Computer Architecture Design Project Using Actual Air Traffic Control Specifications

Our computer architecture course includes the design of a system to solve a real world problem. The system requirements and evaluation criteria are provided in a Request for Proposal (RFP). The class is divided into teams of four with equal numbers of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science majors. The problem chosen is to design a specialized, redundant computer to control individual messages sent to commercial aircraft via the radio frequency transponder link to the enroute aircraft in the United States. Since the actual design involved a team of 175 engineers (managed by the author, when he was in the industry), it would be impractical for a team to do the detailed design. However, it is possible to do a top-level system design in response to a RFP. The RFP included specifications and costs for potential components such as computers, voting circuits, buses, and memory units. The teams are responsible for proposing a system block diagram, performing a reliability analysis, and calculating the projected cost. The evaluation of the student proposals is similar to actual government evaluations of proposals 40 % on cost, 50% on technical merit, and 10% on reliability achieved beyond the specified minimum. The project provides training in the following areas: ΠSystem Design ΠRedundancy / Reliability Techniques ΠCost -Design tradeoffs ΠTeam Projects ΠOral and Written Presentation Skills These areas are required for a high percentage of engineering positions, but often overlooked in many undergraduate engineering curricula. Many of the student proposals submitted were very similar to the actual design. The benefits of a design problem based on an RFP response to an actual problem will be described.