What is a logic design project that I can do in two weeks or so during Xmas break?

[beer]

I posted this in OT but then decided it's probably more appropriate for HT. There's too much traffic in OT and not enough people that would be able to help me before my post falls 3 pages in and disappears into the void.

I need to go to Ohio for christmas for family for about a week. Most of the time is spent doing nothing, though. Truth of the matter is that I haven't seen any of my relatives for more than once a year since i was about 8, so I have little if any connection with them. Thus I spend most of my time doing nothing. I don't have a car, don't know anyone up there, don't have a reliable internet connection, and don't like reading novels or solving supermarket puzzles. Well this year I wanted to be a bit more productive and actually get something done.

In my logic design class, we use a Xilinx Coolrunner II CPLD. I can get a 'design kit' from Xilinx for about $49 that has most of the stuff I need to program one.

The course itself is fairly extensive. The covered topics include:

[*]Combinational Logic, Karnaugh maps, multilevel realizations, cost efficient gate implementations, etc etc
[*]ROMs, PLAs, FPGAs, CPLDs, etc
[*]Sequential design, state assignment, state reductation, efficient state table assignments, etc.
[*]Three chapters on VHDL - one for combinational logic, a second for sequential logic, and a third for complete digital system design (which I haven't studied yet)

So I have a lot of experience, but all the 'examples' in the book can be done in about 6-7 hrs and aren't really all that 'interesting.' I was looking for a project that takes maybe 15-20 hrs and actually is somewhat 'cool', even if it is rather basic and not overly interesting.

What I would be getting

Does anyone have any interesting ideas that are doable?

 

[KalTorak]

Elemental, I'm guessing you're a frosh or sophomore in CmpEn or a related field.

I've got a BS CmpEn and another BS (Mathematics); graduated in '98.

If I could go back to my freshman year and have my now-self tell my then-self something, it would be to spend less time studying and more time partying. "Partying" is really all about building relationships, and it's something a lot of us engineers could use some work at.

Try building bridges with your extended family, man - perhaps you'll even discover you like a few of them.

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: KalTorak
Elemental, I'm guessing you're a frosh or sophomore in CmpEn or a related field.

I've got a BS CmpEn and another BS (Mathematics); graduated in '98.

If I could go back to my freshman year and have my now-self tell my then-self something, it would be to spend less time studying and more time partying. "Partying" is really all about building relationships, and it's something a lot of us engineers could use some work at.

Try building bridges with your extended family, man - perhaps you'll even discover you like a few of them.

Heh, as a junior ECE major, I'd agree with you .

 

[Sahakiel]

Originally posted by: CTho9305

Originally posted by: KalTorak
Elemental, I'm guessing you're a frosh or sophomore in CmpEn or a related field.

I've got a BS CmpEn and another BS (Mathematics); graduated in '98.

If I could go back to my freshman year and have my now-self tell my then-self something, it would be to spend less time studying and more time partying. "Partying" is really all about building relationships, and it's something a lot of us engineers could use some work at.

Try building bridges with your extended family, man - perhaps you'll even discover you like a few of them.

Heh, as a junior ECE major, I'd agree with you .

I've always wanted an intimate relationship with the bottom of a beer bottle...
On the other hand, if I had as much free time as you say you'll have, the barmaid sounds a lot better.

Seriously, though. If you want to try and build a project, try building an automatic vacuum cleaner/sweeper. Have a few of the sensors record video either directly to built-in hard drive (not suggested) or wirelessly transmitted to a desktop PC where the data is then processed. Might want to ensure the data is encrypted or something, too. After that, be sure to make test runs everywhere in the house, especially moist, wet areas where people might accidently splash water on it. That way, you know your machine is robust.
You can also test its ability to pick up small thread fibers in those small, dusty alcoves in which everyone stores swathes of cloth. Make sure it stays in there a while to test out its functionality in limited confines.
If you've really got time on your hands, program it to follow people around so the dirt that gets tracked in from somebody's shoes is cleaned up immediately. Also, it'd be good practice for your skills if you can get it to follow closely at the heals without actually bumping into them.
Oh, and another thing, you might have the video sensors point upwards and all around. That way you can actually tell where the bot runs instead of interpreting data from onboard navigation.





If you've missed all the implications, do as 'Torak said and get a beer.