Integrating fundamental and advanced concepts in a rounded capstone design experience in computer engineering

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) defines a capstone design course as an integrating experience that draws together diverse elements of the curriculum and develops student competence by focusing both technical and non-technical skills in solving engineering problems. In a Computer Engineering (CE) curriculum, such integration must include elements of software and hardware design merged in a culminating experience that solves a representative problem, while employing engineering standards and realistic constraints. In this paper we describe the academic setting that made possible this integration through a capstone course structure and project that accommodate the requirements of realistic design experiences without the burden of a multi-semester course addition to the CE curriculum. It presents preliminary courses in Software Engineering and Microprocessor Interfacing that led to this experience, insight into the complexity of the chosen problem, and summarizes the learning experience from the perspectives of both students and professors in hopes that others could benefit from this model.