Automated Remote Sensor and Control System for Water Pumps
Abstract. This group design project report presents an automated system for farms where the dam, a water tank and irrigated areas are far apart. It consists of four subsystems: a user interface for personalised settings, a main controller that coordinates the system, a tank flow and level sensor unit, and a sprinkler controller, linked by XBee wireless modules. The report documents the design and the experiments on each subsystem, including tracing a real-time clock that ran at double speed to an unsuitable crystal and fixing it with a low-power crystal.
Design of a Multistage Audio Amplifier with a Power Output Stage
Abstract. The objective of this practical was to design and build a multistage transistor audio amplifier with a suitable output power stage. The work covers measuring transistor characteristics in forward-active mode, optimising bias networks for maximum swing, choosing the number and type of stages for symmetrical gain, and adding a feedback network to improve linearity and control gain. The report documents the design and measured results, and reflects on how stabilising elements such as feedback counter the non-ideal behaviour seen in practice.
A Two-Way Traffic Light Controller on a PIC Microcontroller
Abstract. This practical designs and programs a two-way traffic light controller with pedestrian push-buttons on a PIC18F45K20 in assembly language. The report presents the state diagrams of the traffic cycle, the software flowchart, and the use of interrupts and delay loops, together with the complete code.
Engineering Ethics in The Pentagon Wars: An ELO 10 Analysis
Abstract. This report identifies and discusses the ethical and unethical conduct depicted in The Pentagon Wars (1998), based on Colonel James G. Burton's account of testing the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Each incident is judged against the Engineering Council of South Africa's Exit Level Outcome 10 on engineering professionalism. Burton's refusal to compromise his test standards under pressure is contrasted with the misleading conduct of the officials around him, and the paper notes that he was forced to retire while those he challenged were promoted.
Abstract. This two-part series on California's water shortage first examines the State Water Project, the canals, reservoirs and hydroelectric facilities behind the Central Valley's farms, and how persistent drought, a shrinking Sierra snowpack and competing demands are straining it. The follow-up essay weighs proposed fixes, including new dams and the Delta tunnel bypass, and argues for seawater desalination as a new source to supply the canals and relieve pressure on the system.
Selling Californians on "Defensible Space" and Fire Safety
Abstract. This rhetorical analysis looks at how public-safety advertising "sells" wildfire preparedness, even though, unlike a commercial product, the advertiser has little financial stake. Using a California defensible-space campaign as its case, the essay shows how the appeals of logos, ethos and pathos work together to move homeowners to act, and draws on research into the net benefits of wildfire-prevention education.
Analogue Realization of a Transfer Function with a Padé Time-Delay Approximation
Abstract. This practical realizes a plant transfer function, including a pure time delay, as an analogue electronic circuit. The delay is approximated with a Padé approximation built from a first-order filter and a negative-resistance stage, and the full circuit is derived from relation equations for G(s). PSPICE and MATLAB simulations (Bode plot and step responses) are compared with bench measurements, showing that the mathematical model can be reproduced electronically, with small differences due to the approximations used.
Design and Implementation of a Smith Predictor Controller
Abstract. This practical designs a Smith predictor, a controller structure for plants with pure time delay, together with a matching controller implemented in analogue circuitry. The complete system is simulated in PSPICE and Simulink and then measured experimentally. Measured overshoot, peak time, rise time and settling time are close to the simulated values, with small differences attributed to component tolerances, showing the Smith predictor to be effective when an accurate plant model is available.
Source Encoding with Delta and Delta-Sigma Modulation
Abstract. This experiment studies delta modulation as a way to encode a voice signal for a digital channel. The report covers the theory of delta and delta-sigma modulators, the design of the integrator and a Sallen-Key low-pass reconstruction filter, Simulink simulation at different input frequencies, and the measured results. It concludes that delta modulation is a simple and practical coding method, but not bandwidth-efficient, since it uses much more than the minimum Nyquist bandwidth.
