EE446 Telecommunication Module

EE492 Electrical Engineering Design II

Fall 2009

Photo Courtesy of http://www.coe.montana.edu/ee/seniordesign/archive/FL08/Telecom%20Board/index.htm

The EE446 Telecommunication Module is a design project for EE492, the capstone design course for electrical and computer engineering students. The EE446 Telecommunication Module is currently in its second stage of modification, and the goal for this design project is to produce a fully functional module by the end of the semester. This module will be replicated and utilized for all laboratories associated with EE446, a laboratory course focused on telecommunication systems. This course is a requirement for all students majoring in electrical engineering, and is a professional elective for students majoring in computer engineering. The course covers several topics in telecommuncations including Fourier analysis and use of spectrum analyzers, modulation and demodulation of analog and digital signals, sampling theory, and aliasing. The design for the EE446 Telecommunication Module will include circuits for power regulation, digital noise, white noise, phase-lock loop, modulation, demodulation, A/D and D/A conversion, amplification, fiber optics, filtering and summing.

The engineering standards and constraints associated with this design project are limited to economic, environmental, sustainability, manufacturability, and health and safety. Economic considerations must be made when designing the module so that it may be reproduced for use in the laboratory. Consequently, it is in the best interest of the design to use components that have a long life and are relatively inexpensive. As with any electronic device, certain steps will need to be taken when the module has become obsolete and needs to be replaced. There should be no special disposal needs for this module. By using off-the-shelf parts and no special assembly practices, the sustainability of this project will be ensured. Because no special procedures will be necessary for the production of the module, the manufacturability of the module will also be upheld. Radio frequency and electromagnetic frequency output will also fall within that which is required by the Federal Communications Commission. This will ensure the health and safety of any individual who uses the module. There are no ethical, political, or social standards or constraints which will affect the design project.

The goal of this design project is to produce a working Telecommunications Module for the EE 446 course which can be used in subsequent semesters. Deliverables for this design project include a fully functional EE 446 Telecommunications Module, as well as all of the documentation and schematics necessary for a complete understanding of the design project. This documentation will be used to develop laboratories for the EE 446 course, so documentation must be thorough and concise.

Troubleshooting of the existing EE 446 Telecommunications Module is now complete, and the necessary redesigning of circuits has also been completed. We are currently in the process of making the final changes to the layout so that the EE 446 Telecommunications Module printed circuit board can be produced. Once the printed circuit board and parts are received, the EE 446 Telecommunications Module will be built and tested. The final testing of the EE 446 Telecommunications Module will be followed by the completion of all required documentation.

Design Project Sponsor

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Montana State University

Design Team Members

    

Darin K. Crabtree, Justin N. Flint, Brandon C. French

Darin K. Crabtree is a native of Libby, MT. He expects to graduate with a BS in electrical engineering from Montana State University in December 2009. He has worked in the construction industry in a supervisory capacity in both Seattle, WA, and Bozeman, MT, and currently has an internship at Grasslands Renewable Energy, LLC. in Bozeman, MT.

Justin N. Flint is a native of Butte, MT. He expects to graduate with a BS in electrical engineering from Montana State University in May 2010. He has worked as a laborer in the mining industry at Montana Resources in Butte, MT, and also as a laborer at Big Sky Asphalt in Bozeman, MT.

Brandon C. French is a native of Ketchikan, AK. He expects to graduate with a BS in electrical engineering from Montana State University in May 2010. He has worked as a research, development, and engineering of laser diode test systems intern at ILX Lightwave Corp. in Bozeman, MT.

Design Project Advisor

Andy V. Olson is an adjunct instructor who received his BS in electrical engineering from Montana State Univeristy. He specializes in communications, communications electronics, and active and passive microwave circuits.

Last updated on 11/13/2009.