Start date: April 20/21
End date: May 10/11
Lab: Final Project
Project Page Final Project Page
Project Detailed Description Final Project Document
Project IdeasFinal Project Ideas
Status Not Started

ECE 383 - Final Project

The final project in this class will be the design and implementation of an engineering prototype to address some need. The idea is to utilize what you have learned this semester with the Nexys Video Board to interface with a new I/O device in a new and innovative way. The final projects in this class are to be completed individually. The following are examples of projects completed in past years.

Final Project Ideas

Ideas from Spring 2017

Student Title Description
1 Digital Door Lock Security and Exploitation This project models the threat of circumventing and exploiting digital access control systems to gain unauthorized entry into physical assets. By understanding how digital locking systems may be compromised, the integrity of Air Force digital locking solutions can be strengthened.
2 Tron Light Cycles A strategy arcade game where the object is to trap the other player in your light trail without getting caught in your own. Players are controlled by the WASD and IJKL keys of the laptop keyboard.
3 EOD robot Creating a simple EOD robot using off the shelf parts to allow for low cost and expendable use in the field. This project takes input from an Xbox One S controller via Bluetooth and uses that command input to control a deconstructed remote control car chassis.
4 GalagaNC This project will incorporate the Nintendo Wii Nun Chuck Controller to improve hand-eye coordination of fellow Airmen and allow them to practice using non-familiar devices in order to promote adaptation to new devices for mission success. The game Galaga will be controlled using the Wii Nun Chuck and will allow Airmen to have fun and learn at the same time.
5 Space Survival The Project simulation will allow the Air Force to cheaply and effectively train Space Shuttle Door Gunners by using an Xbox controller to wirelessly interface with a simulated combat environment being displayed to the screen.
6 Snake Game with NES Controller This project allows a player to play the classic game ‘Snake’ on the FPGA Nexys Video with a NES controller.
7 The Music Machine This device uses a PS2 keyboard and sinewave data loaded into the microBlaze softcore processor to enable the user to play various sounds/tones based upon the keyboard button pressed.
8 Asteroids This project allows for cheap and practical training of future Air Force Astronauts. This simulation use s an Xbox controller to train pilots to blast incoming asteroids much like the ones they are guaranteed to experience during space travel.
9 FPGA Pong with IR Remote An incredibly simple yet intelligent design to implement the incredibly simple yet intelligent game of Pong on an FPGA. Airmen will develop their reaction time as they slide their way to defeat each other and a computerized AI in a game of Pong using standard IR remotes.
10 Digital Cornhole – A Computerized Version of an Outdoor Classic This project implements the game of Cornhole using a Wii Nunchuck to control the toss of the bags.
11 Pong! Recreating the classic Pong game with some additional features such as multiple balls, changing game physics and more. Using a PS2 Keyboard for the user inputs.
12 Lu Light Cycle Based off of the Tron Light Cycles arcade game, player 1 will use a NES controller with player 2 use the WASD keys on the keyboard to controller each player with the objective being to trap the other in their light trail.
13 Snake Game with NES Controller This project involves programming the Snake Game on the FPGA. The Monitor will be the game display and the NES Controller will be the user interface. Addition features such as sound, 2-player mode, and scoreboard will be added.

Ideas from Spring 2016

Student Title Description
1 X-Box Checkers An innovative and novel system for improving the critical thinking skills and hand eye coordination of our Airmen. More and more the Air Force is gearing towards remotely controlled systems, and we have developed a way to train our Airmen to do that, while also making it enjoyable.
2 USB Keylogger This project uses an FPGA as a ‘man in the middle’ to intercept the signals of a USB keyboard connected to a computer. The FPGA then displays the intercepted characters onto a screen so the keypresses of the user can be viewed and analyzed.
3 The Maze Game with SNES Controller This project implements a Maze Game using a SNES controller as the user input.
4 The Head Motion Tracker The Head Motion Tracker is meant to use scaling head position inputs to impact the motion of a wheelchair or other vehicle. This will be completed with vhdl and c code on the Spartan-6 FPGA.
5 Connect Four with Keypad This project recreates the classic game of “Connect Four” as video game using a keypad interface for the user control.
6 Tic-Tac-Toe with a Wii Nunchuck This project will be used to play a Tic Tac Toe game on a monitor controlled by a Wii Nunchuck.
7 The Game of Space Invaders with SNES Controller and with Keyboard This project is implements the game of Space Invaders arcade game using a SNES controller for user input.
8 Snake: The Game with NES Controller This project implements a 2D Snake video game using SNES Controller an input for the user.
9 Light Cycles 2-axis Controller This project provides a capability for interfaces in RPA systems to be prototyped and built using cheap, proven, off-the-shelf components and will allow the Air Force to rapidly develop cost-effective replacements for aging interface and control systems.
10 Etch-A-Sketch with NES Controller The program draws lines to a monitor. It can be used to display a path a robot will take for EOD purposes.
11 Solar Striker with NES Controller This is a project to cheaply simulate space combat in the event of an alien space invasion using a Field Programmable Gate Array, an NES controller and an HDMI display.
12 Multi-Player Pong Game with NES Controller This project created a multiplayer variation of the Pong game which uses a Nintendo Entertainment System controller and the laptop keyboard as inputs.
13 The Modified FM Radio Transmitter This project is designed to improve radio communication. The device allows the user the capability to filter certain sounds out of transmission so the person who is receiving will have a better signal.

Ideas from Spring 2015

Student Title Description
1 Trigger Race A two person interactive game that improves the speed of the trigger finger using NES Zappers.
2 Multifunction Oscilloscope A Multifunction Oscilloscope that enables XY mode and FFT Mode in addition to the stantard Time Mode.
3 Data Transfer over FM Radio Use FM radio frequency to transmit information over an analog transmission medium.
4 RSA Cryptography in Hardware Encrypt and decrypt message being transmitted over UART connection.
5 Digital Modem Modem designed to use amplitude shift keying and frequency shift keying schemes.
6 Pong Created a two person Pong game
7 Matrix Reducer FPGA optimized matrix inversion algorithm
8 Bob the Security Robot Sentinal Robot operations using an RC Car chassis (IR Sensors, Siren, and Motor Control) controlled by an FPGA.
9 Karaoke Machine VHDL implemented Digital Filter to strip vocals from input music and output modified song to speakers.
10 Project MC Sparta Create two way Morse Code Communication System that translates text to morse code before transmission.
11 Connect Four Connect Four Game for 2 players using remotes or buttons on the Atlys board to move and drop pieces.
12 Snake Game Snake video arcade game using a Super Nintendo controller to FPGA.
13 Interface with Spartan 6 from a Bluetooth Device Using Bluetooth keyboard to interface with Spartan 6 FPGA using the PmodBT2 Module
14 HDMI Real Time Image Manipulation Real time manipulation of an incoming HDMI image, outputted to an external monitor.

Other Ideas from Related Courses

Project Ideas from Dr Coulston's CMPEN 352 Class @ Penn State (idea links might be dead)CMPEN352
Project Ideas from Dr Coulston's CENBD 452 Class @ Penn State (might not be able to find ideas)CENBD452