Microstrip Transmission Line Characterization and Stub Impedance Matching
Abstract. Microstrip designs depend on the electrical parameters of the substrate, yet FR4 is usually assumed to have a relative permittivity of 4.4 and a fixed loss tangent. This report uses a quarter-wave resonant circuit and transmission-coefficient measurements, combined with simulation, to determine the actual parameters of a batch of FR4, and then designs and verifies stub impedance-matching circuits. It concludes that simulation lets inexpensive FR4 be used where accuracy matters, reducing product cost.
Baseband Communication System with Differential Encoding and Nyquist Filter Design
Abstract. This full report designs, simulates and builds a synchronous baseband modem: a pseudo-random binary sequence generator, a differential encoder and decoder, two fourth-order Nyquist pulse-shaping filters, a sample-and-hold stage and a decision device. Each block is simulated before the complete circuit is measured on the bench, and eye diagrams are used to judge intersymbol interference. The results show the modem working as designed and illustrate how Nyquist filtering reduces ISI, while noting that a separately transmitted clock costs extra bandwidth, which motivates the clock-recovery work of the next experiment.
Multidimensional Modulation: Simulation of a 3GPP2 Uplink Transmitter and Receiver
Abstract. This assignment simulates a 3GPP2 uplink transmitter and receiver in which four data channels are spread with Walsh codes, combined onto I and Q channels, modulated and then recovered. Time- and frequency-domain results are shown at each stage, from the input data and spread-spectrum signals to the transmitted signal and the recovered data. The study shows that the scheme fits four channels into the bandwidth of one while scrambling the data for privacy, and that filtering removes the unwanted high-frequency components left after demodulation.
Abstract. This report studies the electric and magnetic field distributions inside a rectangular waveguide using full-wave simulation. Cross-sectional and plane views of the field components and surface current densities are examined at 4, 9 and 14 GHz and for different feed positions, and compared with the theoretical mode patterns. The simulated distributions agree with theory, for example showing only a y-directed electric field at 4 GHz.
Serial Communication Between a PIC Microcontroller, a PC and an EEPROM
Abstract. This practical designs a system in which a PIC18F13K50 acts as a USB-to-serial bridge so that a PC running HyperTerminal can communicate with a PIC18F45K20, which in turn stores and retrieves data on an external EEPROM over I2C. The I2C link had to be bit-banged in software rather than using the PIC's built-in I2C hardware. The report describes the system, its command set and the assembly-language implementation.
Abstract. This practical implements an electronic ping-pong game as a synchronous state machine built around a 74HC194 bidirectional shift register. State tables and excitation Karnaugh maps are derived for two approaches (reset and load methods) and the resulting circuits are built and tested. The report notes practical lessons: inputs must change within a clock cycle to avoid metastable behaviour, and an asynchronous reset cannot be combined with the sequential circuitry.
Error Detection with a Hamming Code Encoder and Decoder
Abstract. This practical designs combinational logic that uses a Hamming code to detect transmission errors in digital data. A parity matrix and parity-check circuit generate the syndrome, which is decoded with Karnaugh-map-minimized logic into a BCD output. The report shows how parity groups add error checking and recovery without large amounts of redundancy.
Abstract. This practical translates arithmetic into the building blocks of digital systems by designing a binary adder from logic gates. Truth tables, Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps are used to minimize the number of gates. The report shows the power of switching algebra in removing redundancy, while noting that intuitive simplification still has a place.
Abstract. This practical investigates frequency modulation, in which the carrier frequency varies in proportion to the message amplitude, and its relationship to phase modulation. FM signals are generated and demodulated in the lab, and the factors that keep modulation and demodulation coherent are examined. The report concludes that FM can be achieved simply and is an effective modulation scheme.
Pseudo-Random Number Generators and Their Probability Density Functions
Abstract. Random number sequences are essential to digital communications, but only pseudo-random sequences can be generated in practice. This assignment implements the Wichmann-Hill and Marsaglia generators and compares the experimental uniform and normal distributions they produce with the theoretical ones. Both methods closely match the expected distributions, and longer sequences match more closely.
