Fall 2025

FALL SEMESTER OVERVIEW (To Be Updated)

SEMESTER OVERVIEW & ESSENTIALS

Welcome to the ELECOMP Capstone Program! This section contains essential information about the semester, grading, and important roadmaps.

Project Roadmap

Complete timeline of project milestones and deadlines for the capstone program. Includes all deliverable due dates and presentation schedules.

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Grading Breakdown

Detailed description of how course grades are calculated, including weights for each assignment, presentation, and final deliverable.

View Grading Rubric

ENROLLMENT FORM

ENROLLMENT FORM

Access all the necessary enrollment information and administrative forms for the ELECOMP Capstone Program.

Permission Number Requirements

In order to enroll in ELE480, Capstone Design, you will need a Permission Number from Professor Sunak. This will be sent to you on satisfactory completion of the Enrollment Form, which can be downloaded from the link below. Provide full details to all the questions posed in the Form. Take your time to study carefully the Symposium results of the 19 teams during the 2024-2025 academic year; links are provided in the Form. You are asked to select the top 3 projects, to give us more details of your expertise and passion areas in your major. Some projects may be continued during the 2025-2026 academic year; many new ones will be added.

Enrollment Form

SUPPORTING FORMS

SUPPORTING FORMS & DOCUMENTS

Important forms and guidelines required throughout the capstone program.

Guidelines for Purchase Orders

Complete procedures for submitting purchase requests for project materials and equipment. Includes approval process and required documentation.

Download Guidelines

Trip Release Form

Required form for all off-campus project-related travel. Must be submitted at least one week before planned site visits or sponsor meetings.

View Form

TECHNICAL TRAINING

TECHNICAL TRAINING & COURSE MATERIALS

Access technical resources and training materials to help with the hands-on aspects of your capstone project.

PCB Design for Professional Elective

See details of the PCB Design Course, which can be used as a 4th Professional Elective by Petition. Offered Fall 2025 semester, Thursdays, 5:15pm to 9pm.

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Basic Soldering Techniques

Essential soldering techniques and best practices for circuit board assembly. Learn proper component placement, soldering iron techniques, and inspection methods.

View Slideshow

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & PLANNING TOOLS

Tools and resources to help you plan, track, and manage your capstone project efficiently.

Project Management Training

Access to training resources for project management tools including MS Project and Trello. Includes tutorial videos and guides for effective project planning.

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Risk Tracking

Presentation and template for identifying, analyzing, and monitoring project risks. Essential for proactive management of potential project challenges.

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Linear Responsibility Chart

Tool for assigning and tracking team member responsibilities throughout the project lifecycle. Helps clarify roles and ensure all tasks are properly assigned.

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Gantt Chart

Guide to creating and using Gantt charts for project scheduling and timeline management. Includes examples and templates for effective project planning.

Download Template

LOGBOOK

LOGBOOK REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

Each student must maintain a detailed logbook throughout the capstone project. Logbooks are property of the sponsoring company and must be returned to the Technical Director at the 2026 Capstone Summit.

Purpose of Logbooks

  1. Record of Design – Contains design ideas, calculations, experimental procedures, data, research, diagrams, and other project elements.
  2. Source for Documentation – Provides material for progress reports, patent applications, and technical papers.
  3. Technical Chronology – Creates a legal record of work completed, essential for patent claims.
  4. Knowledge Transfer – Enables others to continue your work with minimal repetition.

Write your logbook as though someone else will eventually continue your work, it may be needed to back patent priority claims in court, and one day you will be famous, and your logbooks will be made public.

Historical transistor logbook page
Walter H. Brattain’s transistor logbook page

Logbook Format Requirements

  • First 6 pages must be left blank for Table of Contents
  • All entries must be in blue or black ink
  • All entries must be dated and signed by yourself and a team member
  • All edits, attachments, and revisions must be initialed
  • Begin logging on page 7
  • Hour log must include: Date, Day of Week, Start Time, End Time, Hours Worked, Cumulative Hours, Pages, and Comments
  • Provide 2×2 squares for all sections except Date and Comments
  • Use 24-hour format (00:00 – 23:59) for times
  • All entries must be in chronological order
  • Comments should be 2-3 insightful sentences summarizing work

Logbook Orientation Instructions

To properly orient your logbook for the hour log:

  1. Begin with the logbook in standard reading position (front cover top-facing, spine on left).
  2. Flip the book 180 degrees so the spine is right-facing and top cover is face down.
  3. Rotate the book 90 degrees counter-clockwise so the spine faces forward and top cover is face down.
  4. Open the back cover upwards – the last page will be on the bottom half in landscape orientation.
  5. Logging begins on this page and continues by turning pages upward.

This orientation will be demonstrated during the first meeting.

Example Logbook Page

Example logbook page layout
Sample logbook page format

HOMEWORKS

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

Access all homework assignments for the semester. Assignments should be submitted through the capstone course portal by their respective due dates.

Homework #1

Project team formation assignment. Due by the end of Week 1. Includes team member selection criteria and required documentation.

Download Assignment

Homework #2

Sponsor communication plan. Due by the end of Week 2. Outlines communication protocols and expectations for sponsor interactions.

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Homeworks #3-9

Consolidated requirements for mid-semester deliverables. Includes project planning, design documentation, and prototype development tasks.

View All Assignments

Homework #10-13

Final project deliverables and presentation requirements. Includes testing documentation, final report guidelines, and demonstration requirements.

View All Assignments

PROGRESS REPORTS/FORMATS

PROGRESS REPORTING TEMPLATES/FORMATS

Templates and formats for weekly Progress Reports, Technical Progress Summaries, and Major Progress Reports.

First Email Format

Template and guidelines for the initial communication with your project sponsor. Includes professional etiquette and required information.

Download Template

WPR, TPS, and MPR Due Dates

Schedule of all Weekly Progress Reports, Technical Progress Summaries, and Major Progress Report deadlines for the 2025-2026 academic year.

View Schedule

Weekly Progress Report Format

Template and instructions for completing the required Weekly Progress Reports (WPR).

Download WPR Format

Tuesday Progress Summary Format

Guidelines and template for completing Tuesday Progress Summaries (TPS).

Download TPS Format

Tuesday Progress Summary Format

Guidelines and template for completing Tuesday Progress Summaries (TPS).

Download TPS Format

Example TPS Reports

TPS #7 TPS #9 TPS #10

Major Progress Reports

Templates and guidelines for Major Progress Reports.

Major Progress Report #1

MPR #1 Cover Page MPR #1 Format

Major Progress Report #2

MPR #2 Cover Page MPR #2 Format

FALL SYMPOSIUM

FALL SYMPOSIUM RESOURCES

Everything you need to prepare for the Fall Symposium, including templates, submission guidelines, and examples for posters and presentations.

Final Symposium Poster – Due Date TBD

Final Poster should be uploaded to this Google Drive folder by the submission deadline. All teams must upload their Poster for review.

Submit Poster

Final Symposium Slides – Due Date TBD

Final presentation slides should be uploaded to this Google Drive folder by the submission deadline. All teams must upload their slides for review.

Submit Slides

Poster Template & Example

View the official poster template and an example of a properly formatted symposium poster. Follow this template for your final submission.

View Template View Example PDF

Slides Template & Example

View the official presentation template and an example of properly formatted symposium slides. Follow this template for your final submission.

View Template View Example PDF

Fall Symposium – Poster Reference Guide

Comprehensive guide to creating an effective symposium poster. Includes layout recommendations, content guidelines, and design best practices.

Download Guide