ECE400/496 projects

ECE496 are general projects, while ECE400 are projects related to the Nanotechnology and Microsystems option.

Currently proposed projects

The list is not exhaustive; if interested, contact me and we can discuss about other available projects as well.

EC1: Frontend subsystem for ultrasound bioimaging

Goal:	To design and implement a suitable electronic driver and readout for a micromachined transducer array that will be used for biomedical imaging
Description:	We have developed a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array, to be used for biomedical imaging and other applications (e.g. non-destructive inspection). The project requires the use of existing IC components to design and implement at PCB level a circuit able to drive and read the signals from the CMUT array.
Tasks:	To be defined according to description and the number of students
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-3
Pre-requisites:	Good in designing circuits. Familiarity with a Spice simulator (e.g. NI Multisim) and PCB design software (e.g. NI Ultraboard) is desired, but not really mandatory.

EC2: Programmable rotation table for testing inertial sensors

Goal:	To build a computer programmable rotation table, starting from a standard turntable for playing vinyl records. It will be used for the test and calibration of micromachined gyroscopes
Description:	A second hand turntable will be used to build a PC-controllable rotation table, in order to characterize MEMS inertial sensors. The electronic driver of the turntable will be replaced with a microcontroller or an FPGA-based controller, such that the angular rate waveform can be programmed. It is preferred to have the possibility of a PC interface (e.g. USB connection), in order to directly control the turntable from within LabView or Matlab.
Tasks:	To de defined depending on the number of students
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-3
Pre-requisites:

EC3: System for measuring in-plane microdisplacements through video-stroboscopy

Goal:	To design and implement algorithms for measuring the in-plane motion of microsensors and resonators using video stroboscopy techniques. The system will be used for testing and characterizing various existing MEMS structures
Description:	Come and discuss it with me
Tasks:
Hardware/Software	A complete hardware set of components will be obtained soon, including the microscope unit, a high-speed camera and FPGA-boards programmable in Labview and C
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-3
Pre-requisites:

EC4: Circuit for reading out very small capacitive changes

Goal:	A PCB-level circuit for differential capacitive sensing in the aF range
Description:	Typical surface micromachined MEMS devices interface with electronics through equivalent variable capacitances. It is often necessary to sense variations as small as 1-5aF in capacitance, while the static capacitance is in the range of pF. We try to build dedicate readout circuits to make the connection between MEMS sensors and the rest of the processing blocks. We normally target a digital output.
Tasks:	Guided study of available circuit architectures. Design, simulate and build a PCB-level circuit for sensing very small (differential) capacitance variations.
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-2
Pre-requisites:	Practical experience in making circuits and working with Spice

EC5: Web-based content management system (CMS) for the LMNR research group

Goal:	A web server based on an open CMS for the LMNR (Lab for Microsystems and Nanotechnology Research)
Description:
Tasks:	Analyze available open-source CMS solutions (e.g. Drupal, Joomla!, etc.). Implement a customized dynamic web site using a chosen system. The site should be able to provide a centralized place for uploading docs, make equipment reservation, provide a an internal discussion forum, etc.
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-3
Pre-requisites:	Experience with software projects, especially with database (MySQL, SQLite) related issues.

EC6: Controller for micromirror array, to be used in adaptive optics applications

Goal:	To design and implement a PCB-level controller for tuning the individual orientation of micromirror elements, forming a compact die-level microarray. The circuit is to be used in adaptive optics applications, for instance for wavefront correction.
Description:	We have designed and fabricated two different models of micromirror arrays, to be used in adaptive optics applications. The orientation of each individual micromirror needs to be tuned by three voltages, such that the array ensemble will perform an optical correction function. A dedicated circuit will be necessary to interface with the existing micromirror, for future feedback loop control.
Tasks:
Hardware/Software	MEMS micromirror arrays, circuit and PCB design software, electronic components
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-2
Pre-requisites:	Experience with circuit simulation and design. A MEMS experience is desirable, but not required at the beginning.

