Lectures :: ECE 445 - Senior Design Laboratory

Lectures

Fall 2025 Lecture Material:

 

Pre-Lecture #1:


(before the first lecture)

 

 

Brainstorming and Ideation

  • Brainstorming and Ideation slides (pptx)
  • Videos (watch before coming to class)

 

 

Lecture #1:


(August 26th )

 

Getting Started

  • Course Overview and Requests for Approval (slides)- Prof. Arne Fliflet
  • Conflict Management Workshop (slides)- Prof. Olga Mironenko (olgamiro@illinois.edu)
  • Pitches
    • Sound Asleep (slides) - Maggie Li
    • Double Sequential External defibrillation (slides) - Varun Gopal
    • Neuroguard (slides) - Meenakshi Singhal
    • Fadex (slides) - Shrey Patel
    • Lab Escape - spinning LED globe (website) - Paul Kwait
    • Smart Home for MS (slides) - Dr. Manuel Hernandez
    • Ant-weight, 3D Printed Battlebot Challenge (slides)- Prof. Viktor Gruev (vgruev@illinois.edu)
  • Brainstorming

 

Pre-Lecture #2:


(before the second lecture)

 

 

Beyond Ideation

 

 

Lecture #2:


(September 2nd)

 

 

Moving Forward

  • Introduction - A. Fliflet (slides)
  • IP - Dr. Michelle Chitambar (slides)
  • Pitches
    • Skin integrated pace maker (slides) - Shiyuan Duan
    • Wearable neuro-modulation (slides) - Shiyuan Duan
    • Adherascent (slides) - Brian Mehdian
    • Suction Sense (slides) - Sharon Chao
    • Underground root imaging (slides) - John Hart
  • Proposal and design doc - Jason Jung (slides)
  • Modular design - Weiman Yan (slides)
  • Lab notebook - Wesley Pang (slides)
  • Requirements & Verification Table - Jason Zhang (slides)
  • PCB Tips - Jason Jung (slides)
  • Comments on Web Board - Prof. Rakesh Kumar (notes)

 

Pre-Lecture #3:


(before the third lecture)

 

 

Design and Writing Tips

 

 

Lecture #3:

(September 9th)

 

 

Last Stop Before RFA

  • Introduction - A. Fliflet (slides)
  • Communications - Dr. Laura Stegrim (slides)
  • Lab Safety - Casey Smith (slides)
  • Machine shop - Gregg Bennet (slides)
  • Writing - Aaron Greiger (slides)
  • Ethics - A. Fliflet (slides)

Spring 2023 Video Lectures:

Brainstorming

Finding a Problem (Video)
Generating Solutions (Video)
Diving Deeper (Video)
Voting (Video)
Reverse Brainstorming (Video)
Homework for Everyone (Video)

Important Information

Using the ECE 445 Website (Video)
Lab Notebook (Video , Slides)
Modular Design (Video, Slides)
Circuit Tips and Debugging (Video , Slides)
Eagle CAD Tutorial (Video)
Spring 2018 IEEE Eagle Workshop (Slides)
Spring 2018 IEEE Soldering Workshop (Slides)

Major Assignments and Milestones

Request for Approval (Video, Slides)
Project Proposal (Video, slides)
Design Document (Video, slides)
Design Review (Video, slides)
Writing Tips (Video, slides)

Pocket Pedal - A Bluetooth Controlled Effects Box

Kaan Erel, Alexander Van Dorn, Jacob Waterman

Pocket Pedal - A Bluetooth Controlled Effects Box

Featured Project

Our idea is to make an inexpensive alternative to traditional pedal powered guitar effects boxes. Essentially, we hope to implement a single aftermarket effects box that can be remote controlled via a mobile app. This low-power, Bluetooth connected application can control the box to change effects on the go. The hardware within the effects box will be able to alter the guitar's signals to create different sounds like echoing, looping, and distortion effects (and possibly more). These effects will be implemented using analog circuits that we will design and construct to be controlled by an app on your phone.

This project eliminates the expensive buy-in for a guitarist hoping to sound like any number of famous musicians with multiple effects pedals. On top of this, it also aims to get rid of the clutter that comes with the numerous pedals and boxes connected to an amplifier. Many pedals today don't even have a visual interface to select effects through some sort of menu. The app will also provide a much more handy and portable visual representation of the possible effects all from the phone in your pocket!

Team:

Jacob Waterman jwaterm2

Kaan Erel erel2

Alex Van Dorn vandorn2