This course is a semester-long ECEN capstone design lab, where teams of 3-5 students propose, design, document, build, test, and demonstrate a working prototype of an electronic system. The project topic can be related to one or more ECEN areas, including Bioengineering, Communications and Signal Processing, Control Systems, Electromagnetics, Optoelectronics, Power Electronics, Solid State Materials and Devices. If possible, students interested in taking the lab should form teams before the semester starts and discuss their project topic ideas with the lab instructors and other faculty in various ECEN areas. The result of each team's effort will be a reliably operating electronics system with publication quality technical documentation.

A typical project will consist of digital hardware interfacing with "peripherals" (such as sensors, RF and microwave electronics, optoelectronics, power amplifiers and converters, motors and other actuators), and software.

EEEN and ECEN majors must have successfully completed the required prerequisites of all eight ECEN core courses (ECEN 2250, 2260, 3250, 2120, 3100, 3300, 3400, and 3810). In addition, ECEN majors must have successfully completed ECEN 4593. Note that all courses are prerequisites and not corequisites of this course. Any student not meeting the requirements will not be allowed to register for the course. It is beneficial if students have also completed ECE electives, 4000-level ECE labs, and 4000-level ECE theory courses related to the selected project topic.

The digital hardware part of the project can be realized using one or a combination of the following options:

• Processor/DSP development board
• General-purpose microcontrollers and digital logic devices
• Digital logic implemented in FPGA
• PC with standard interface ports in conjunction with a target processor

The final project will be demonstrated to the world at large during the Capstone Lab Expo at the end of the semester.