EC7: Stochastic resonance in microsystems

Goal:	The project explores the possibility of using stochastic resonance as sensing principle for micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS)
Description:	Stochastic resonance is a nonlinear phenomenon used by nature to amplify weak signals with the added energy of the noise. In other words, the noise of the environment helps, instead of disturbing the information transmission, for a certain amplitude range. The most sensitive sensor known to us, the hair on cricket's legs, is able to operate at the level of the thermal energy (10^-21J!) using such a mechanism.
Tasks:	build a simple stochastic resonance model in LabView, explore the potential existence of stochastic resonance in MEMS structure (the model of a particular MEMS structure will be provided)
Hardware/Software
No. of groups	1
No. of students/group	1-2
Pre-requisites:

Other projects: This is only a group from a larger set of potential projects. If you have your own project proposal related to Microsystems or signal processing area, you may contact me (edmondc “at” ece “dot” ubc “dot” ca), in order to discuss it and estimate the necessary development effort. It is important that you learn something, that the outcome (theoretical or practical) is usable in the context of my research activities and that you keep your enthusiasm while doing it.

Philosophy

Most of the proposed projects will have two components:

• A practical, experimental one – you need to build a hardware/software module, to help the research activities in the lab
• A theoretical component – you can be exposed to a research theme, and try to perform some design/analyses/simulations, in order to get more in-depth understanding. If this leads to a publishable result, I generally encourage the student to submit a paper for publication.

The division between the exploratory (research) fraction and the practical side is something that we agree together upon at the start of the project. The research component will help you self-check your desire to pursue later on a research path or an industrial one. You will typically collaborate with the graduate students in the lab, or with other undergraduate colleagues. I do encourage the team work, as it stimulates innovation and the sharing of enthusiasm.

Many of the projects proposed here could lead as well to a future publication, if properly done – I hope this will act as a further stimulus for the dedicated work I expect from the students.

Project topics

They are generally aimed to enhance the research infrastructure or the research activity in the lab. Several general themes are of interest for me:

• Microsystem design issues. This goes from the design and implementation of a specific microtransducer or array of microtransducers (using available MEMS design tools) to the implementation of interfaces with electronics (e.g. readout circuits), or using such modules in higher-level systems (e.g. to control a micromirror array through algorithms implemented in FPGA, in order to achieve various adaptive optics functions)
• Signal processing issues. Several projects deal with the (nonlinear) processing of signals, mostly biomedical related. There is a general software analysis component (e.g. analyze a certain signal processing approach by implementing the related algorithms in Matlab) and a hardware implementation (implement a certain processing algorithm in FPGA, for a real-time execution)
• Other projects to support the development of the research infrastructure (e.g. build a web-oriented content management system)

Student selection

Depending on your skills, you can choose for one or another category. The students are chosen after a direct interview, in order to evaluate their know-how and enthusiasm. If you just target an easy course with many credit points, this might not be the right place. I rather look for motivated students.

Please feel free to come forward and discuss your own ideas, if you want to propose a certain project related to these themes. If accepted, it will benefit of the existing infrastructure and the course becomes your hobby…

It is important to realize that 400/496 projects involve the student commitment for at least 10h/week (EECE496, with 5CP, corresponds to 10h/wk, while EECE400, with 6CP, has a load of 12h/wk[1]). If you claim that you want to choose such a project while taking in parallel four or more other courses (some of them perhaps with their own projects), then think again! Most probably you will not manage to do anything relevant in any of the courses, and the marks you will get will reflect this. Try to estimate by yourself a fair amount of work that you can handle, and select your courses accordingly.

Management of the projects

The projects are rewarding, but they also involved a sustained work. We will have regular biweekly meetings for estimating the progress, and a dedicated web space for managing the files related to a specific project. I will put marks along the evolution of the project, not only on the final report. So do not expect that it is the type of work to be put aside until the last two weeks of the term, and then suddenly to come into life.

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[1] Each credit point has an implied workload of 26 hours over the duration of the project (about 13 weeks)