FAQ

Lab 2

Implementation Detail Questions

Q: What do you mean by bidirectionality?

A: Bathyspheres should be able to go in and out of the interlock.

Q: Why is the spec so open ended?

A: This spec is meant to give description of the system and scenario but it is up to you to make decisions about what is being implemented to meet the requirements.

Q: Is there only one bathysphere?

A: You should handle the possibility that more than 1 bathysphere exists and might be coming into the docking station while another might be going out.

Q: After a bathysphere enters the interlock chamber to dock, can no other bathysphere dock until the previous one leaves?

A: This is up to you. Maybe there is some kind of place for multiple bathyspheres to be stored allowing 5 to be docked, or maybe there is only space for 1. You should address this design decision in your lab report.

Q: When a bathysphere signals to leave / dock, do the gates immediately seal and the chamber starts flooding, or does that process only begin 5 minutes after they signal?

A: If the bathysphere signals dock/leave, if the interlock chamber is empty and no other vehicle has signaled you should immediately begin filling the chamber. Likewise, if the chamber is being filled due to a leave/dock request and another bathysphere sends a request for the opposite action, that action should be ignored, allowing the first request to proceed, then address the second request.

Q: If a bathysphere signals to dock immediately after one leaves (i.e. they have exited the interlock chamber into the water and the gates have closed behind them, but the chamber hasn't started depressurizing yet), do you still depressurize the chamber as the spec specifies, or do you skip that step and simply open the gate?

A: This is up to you. The most efficient system would be to allow the waiting bathysphere to enter without any pressure adjustment should the pressure already match. Choose what you feel to be the easiest.

Lab 1

Demoing Logistics

Q: Do we need to write a design document with a summary, group member names and contributions?

A: Yes, you will not get credit for the demo without giving your TA a physical copy at demo.

Q: Do we need to use signal tap?

A: Not a requirement, you need to display the counters’ states somehow. See next question.

Q: How do we demo the counters?

A: Please show either counters’ states changing at a viewable rate on the LEDs, HEX displays or by showing us the signal tap waveform.

Q: Do we need to demo andOr.v?

A: Yes, you need modelsim output or iverilog/gtkwave. The output must be correct and demonstrated either by a waveform or as a printed text output. Grading is flexible as long as you show correct output.

Q: Do we need to demo the C code?

A: Yes, only the currency calculator.

Lab Reports:

Q: Do we need to include all the bulleted sections listed in the lab report spec (Abstract, Intro, inputs, outputs, major functions)?