Projects and Project Teams
A major aspect of this course will be the use of what you are learning to design and construct a
working instrument. The instrument project will consist of designing and building an optical
spectrograph. This instrument will have a solid-state optical detector and operate under computer
control. It should be able to take wavelength-calibrated spectra of bright emission-line sources (lamps).
You will carry out the project as a member of a project team. Each team will be responsible for
planning, designing, and building its own instrument. The members of your team will all come
from different segment groups so that your team quickly collects all of the skills needed to carry
out the project.
Assignments and Deadlines
Each segment will have a reading assignment, a set of paper exercises, a piece of software to master, a
practical exercise, and an evaluation/debrief. Because other groups will need access to the hardware, your
group must complete each section within the allotted time. The evaluations should be done individually and
handed in to the instructors. You should work out the paper exercises or problem sets on your own. You
may then consult with your group about the answers. Once you are sure you know the answer, you must
hand in your own writeup. Problem sets will be due at the end of each segment (note that, for the computer
interfacing segment, you will need to demo your knowledge rather than do a problem set). Each project
team will have a preliminary review of their design and a final review of the project. At the two reviews,
each member of the team will be expected to be able to stand up and make any part of the presentation.
At the preliminary review, approximately six weeks before the end of classes, each team member will have
to turn in a written description of the instrument, how it will work, and how it will be built. This document
should be about two pages long, plus figures.
Class Meetings
The class will meet every MWF at 12-1. You must attend class. Each day, segment groups will meet with
the professor or TA to get started on a new segment, work on lab projects, or discuss any questions. For
the labview segment you will demonstrate what you have learned on the last Friday of that segment period.
Occasionally, there will be a lecture for part of the class. Once you start work on your projects, some classes
will be used for project team meetings to discuss plans, progress, and problems with the prof and TA. You
will also have to spend a substantial amount of time in the lab outside of class hours with your groups and
teams. Find times when you can get together. On-time attendance at class, group, and team meetings is
a course requirement.
Getting Help
(a) Your Segment or project group: You are all working together, so split up the learning task in a way that
makes sense to you and then teach each other what you know.
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