Work in Progress: A Comprehensive Design Experience Based On Product Development Across Multiple Courses

The design of sophisticated electronic products in an academic setting is becoming more difficult due to the complexity inherent in modern systems. In this project, we are investigating methods to address this complexity and thereby give students a systems perspective and better preparation for the modern workforce. The methods involve developing/distributing pieces of a large design across multiple courses and using them in subsequent courses to build up to the final product. An example system consisting of a weather-satellite receiver is described as the first product development cycle