CS/EE/ME 75, 2006-07

Richard Murray (CDS)
Joel Burdick (ME)	Mani Chandy (CS)	Tony Fender (EAS)	Pietro Perona (EE)
2006-07

Course Description

CS/EE/ME 75 presents the fundamentals of modern multi-disciplinary systems engineering in the context of a substantial design project. Students from a variety of disciplines will conceive, design, implement, and operate a system involving electrical, information, and mechanical engineering components. Specific tools will be provided for setting project goals and objectives, managing interfaces between component subsystems, working in design teams, and tracking progress against tasks. Students will be expected to apply knowledge from other courses at Caltech in designing and implementing specific subsystems. During the first two terms of the course, students will attend project meetings and learn some basic tools for project design, while taking courses in CS, EE, and ME that are related to the course project. During the third term, the entire team will build, document, and demonstrate the course design project, which will differ from year to year.

The third term of the course may be used to satisfy specific graduation requirements in the CS, EE, and ME options and may be taken for up to 18 units of total credit, with permission of the instructors. Freshman must receive permission from the instructor to enroll.

Course structure

CS/EE/ME 75 is designed to be integrated with the curriculum in the individual engineering disciplines. This is accomplished by linking the activities in the first two terms with regular classes in CS, EE and ME. These courses are used to design subsystems for the overall project, with the system integration occuring in the third term and the final implementation and operation occuring over the summer.

Fall Courses Winter Courses

Grading

In the first two terms, the course grade will be equally weighted between course homework sets (one each for the first three weeks), course participation in project and team meetings, and the final project presentation. For the third term, the course grade will be based on the following factors:

• Homework (20%): Homework sets will be handed out weekly for the first five weeks of the class. Most sets will consist of some work that is done by the student's team, as well as a (short) individual portion
• Team project reviews (20%): Each team will be required to present a review to an outside review team the end of the term. Each student on the team should give a portion of at least one of the presentations.
• Project documentation (40%): All work performed as part of the class should be documented in an appropriate format (to be decided by the teams). Each individual will turn in the documentation for the items they are responsible by the end of the term.
• Participation (20%): Students are expected to attend project and team meetings and to participate in a constructive manner toward the over goals of the team. Team coordinators and instructors will provide assessments for each student based on the level and quality of participation in project activities.