Project Plan for Developing the Software Elements of a Programmable Home Control Unit

A programmable Home Control Unit (HCU) integrates sensing and control of the various elements of a house or apartment, including but not limited to elements such as security, lighting, Web cams, entertainment system, appliances, heating and cooling, and irrigation. The HCU must be programmable to allow control of ele- ments such as the heating and cooling system (by zones) and a security system (for a variable number of devices, individually controlled). Other elements an HCU might control refrigerator and oven, a lawn sprinkler system (by zones) and the lighting system (by electrical outlet). An HCU might include control of the home entertainment system (by individual device), and anything else you want to include (e.g., opening and closing blinds, automatic dispensing of pet food).

An HCU system would include a user interface having password protected modes of operation, including a system configuration mode that allows a trained technician to set the installation parameters, an adult mode, a child mode, and perhaps a vacation mode. The software would include a local area network to sense and control various devices, the software device drivers for the devices to be sensed and controlled, and a communication package to provide interfaces to a security company, to the local fire and police departments, and to the Internet. In the latter case you might, for example, call up on your cell phone and instruct your oven to turn on, or you might instruct a robot to remove a prepared meal from the refrig- erator and place it in the oven. The range of possibilities for an HCU is limited only by your imagination.

A SCHEDULE FOR TERM PROJECTS

This eight-week schedule is suitable for a quarter length or semester length class. Week 1 of the project will most likely start in week 2 of the class. The eight-week schedule also allows time for slippage of deliverables should it be necessary or desirable to extend the schedule for the term project.

As indicated in Chapters 4 and 5 of the text, the various elements of a project plan for a student term project can be prepared at various levels of detail; for example, the WBS may be partially decomposed and a few work packages prepared rather than doing extensive decomposition of a WBS and preparation of extensive work packages.

Week 2 deliverables (due at the end of class week 2):

system overview a short description of the system to be built primary features and quality attributes of the system modes of system operation

Week 3 deliverables (due at the end of class week 3; see Chapters 2 and 3):

a description of user classes and other stakeholders classes of users other stakeholders and their needs

a set of operational requirements partitioned into subsets of Essential, Desirable, and Optional requirements prioritizedasE1,E2,...D1,D2,...,O1,O2,...

the software development model to be used

such as Incremental - build, Evolutionary, Agile

the software development environment to be used such as Unix, Windows, Eclipse

Week 4 deliverables (due at the end of class week 4; see Chapter 5):

an architectural breakdown structure (ADV) with allocated requirements in both graphical and indented forms

Week 5 deliverables (due at the end of class week 5; see Chapter 5):

a work breakdown structure (WBS) with allocated requirements in both graphical and indented forms

A TEMPLATE FOR THE FINAL REPORT 485 Week 6 deliverables (due at the end of class week 6; see Chapter 6):

estimates of effort, schedule, and cost to include an estimation summary sheet, a copy of the estimation spreadsheet results, and a summary table of effort, schedule, and cost

Week 7 deliverables (due at the end of class week 7; see Chapter 5):

a schedule network, a milestone chart, a Gantt chart, and a staffing profile prepared manually or using a software tool (e.g., Microsoft Project)

Week 8 deliverables (due at the end of class week 8; see Chapter 5): work packages for some WBS elements

Week 9 deliverables (due at the end of class week 9; see Chapter 9):

some identified risk factors for the envisioned project and a mitigation strategy for each one

the final report

to include course name and number, instructor, project name, preparers name, and date of submission

Abstract

2.1 Classes of users

2.1.1 2.1.2 etc.

A TEMPLATE FOR THE FINAL REPORT

Cover page

intended purpose of this report (as if this were a real project for a real company)

intended audience for this report

summary of effort, schedule, and cost of this project

Section 1: System overview [the week 2 deliverable]

1.1 Short description

1.2 Primary features and quality attributes

1.3 Modes of operation

Section 2: Users and other stakeholders [a week 3 deliverable]

486 GUIDELINES FOR TERM PROJECTS

2.2 Other stakeholders and their objectives 2.2.1

2.2.2 etc.

Section 3: Operational requirements [a week 3 deliverable]

3.1 Essential requirements (prioritized)

3.2 Desirable requirements (prioritized)

3.3 Optional requirements (prioritized)

Section 4: Development model and development environment [a week 3 deliverable]

4.1 Software development model to be used

4.2 Software development environment to be used

Section 5: Architectural breakdown structure (ADV) with allocated requirements [the week 4 deliverable]

5.1 Indented ADV

5.2 Graphical ADV

Section 6: Work breakdown structure (WBS) [the week 5 deliverable]

6.1 Indented WBS with allocated requirements

6.2 Graphical WBS with allocated requirements

Section 7: Estimates [the week 6 deliverable]

7.1 Estimation summary sheet (as in Figure 6.14 )

7.2 Estimation spreadsheet

7.3 Summary table of detailed effort, schedule, and cost

Section 8: Schedule [the week 7 deliverable]

8.1 Schedule network

8.2 Milestone chart

8.3 Task-Gantt chart

8.4 Staffing profile

Section 9: Work packages [the week 8 deliverable] 9.1 Work package #1 [name] 9.2 Work package #2 [name]

etc.

Section 10: Risk analysis [the week 9 deliverable] 10.1 Identified risk factors and mitigation strategies

10.1.1 Risk factor #1 [name] Brief description

Mitigation strategy with explanation

10.1.2 Risk factor #2 [name]

Brief description Mitigation strategy with explanation etc.