Lenz's Law: Voltage Measurement on a Loop in a Time-Varying Magnetic Field
Abstract. It is usually assumed that the voltage between two points has a single value, but this fails on a closed loop in a time-varying magnetic field. In this experiment a resistive loop around a ferrite core is measured in two ways, with the oscilloscope probe routed on either side of the core. The two methods give different readings, which the report explains by showing that each method effectively measures across a different resistor, with the probe loop itself picking up induced voltage.
Symbol Synchronization with a Zero-Crossing Detector and Phase-Locked Loop (Pre-Report)
Abstract. Building on the baseband modem of the previous experiment, this pre-report designs a clock-recovery circuit so that the clock does not need to be transmitted separately. It compares zero-crossing detector designs (a filter-delay version and a cascaded-XOR version) and designs a phase-locked loop and its loop filter. Recovering the clock from the signal removes the need for extra channels or bandwidth and improves robustness to timing jitter.
Abstract. This essay defines a project as a task of finite duration with a defined deliverable and outlines the discipline of project management, from the project charter through work definition (the work breakdown structure), time planning, budgeting and resource planning to implementation. It also discusses qualitative and quantitative risk assessment and the role of engineering economics, such as net worth, internal rate of return and minimum acceptable rate of return, in choosing between alternatives.
Seven Ways Women's Rights Were Tied to the Civil Rights Movement
Abstract. This illustrated essay explores seven connections between the women's rights and civil rights movements, arguing that women's rights are, in a way, civil rights. It shows that the two causes sometimes advanced together and at other times pushed women into the background, including within the movement itself, and draws on historical writing and documentary interviews with activists.
Abstract. This paper asks what most shaped a woman's experience in post-war America and argues that race was the most significant factor, while showing how region, poverty and class interacted with it. It concludes that a black woman could not escape the color of her skin: it kept her out of suburban housing, office jobs and good schools, and stripped her of the protection of the law.
All Hail Meme-Lord Elon Musk: The Twitter Rhetoric of a Billionaire CEO
Abstract. This rhetorical analysis examines Elon Musk's unusual Twitter presence, which breaks with the sterile, professional norm for CEOs. It weighs the damage his public conflicts and stock and cryptocurrency posts can do against the way his meme-heavy style humanizes him, and concludes that this "nerdy street cred" broadens his credibility beyond engineers and executives to ordinary people and young audiences.
Abstract. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, this profile, based on observation and an interview, follows the volunteers who run the Central California Food Bank's monthly handout in North Fork, California. It describes how food moves from the Fresno warehouse to the local church, the paperwork volunteers must manage, and the friendship and "mountain strong" community spirit that keeps them going.
Abstract. This illustrated presentation looks at women in the early twentieth century, from the new beauty industry, one of the first fields where women could be investors, owners and bosses, to the long fight for suffrage. Period photographs and anti-suffrage cartoons are used to show the attitudes women faced, including the idea that men had only financial, not domestic, responsibility for their families.
The Advantages of Wireless-Broadband Solutions for the African Continent
Abstract. This group research report asks whether the disadvantages of wireless communication outweigh its advantages for Africa, where many regions remain remote because of poor network infrastructure. Drawing on books, journals and online sources, it reviews Bluetooth, WLAN, broadband services, WiMAX and satellite networks. The authors conclude that the drawbacks do not cancel the benefits: less wiring, simple construction, wide coverage and fast links to remote areas support business, jobs and everyday communication.
Wireless-Broadband Solutions for the African Continent (Presentation)
Abstract. These are the slides of the group presentation that accompanied the wireless-broadband research report. They summarize the background, problem statement and aim, review wireless technologies, and conclude that the disadvantages do not outweigh the advantages, since many of the issues are limited to particular technologies such as WLAN and satellite networks and can be avoided.
Abstract. This magazine-style profile of North Fork, a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills that most visitors pass through on the way to Yosemite, looks past its old-west appearance to its local businesses and organizations. It shows how the community overcame the collapse of the lumber industry to embrace a greener economy, including lumber recycling and biomass power generation, without losing its frontier charm.
