CS 350 Final Project I

Overview
Competent software developers possess not only the knowledge and skills to code proficiently but also a good understanding of computer architecture. Why is this important? As new technologies emerge, companies have opportunities to develop products and services that capitalize on these emerging technologies.
Given the current tools, architectures, and tech, think about the opportunities you see in what is emerging. How can you create solutions for an existing problem or new innovation? An engineering mindset is an important dispositional trait you can cultivate to leverage these opportunities. You may write not only desktop applications but also software to control hardware and software components. You may also write software that provides display output from a device.
The final project in this course is meant to help you develop your engineering mindset. The submission for this final project is in two parts: Final Project I is the creation of scripts that run an embedded system device. For this part, read the scenario in the prompt section of this document, which details your role at a company called SysTec. In Final Project II, you will be immersed in a different scenario to develop a response to a request for information document from Arboretum Research Centers. Using the updated specifications you will be provided with in that scenario, you will recommend suitable embedded systems and software architectures necessary to meet those specifications.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
 CS-350-01: Write software to interface with embedded systems to control hardware and software components
 CS-350-02: Display data from an embedded device by modifying interfacing software in an emerging systems architecture
Prompt
Final Project I will build on the milestone assignments you completed in Modules Two through Five. This work creates a foundation that you will then modify for the client needs detailed below, which you will address in Modules Six and Seven of the course. You will extend the capability of the weather station prototype and build the custom software components that control the sensors and the sending, receiving, and storage of data.

Scenario:
You are currently working for an embedded systems development and engineering company called SysTec; you are working in the role of systems engineer, and you are responsible for product development, embedded systems, and prototype coordination. SysTec develops a flagship product that can be used to monitor changing weather conditions in remote environments. This product, called WetSpec, is the perfect delivery system for an embedded solution that allows clients to extend the capability of the prototype as much as needed to fit the scope and goals of their current projects, which are mainly related to research and development. Since academic partners are one of the largest clients that SysTec works with, you will be interfacing with a remote team of engineers who will supply changes in scope and development needs to you throughout the course. Your first milestone assignment involves becoming familiar with WetSpec and setting up your own working prototype so you can communicate effectively about various components and extending capabilities with in-house engineering teams as various needs change.
Your final project involves creating a weather reporting system that gathers and stores information for future usage. The client has given the following

specifications:
Light Sensor: Their proposed platform monitors temperature and humidity, but only during daytime hours and during daytime conditions; sensor readings must not be recorded outside of these times or conditions, or we might risk skewing the data the platform collects.
Frequency of Data: During operating hours, readings must be taken once every 30 minutes, and the readings must be incrementally stored in a JSON file. To clarify, each reading must be added to a single JSON file so that a flat file of readings is stored over time.

DETAILED ASSIGNMENT

20201019035037cs_350_final_project_i_guidelines_and_rubric