Help, project idea needed for final year

[jmath071]

Hi am in 4th year in collage and need an idea for a project for the whole year. The course i am in is sustainable design in DKIT in Ireland. Please help

 

[kjennejohn]

Hi am in 4th year in collage and need an idea for a project for the whole year. The course i am in is sustainable design in DKIT in Ireland. Please help

You mean "college", right?
Please explain what "sustainable design" is and define "DKIT" for us. I'm thinking an "Institute of Technology" of some kind? And what is your major? Then we may have a chance to supply suggestions.
kenjj

 

[jmath071]

You mean "college", right?
Please explain what "sustainable design" is and define "DKIT" for us. I'm thinking an "Institute of Technology" of some kind? And what is your major? Then we may have a chance to supply suggestions.
kenjj

Yep College DKIT is Dundalk institute of technology.
In Ireland you pick a course and thats it if u want to do electronic engineering you do a course in electronic engineering theres no majors like in the US. Am doing Sustainable design for electronic engineering I finished a Degree in electronic engineering last year. hope this helped u

 

[kjennejohn]

I was close with the "IT" part.
But you still have to define "sustainable design"?
kenjj

 

[jmath071]

Engineering Product Design is fundamentally about considering the needs of the client and creating a design for a product which is the best possible mix of function, durability, style and price. Sustainable Product Design includes additional cost factors such as environmental costs, total lifecycle costs, and use of scarce materials.
overview of course

 

[kjennejohn]

OK, how about a processor-controlled design where the processor is a single 8-pin chip, like the PIC12F675? You use the internal clock, so eliminate the crystal or resonator. Use a single ADC pin to read a 20-switch keypad designed to work as a simple voltage-divider design. Use a serial-LCD for a display, thus using a single output pin versus the usual seven or so for a typical four-bit LCD. Use a single pin to both read a switch (input) and drive an LED (output). Use an IR transciever to communicate with the outside world, and eliminate all the large connectors typically employed to connect cables to. Use a 5V, 20 mA relay to turn a small AC device on and off. All this leads to smaller, less expensive boards which take up less landfill space at the end of their useful life. Microchip has an app note with handy little suggestions like that.

Do a cost study of SMT versus through hole for the board. Is there any real savings in eliminating plated-through pads? What are the considerations of doing a single-sided board versus a double-sided one?

Pick a simple a simple household device, like a Mr Coffee coffee maker, with clock readout and programmable brew starting, and design for "sustainable engineering".
And have fun doing it.
kenjj