1. ECE 477 Final Presentation Group 5  Spring 2005
Paste a photo of team members with completed project here. Annotate this photo with names of team members.

2. Outline Project overview Block diagram Professional components
Design components
Success criteria demonstrations
Individual contributions
Project summary
Questions / discussion

3. Project Overview “The Pill Pusher” Home Appliance
Device will dispense a preprogrammed number of pills based on a time schedule.
Pill information and delivery times are programmed to device via a serial connection to a PC.
Buzzer sounds upon dispensing pills. Alert will cease when a button is pressed.
Home Appliance
Fits on your countertop and takes up as much space as a coffee maker
Simple to use for the elderly

4. Block Diagram-Original
Serial interface
Microcontroller
Dispenser
LCD Display PC
Modem
Audio System
Scroll Buttons

5. Block Diagram-Revised

6. Professional Components
Constraint analysis and component selection rationale
Patent liability analysis
Reliability and safety analysis
Ethical and environmental impact analysis

7. Constraint Analysis Computational Requirements-Microcontroller
Store information about pills in banks
Keep track of time
Activate delivery system and alert the user
Interface Requirements
LCD display
Store information using serial connection to PC
Power Supply Constraints
Power supply is 5 V DC
Maximum current is 5.1 mA

8. Constraint Analysis Packaging Constraints Cost Constraints
Contains 4 pill banks, LCD display and PCB
Portability is not a concern
Cost Constraints
A device that is cheaper than similar products
Component Selection
Microcontroller (PIC18F4539)
Stepper Motors vs. Servo Motors

9. Patent Liability Analysis
Main Focus
How would the pills be dispensed?
What happens if the pills are an oblong shape?
Patent One
“Programmable automatic pill dispenser”
Preload the necessary pills for that day in a compartment
The whole canister is dispensed
Patent Two
“Remotely programmable medication dispensing system”
Most similar to ours
Pre-package pills for that day in bags
Uses a barcode to identify when pills should be dropped

10. Patent Liability Analysis
Literal Infringement
“The Pill Pusher” vs. Patent Two
No infringement found based on the way pills are dispensed
Infringement Under Doctrine of Equivalents
“The Pill Pusher” vs. Patent One
No infringement-very different

11. Reliability/Safety Analysis

12. Ethical/Environmental Analysis

13. Design Components Packaging design considerations
Schematic design considerations
PCB layout design considerations
Software design considerations

14. Packaging Design Package is constructed using acrylic
Can withstand high pressure
Machine shop has equipment to cut/bend
Internal operation can be observed
Box-like design with slanted face for LCD screen and controls
Lockable top lid allows access to magazines

15. Packaging Design
2D schematic

16. Packaging Design
Lid Enclosure

17. Packaging Design
3D schematic

18. Packaging Design Pill Banks
Strips of acrylic sheets, glued together to form banks.
Universal mounting base plate.
Actuator pushes pills out front of bank.

19. Schematic Design

20. Schematic/Theory of Operation
Power Block

21. Schematic/Theory of Operation
Microcontroller

22. Schematic/Theory of Operation
Motor Control

23. Schematic/Theory of Operation
Switch Input

24. PCB Layout Design

25. Software Design

26. Success Criteria Demonstrations
To send/receive prescription information and times to/from a PC via serial interface- demo
To control dispensing system with microcontroller generated interrupts- demo
To display pertinent information for status/user control on LCD screen - demo
To provide audible signal to user for specific events - demo
To store prescription data in memory and access it based on a time schedule.- demo

27. Individual Contributions
Team Leader – Jonathan Benetti
Team Member 2 – Andy Mehl
Team Member 3 – Adam McNeal
Team Member 4 – Ben Romberger

28. Team Leader – Jonathan Benetti

29. Member 2 – Andy Mehl

30. Member 3 – Adam McNeal

31. Member 4 – Ben Romberger

32. Project Summary
Important lessons learned

33. Project Summary
Second iteration enhancements

34. Questions / Discussion