chemical processes).
Statements about the problem or issues that would lead to the project research
objectives.

Project Objectives
General:
This section states the over-all goal that must be achieved to answer the problem.
Specific:
This subsection is an elaboration of the general objective. It states the specific
steps that must be undertaken to accomplish the general objective. These
objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bounded.
Each specific objective may start with “To design, test etc…

Scope and Limitations

This section discusses the boundaries (with respect tothe objectives) of the
research and the constraintswithin which the research will be developed.

Significance of the Project

This section explains why research must be done in this area. It rationalizes the
objective of the Researchproject with that of the stated problem.

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related literature/Related System

This section discusses the features, capabilities, and limitations of existing
research, algorithms, software, design, or technologies that are related/similar
to the project. The reviewed works and software must be arranged eitherin
chronological order, or by area (from general to specific). Observe a consistent
format when presentingeach of the reviewed works. As much as possible, most
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of the content was a result of comprehensive patent search from online patent
data bases.
Conceptual framework/ theories
CHAPTER 3
Project Methodology
Research Design

Design Inputs
This section discusses the constraints and certain standards that are relevant to this project design
or process.

Design Constraints
Functionality
Economic
Manufacturability (production time)
Sustainability (life-cycle operation)
Health and Safety
Environment or Ecological
Industrial design (aesthetics)
Legal/Ethical
Political Issues

Design Standards
This subsection discusses the standards that are relevant to this project design or process (e.g
ISO,IEEE, etc).

Trade -offs
This subsection discusses the trade-off consideration of the project design.

Technical background
This section discusses and presents different sets of diagrams and charts pertaining to the software,
hardware, design and process project that is being developed by the proponents.

Input-Process-Output model
System Flowchart
Illustrative Diagram
Hardware Design
Software Design
Final Design

Design Procedures
This sections discusses the processes to be followed that being anchored to certain standards.
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APPINDEX-C
Capstone outline proposal format

CHAPTER 1

Project description
Background of the study

This section gives the reader an overview of the specific technology or field in
the international or local setting. The information regarding the technology or
field should be contemporary and not based on outdated sources. Discussion
must not be too technical or too detailed. This section ends with a discussion on
the problems faced by or that still exist in the specific technology or field (e.g.,
limitations of existing software /algorithms, technologies or chemical processes).
Statements about the problem or issues that would lead to the project research
objectives.

Project Objectives
General:
This section states the over-all goal that must be achieved to answer the problem.
Specific:
This subsection is an elaboration of the general objective. It states the specific
steps that must be undertaken to accomplish the general objective. These
objectives must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bounded.
Each specific objective may start with “To design, test etc…

Scope and Limitations

This section discusses the boundaries (with respect tothe objectives) of the
research and the constraintswithin which the research will be developed.

Significance of the Project

This section explains why research must be done in this area. It rationalizes the
objective of the Researchproject with that of the stated problem.

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related literature/Related System

This section discusses the features, capabilities, and limitations of existing
research, algorithms, software, design, or technologies that are related/similar
to the project. The reviewed works and software must be arranged eitherin
chronological order, or by area (from general to specific). Observe a consistent
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format when presentingeach of the reviewed works. As much as possible, most

of the content was a result of comprehensive patent search from online patent
data bases.
Conceptual framework/ theories
CHAPTER 3
Project Methodology
Research Design

Design Inputs
This section discusses the constraints and certain standards that are relevant to this project design
or process.

Design Constraints
Functionality
Economic
Manufacturability (production time)
Sustainability (life-cycle operation)
Health and Safety
Environment or Ecological
Industrial design (aesthetics)
Legal/Ethical
Political Issues

Design Standards
This subsection discusses the standards that are relevant to this project design or process (e.g
ISO,IEEE, etc).

Trade -offs
This subsection discusses the trade-off consideration of the project design.

Technical background
This section discusses and presents different sets of diagrams and charts pertaining to the software,
hardware, design and process project that is being developed by the proponents.

Input-Process-Output model
System Flowchart
Illustrative Diagram
Hardware Design
Software Design
Final Design

Design Procedures
This sections discusses the processes to be followed that being anchored to certain standards.
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CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Testing and Evaluation

CHAPTER 5
Summary of findings, conclusion and recommendation

Appendices

A – operational manual
B – repair manual

c-Z other docs

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APPENDIX-D
PATENT SEARCH REPORT FORMAT

Title:

Filing Date:

Abstract:

International Patent Classification:

Keywords:

Database Search String Number of

Hits
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DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of Documents Relevant to claim

[E.g.: X] no.

* Special Categories of Cited Documents:

A document defining the general state of the art which is not considered to be of particular relevance

X document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an
inventive step when the document is taken alone.

Y document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the
document is combined with one or more other such documents, such combination being obvious to a person skilled in the
art.

Note: Further references not indicated in this search report may be cited during substantive examination.

3. CERTIFICATION

Signature

TIMETABLE

Selection of research titles

Title Proposal or Title Defense
Outline Proposal or Outline Defense

Conceptualization of research designs based of the trade-offs and constraints

being considered.
Presentation of research designs to the panels
Selection of best designs