Project Policies

Project handouts: Project handouts will be available on the web. The project topic will closely correspond to the lecture topic for that week period.

Working in groups of two: You will work on your homework projects in groups of two. To forms these groups, I give you two options. First, you can choose grouping on your own. Second, I can choose a partner for you. You may change partners between projects, but not during an individual project.

The final design projects can be larger groups. I reserve the right to assign these groups.

If you choose to go alone, I will not make any concessions, but if your partner drops in the middle of a project, then I will take into account the reduced amount of work.

You may discuss the questions in large groups, but each group must independently perform and write-up the required work.

Experiments: A key part of the Analog IC design, and in particular Neuromorphic Analog VLSI design, experience is the electrical measurements of integrated circuits. We do not want this class to degenerate into a theoretical discussion about circuit analysis. The projects center on experiments to be performed on custom VLSI chips that were built especially for this class.
Further, you will have the unique opportunity to have an analog IC design experience where you will be able to experimentally measure and verify your designs.
We strongly recommend that you bring in your laptop computer to class, as well as make sure you set up your computer such that MATLAB (version 2008a or higher equivalent for the object oriented code) is running on your machine.
Finally, please convey suggestions about how to improve this laboratory experience for future generations of this class. You are benefiting from the suggestions of earlier years, and I take very seriously any suggestions that make this material more accessible.

MATLAB: We will use the computer program MATLAB for analyzing data and taking data; therefore your projects will require a simple understanding of MATLAB. A tutorial of MATLAB is given in the online handouts; we will use only a small fraction of MATLAB's capability in this class.

There is no need to show any MATLAB code unless the project explicitly asks for it.

• Format : For each major project, you are required to Develop a set of powerpoint slides (or some other set of slides that can be viewed through a .pdf viewer, such as using LaTeX) that describe your methods, experimental results, simulation results, and regression data, and answers and solutions and explainations for the questions. One should use fonts that can be visable when projected. One should keep the number of slides to 20 or less. One should minimize the number of slides with only text (I would strongly prefer 0 slides in this case, say other than a conclusion slide at the end). Results should be word-processed (no hand drawn / hand written materials and scanned in). Further, I might ask for additional files, such as targeting files, spice files, simulink files, and separate data plots.
• For design projects, your group will present to the class your results from this slide desk submitted to me. The slide deck (and other items) above is due by email to me (phasler at ece.gatech.edu) 2 hours before the start of design presentations. This rule gives me time to organize the presentations on my laptop so we can be efficient for the presentations, as well as gives me an early look at the presentations to efficiently ask key questions. In the e-mail please identify your name (of all people in the project), as well as on the first slide, so I know who should get credit for the project. Projects handed in after this deadline will not be accepted. This policy is firm, so do not fall behind! The work load will not get any lighter later in the semester.
• Only one set of slides / one presentation will be accepted per group.
• There is no need to show any MATLAB code unless the project explicitly asks for it.
• Projects should be e-mailed to me by one of the two students in the group, and in the e-mail please identify both students who are to receive credit for this project. Also, and this is extremely important, include the words "6435 Lab Write Up" in the subject line as an email filter will be filtering these into a specific folder. Failure to do so may cause us to not see your email. Each of us gets MANY emails each day. Most are unwanted, so we have fairly significant spam filters. Please help us get your emails.
• Extensions on due dates will not be granted unless there is a very compelling reason (e.g., a medical problem by a majority of the team). To get an extension, you must talk with me before the due date.

Academic Honesty: All conduct in this course will be governed by the Georgia Tech honor code. Additionally, it is expected that students will respect their peers and the instructor such that no one takes unfair advantage of anyone else associated with the course. Any suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Students for further action.