EE1641: PIC Project
PIC Project: Assignment Sheet
School of Engineering & Design
Electronic and Computer Engineering
PIC Project
Course(s): All
Level: 4
Module Code: EE1641
Module Name: Level 4 Workshop
Title of Assessment: PIC Project
Contribution to Module Mark: 25%
Submission Deadlines:
Project Demonstration: TBD
Group Technical Report: submit to Wiseflow on the day of your last laboratory session in
project development period
Individual Report: submit to Wiseflow on the day of your last laboratory development
session in project development period
1. Introduction
The practice of engineering is to solve problems by creating or designing solutions. Most of the
work on the course so far has been about analysing or understanding the problems you will face,
and learning about the various tools and techniques which you may use.
The group project is an opportunity to apply your knowledge to a fairly substantial technical
problem. You will be working in groups so will have to practice group working skills as well as
organise the project, both at an individual and group level.
2. Learning Outcomes
On completion of the group project, students should have:
• investigated a technical design problem, developed solutions, and built and tested a chosen
design,
• an appreciation of a complete project development cycle,
• practised team working skills.
3. Design Task
The design task set to each group is the development of a home security system using PICmicro.
By doing a general survey, you will find advanced home security system, like the one shown in
Figure 1, comes with functions such as the ability to monitor as many as 28 zones, settings for
different combination of zone monitoring, showing triggered zone and time, password protected
system configuration, remotely system arming/disarming via key fob, remote system configuration
via telephone, interfaces various types of sensor (such as motion, gas, perimeter and floor detectors,
magnetic switch, smoke detector), interfaces to various home appliances, and many more. For more
information about this home security system, you may look at
http://www.smarthome.com/73903W/Smarthome-SecureLinc-Wireless-Home-SecuritySystem/p.aspx. You may also look into its User’s Guide for the detail functionalities.
It is, however, not possible to cover all the aforementioned functions but the project will concentrate
on the basic for a home security system. For this project, the system you are going to design should
at least meet the following requirements:
EE1641: PIC Project
PIC Project: Assignment Sheet
• LCD for display
• Keypad for getting user input
• 4 zones monitoring (button/joystick for triggering test)
• 1 audio output (Piezoelectric Buzzer)
• System menu
• System configurations with password protection
• Setting user password (at least 4 digital number)
• Setting security zones (activation or detection)
• Display security zones status (active and inactive zones)
• When the security triggered:
• Turn on the siren/buzzer
• Display triggered zones
• User password to disarm security and stop siren/buzzer
EE1641: PIC Project
PIC Project: Assignment Sheet
Figure 1. Example of a home security system
4. Project Resources
In terms of hardware, you are going to use the PIC development board 16F877A to develop your
own home security system. The LCD display panel, numeric keypad and are provided from the
YF101 laboratory. The piezoelectric buzzer can be found form PIC development board.
In terms of software, you are going to use the standard PICmicro IDE (integrated development
environment) called MPLAB which is available on the School’s computers. You may also obtained
a FREE copy from Microchip (www.microchip.com – look for MPLAB® IDE).
The IDE is mainly used for the PICmicro program development. The outcome of the development
is a “hex” file (*.hex) which is to be downloaded to the PICmicro chip on the PIC development
board for the program execution.
For the PICmicro program development you should use the PIC Lab 1, 2 and 3 worksheets from
last term as a reference, along with your EE1639 PIC lecture notes. The PIC Lab 3
PICmicro Interfacing with LCD and Keypad worksheet was specially designed to give you
guidance on the control of the LCD display panel and the numerical keypad. These are the main
parts of the PIC program development for the security system where there are assembly language
subroutines for displaying alphanumeric characters as well as subroutines for obtaining user inputs.
You should use the existing program from that laboratory session as a foundation to build the rest
of the functions for the security system.
5. Project Management and Group Work
The project will be undertaken in groups of between 4 and 5 students all in the same laboratory
group (most likely in your tutor groups). Whilst the tasks for each group will be the same, it is
expected that larger groups would normally be able to complete more work.
EE1641: PIC Project
PIC Project: Assignment Sheet
It is essential that all groups adjust the complexity of their solution such that a satisfactory
demonstration is achievable in the time available.
Staff involved with the PIC Project who may be approached for help are the Level 1
laboratory supervisors for this term: Dr Liu Yang, Prof. Liangbo Xie, Dr Zhengwen Huang in
the weekly laboratory classes.
To help manage the project, it can be split into stages:
• Investigation of the problem and drawing up of some form of specification.
• Feasibility study on different solutions.
• Selection of a single proposed solution (based on simulation results).
• Development, build and test of the selected design, including an element of analysis as to
the success of the design.
It is required that each group to attend the allocated PIC Project labs as indicated on the workshop
module schedule (TBD). The group project progress and action plan are to be monitored
by completion of a ‘Group Project Progress and Action Plan Sheet’, submitted to the Wiseflow
at the end of each lab session. Attendance of group members will be recorded on the sheet.
If there are problems with group members not attending, then the rest of the group should
inform their laboratory supervisor in the lab sessions.
The group project progress and action plan sheet will be the main evidence to show that progress
is being made each week. At the beginning, these are likely to include initial design sketches and
top-level system designs (i.e. block diagram, flowchart etc.). These will be followed by more
detailed descriptions and sketches of design solutions with brief explanations etc. in subsequent
weeks. At the end of the project the supporting documentation should mainly consist of a system
drawing, a comprehensive flowchart, and PIC programs with brief explanations where
necessary.
6. Project Deliverables
During the project development period (TBD), the ‘Group Project Progress and Action
Plan’ sheet must be completed by each group and submitted to Wiseflow at the end of each
allocated lab session. At the end of the project (TBD), each project group is required submit a
final technical report. This report should cover the following aspects:
• the technical overview, design strategy, actual design, flowchart and the PIC program
(proper presentation of assembly codes with remarks) and critical review of the final design.
• copies of the five group project progress and action plan sheets (for TBD) should be
attached as an appendix to the report.
At the end of the project, each group member is required submit an individual report. This report
should cover the following aspects:
• your personal role and contribution to the project (between 400 and 600 words).
Each project group is also required to provide a project demonstration in their last PIC Project
laboratory session (TBD) with a short PowerPoint presentation covering the analysis of the design
problem, design solutions and the success of the final design.
The dates for submission of the final Group Technical Report and the Individual Report to
Blackboard Learn are the same day as the Project Demonstration and Presentation.
EE1641: PIC Project
PIC Project: Assignment Sheet
7. Assessment
The PIC Project contributes 25% to the workshop module, broken down into the different
assessment components as follows:
• Final group technical report: 10%
• Individual report: 5%
• Project demonstration and presentation: 10%
8. Late Submission Penalty and Non-Attendance
The standard penalty for late submission of the final technical report and individual review will be
applied. Absence from the demonstration will result in the individual student receiving zero marks
for this component.
Students with special circumstances should submit their request through eVision.