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The purpose of this assignment is for you to think of instrumentation design fro

ID: 1847206 • Letter: T

Question

The purpose of this assignment is for you to think of instrumentation design from a practical standpoint. The problems have been posed such that there is no one correct answer. The choice of strategy will depend on the assumptions and constraints that you consider in your design parameters. I will also be grading based on this rationale. Do some background work, and use the information you gather as the basis for the design. Finally use the strategies discussed in class to design the components of the system. If you have access to a physician then they might be able to answer some of your questions too but it is not required. You can and probably should come and discuss your questions / direction with me. I will do my best to guide your efforts.

As far as reporting goes:

1) Short summary of your background information you gathered

2) Make sure to specify your assumptions/constraints

3) List your parameters for the design

4) Include your sources and references for the information (Are they credible?)

5) Include a block diagram

6) Include information about the components you use

7) Include an approximate cost for the prototype

Your company has been contracted by a medical practice specializing in neuromuscular diseases. They are interested in a system to monitor myopathy. Your group has been given the job to design a prototype that can be optimized later. Use your expertise to create a design that achieves the desired outcomes.

Explanation / Answer

The first thing you will need to do in writing your proposal is to gather the documentation for it. You will require background documentation in three areas: concept, program, and expenses.

If all of this information is not readily available to you, determine who will help you gather each type of information. If you are part of a small nonprofit with no staff, a knowledgeable board member will be the logical choice. If you are in a larger agency, there should be program and financial support staff who can help you. Once you know with whom to talk, identify the questions to ask.

This data-gathering process makes the actual writing much easier. And by involving other stakeholders in the process, it also helps key people within your agency seriously consider the project's value to the organization.

Concept
It is important that you have a good sense of how the project fits with the philosophy and mission of your agency. The need that the proposal is addressing must also be documented. These concepts must be well-articulated in the proposal. Funders want to know that a project reinforces the overall direction of an organization, and they may need to be convinced that the case for the project is compelling. You should collect background data on your organization and on the need to be addressed so that your arguments are well-documented.

Program
Here is a check list of the program information you require:

Expenses
You will not be able to pin down all the expenses associated with the project until the program details and timing have been worked out. Thus, the main financial data gathering takes place after the narrative part of the master proposal has been written. However, at this stage you do need to sketch out the broad outlines of the budget to be sure that the costs are in reasonable proportion to the outcomes you anticipate. If it appears that the costs will be prohibitive, even with a foundation grant, you should then scale back your plans or adjust them to remove the least cost-effective expenditures.


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