Engin 103

Project 3

Virtual Instruments: Text to Speech and Hearing Test

Virtual Instruments can produce the same effects as physical instruments, instead of soldering electronic components one “wire” together I/O elements and operators in the Block Diagram, i.e. doing graphical programming. In this project you are required to work in teams to design a Virtual Instrument that can transfer text to speech or help produce the hearing chart for a person.

In the text-to-speech, the VI should be able to get a binary number as the input and speak the number in decimal OR get an ASCII code and speak the alphabet letter. In the hearing test, the VI should be able to produce continuously sounds of different frequency and a same amplitude so that the person can rate what amplitude she or he hear in a scale of 1 to 10, then a hearing chart can be produce.

If you follow an example VI, provided with LabVIEW or elsewhere, you need to acknowledge all sources in your presentation and report, AND you need to eliminate all unnecessary elements (not essential for the VI to work), and be ready to explain every single item on the diagram.

Each team will do a 5 minute presentio and demonstration of their VI in the two presentation days. The webpage on the project, along with the project report will be due the class after the second day of the presentations (please check the e-syllabus for exact dates). A progress report on the project will be due about a week before the first of the two presentation days (please check the e-syllabus for exact date). The project report is expected to be a good written document (see Good Writing Practices), and graded under three categories: correct grammar and neat presentation; logical arguments and structure; accurate report of the team project, completeness, and no plagiarism. Project report will be submitted in hardcopies with member signatures and also in electronic form (see Computer Files: Names and Electronic Submissions). A complete report should include the following sections:

-Introduction: brief description of project objectives in your own words, background information needed for the design with emphasis on programming elements that are essential for your Virtual Instrument, work distribution among the team members, and timelines for the different parts of the project: research, design, building, analysis/testing.

-Design and building: this section should include the Block Diagram with explanation of the different elements used and why do you need them, where to find them.

-Analysis/Testing: results from testing the VI. It should also include a brief manual of operation, troubleshouting list, and appropriate recognition of other author’s materials if used in your project.

-Conclusion: overview of the team achivement and lections learned for the future.

Grades will be computed as follows:

Items			Points
Project completed, if presented both days			50
Project performance (performed specified tasks)			10
Good design: simple Block Diagram, less wire crossing, easy to read			10
Project presentation and webpage			10
Written reports	Progress report		5
	Project report: will not accepted without all member’s signatures on percentage of participation	Grammar and presentation	5
		Logical arguments; structure	5
		Accurate and complete	5
Total project grade			100