SORT OF CHECKLIST

These are some topics which you should talk about in your assignment reports, and perhaps in your seminar essays, if you can. Not all of them are always appropriate - sometimes very few are appropriate - but try to work in as many as possible. That's not just for show, but so that I can tell whether the assignment did any more for you than use a lot of time and give you some mild amusement. I'm all for mild amusement, but if you can learn something too it's better.

The topics are of various sorts, relating to various aspects of the reports. I've presented them simply as lists of points to think about - it's up to you to decide which are appropriate to your report, and what to do about them.

In most caes, the lists are presented in alphabetical order within a tree structure. The only exception is in the "SOURCES" section, where the order is significant.

NOTE that the lists aren't exhaustive; I'll certainly extend them as new things come to mind.

PRESENTATION.

Diagrams.
	Clear.
	Uncluttered.
	Useful.

Graphs.
	Axes.
	Labels.
	Units.

Layout.
	Alignment.
	Contents.
	Margins.
	Page numbers.
	Page boundaries.
	White space.

Tables.
	Labels.
	Position of entries.

Text.
	Order and grouping.
		Avoid forward references.
		Describe before using.
		Group related items.
	Sections.
	Sentences.
	Spelling and punctuation.

DESIGN AND METHOD.

Planning.
	Analysis of task.
Criteria to be met.
	Proposed procedure.
	Statement of aim.

Techniques.
	Choice.
Comparison.
Design technique.

DESCRIPTION.

Function.
Hardware used.
Limitations.
Parts.
Software used.
What to do.

EVALUATION.

Performance vs. other techniques.
Performance vs. specification.
Relationship with "real" systems.

FUTURE.

Development of this approach.
	Alternative.
	Better.

REAL-TIME AND CONTROL FEATURES.

Actuators.
Control signal required.
Effect produced.
Power.
Precision.
Speed.

Communications.
Encoding.
Protocols.
Speed.
	Data rates.
	Channel widths.
Noise.

Continuous or sequencing.
Continuous :
	Control algorithm.
	Set point.
	Function to be implemented.
Sequencing.
	Conditions.
	Deadlock.

Control interface.
Requirements.
Design.

Errors.
Correction.
Detection.

Open-loop or closed-loop.
Feedback.
Required computer output.

Sensors.
Accuracy.
Property sensed.
Sensitivity.
Signal produced.
Speed.

Software.
Interrupts.
Multiple processes.
Polling.
Scheduling.
Structure.
	What's in this part.
	Interface between parts.
Timing.

Timing.
Requirements.
Sampling.
Response times of the system.

SOURCES

( not in alphabetical order : the order is significant ).

Citations.

	Hearsay, etc.
		Name(s).
		"private communication", "in a lecture", "in discussion", etc.
		Date.

	Other 473 reports.
		Name.
		Title.
		Assignment number.
		Year.

	Published material.
		Journals, conference reports, etc.
			Author(s).
			Title.
			Journal ( or whatever ).
			Which one.
				Volume and year; or
				Volume and part number and month and year; or
				Issue number and year; etc.
			Page.
		Ordinary books.
			Author(s).
			Title.
			Publisher.
			Edition, if not the first.
			Year.
		Edited collections of articles.
			Author(s).
			Title.
			"in" reference as for books, with Editor(s) instead of Author(s).

Usage.

	Bibliography.
	References.
		Links between text and list.
		List.

WHEN CONSTRUCTING HARDWARE.

Current consumption.
	Requirements of devices, ICs.
	Drain on computer power supplies.

Power dissipation.
	Heatsinks.

Voltages.
	Logic levels.
	Logic families.

Alan Creak,
December, 1994.