Abstract. This place profile presents Manzanita Lake, a small reservoir a mile and a half from North Fork built in the early 1940s during hydroelectric development, as a quiet alternative to the crowded attractions on the way to Yosemite. It describes the lake's history, its picnic sites and trails, and fishing regulations.
Safety First with Fire Prevention: Towing and Wildfire Risk
Abstract. This public-awareness piece explains how vehicles, and especially towing, can start wildfires through sparks from dragging chains, bodywork or rims on flat tires. It is aimed at locals and visitors unused to California's dry season, and sets out simple precautions that every driver and trailer owner can take.
Say No to the Delta Water Bypass and Yes to Desalination (Poster)
Abstract. This one-page advocacy poster accompanies the essay on California's drought. It contrasts the proposed Delta tunnel plan with the steps of seawater desalination, urging readers to reject the bypass and support desalination instead.
Society and Religion in the Vedic "Hymn of Man" and the Buddhist "Evolution of the World"
Abstract. This primary-source analysis compares two creation tales from northern India written more than a millennium apart. It argues that their differences reflect a shift in Indian society from semi-nomadic tribal units to kingdoms, and a matching change in religious ideas: the divine handiwork of the Vedic hymn is notably absent from the almost secular Buddhist account.
Abstract. This analysis compares descriptions of 9th-century Baghdad and 15th-century Venice. Both were trading cities on routes between east and west, with complex social structures and tolerance of other religions and foreigners. The paper also questions the bias of the Venetian source and asks how free Venetians really were.
Abstract. This analysis of Chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead, a funerary text that changed over centuries, considers how it was used in funeral rites and roots it in Egyptian creation legends and the cult of Osiris. It argues that the regional gods named in the judgment hall point to an inclusive religion with room for variation.
Abstract. This analysis explains how a Teotihuacan mural was made using the fresco technique and what such murals reveal about a city that left few written records. It argues that Teotihuacan resembled a late Neolithic society in its lack of metalwork and writing, which makes its size and organization remarkable.
"The Art of Party-Crashing": Writing for Entertainment
Abstract. This analysis looks at "The Art of Party-Crashing", a comic collection of tales and high-society gossip, as an example of writing purely for entertainment, unlike the manuals and records seen earlier in the course. It discusses what the text reveals about etiquette, the separation of women's lives and an opulent society with time and money to spare.
Abstract. This short analysis reads an ancient hymn addressed to a goddess or priestess as a praise song, compares it with the Zulu tradition of praise singing still practised in South Africa, and sets out the questions about its context and purpose that further background would answer.
Women of the Old West and Suffrage: Three Things and a Meme
Abstract. This short response reflects on three ideas from reading about suffrage in the American West, including the debate among suffragists over arguments based on women's moral superiority versus equality, and how Wyoming made history by granting women the vote.
The Rhetorical Appeals of a Wildfire-Preparedness Advert
Abstract. This short analysis identifies the audience of a wildfire-preparedness advert, from rural homeowners to renters, and examines how it uses logic, emotion and credibility, including the established physics of fire. It closes with lessons for the writer's own work, the starting point for the longer defensible-space essay.
The Rhetorical Appeals of a Towing Fire-Safety Advert
Abstract. This short analysis examines a fire-safety advert about towing, found at the North Fork information center, identifies its audience of tourists and contractors, and analyses its appeals. It ends by sketching how the same appeals could be used in an advert against driving under the influence.
Going Around in Circles is Safer! Designing a Roundabout Safety Advert
Abstract. This piece describes and justifies an original advert that teaches drivers to use roundabouts, which Federal Highway Administration research shows are safer and more efficient than other intersections. It explains how the design uses ethos, logos and pathos to reduce driver confusion and anxiety.
Abstract. This one-page reflection describes the author's role in a first-year group design project, from early brainstorming and choosing between a plastics-recycling topic and an energy topic, to compiling the implementation plan. It relates the experience to whole-brain thinking preferences.
