6406ELE Further Electronic Design Coursework Assignment 2026 | LJMU

6406ELE Coursework Assignment

Introduction

The objective is to design the finite state machine for a washing machine.

In this assignment, students are required to:

• Understand the hardware elements of a typical FPGA;
• Analyze a hardware design problem and produce suitable design solution using state machine design, and practice with hardware description language;
• Simulate the behavior of the circuit;
• Synthesize and verify the design for FPGA
• Design the system with signal from sensors and actuators.
• Analyze a hardware design problem and produce suitable design solution using microcontroller and human/physical interfaces.
• Write program using assembly language for the microcontroller.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

LO1 Evaluate digital system design and integration including ALUs and FSMs.

LO2 Design, simulate, test and implement programmable logic based systems using VHDL.

LO3 Design and implement microprocessor based analogue and digital systems.

LO4 Design peripheral components for digital and analogue systems power supplies, bus structures, memories and interfacing/signal processing circuits.

This assignment will assess elements of the above learning outcomes.

Coursework Specification

This coursework contains parts.

Part A: (30%)

In this part, you are required to design a washing machine controller (WMC) using a Finite State Machine (FSM). The machine follows the sequences through the following 4 stages:

Soak è Wash è Rinse è Spin

To simplify your design, you can assume the transition between two stages is achieved by pressing one push button. You can also use some of the LEDs as the indicator for the current stage. Finally, your design should be simulated in Xilinx VIVADO software using VHDL.

Part B: (50 %)

You are required to re-design your washing machine controller (WMC) using a Finite State Machine to achieve a more complex system. As a minimum requirement, the machine follows the sequences through the following 4 stages:

Soak è Wash è Rinse è Spin

There is a “double wash” switch, which, if turned on, leads to a second wash and rinse cycle to occur. In other words, the “double wash” switch causes the following 6-stage sequence:

Soak è Wash èRinse è Wash è Rinse èSpin The amount of time for each stage is as below:

Soak: 1sec; Wash: 3sec; Rinse: 5sec.

You should use the 100 MHz clock signal as the clock signal of your state machine to control the     timing of cycling, and to display the time on the 7-segment display units.

You should implement the design in Xilinx VIVADO and simulate and verify the functionalities. Use some of the 8 LEDs as the indicator of the current stage. Also you can use push buttons to simulate laundry token deposition and the “double wash” switch.

You are encouraged to improve your design to build a more realistic washing machine controller. For example, in practice, for safety consideration, if the lid of the machine is raised during the spin stage, the machine needs to stop spinning immediately until the lid is closed. The on-board switch needs to be selected and used as the input to start/stop the Washing machine. Add more functions to your design such as temperature sensor and control, level sensor and control, washing load selection, different washing programs, etc. You are encouraged to research the technical details of different sensors, actuators, motor signals, and their control and interfaces.

You should design the washing machine controller in VHDL.

Part C (20%):

You are required to re-design your washing machine controller (WMC) using an embedded PicoBlaze microcontroller together with the signal from sensors and actuators. You are required to implement your design by writing program for the microcontroller with the Assembly language. Your design should be simulated in      the Xilinx VIVADO software.

The washing machine controller should include the following functions:

• The machine follows the sequences through the following 4 4 LEDs should be used to indicate the current stage of the washing machine.

Soak è Wash è Rinse è Spin

• Actuator: the actuator is a single-phase motor, which will be used to drive the turbo drum in the washing machine in The microcontroller outputs the driving signal and feeds to driver circuit and then to the motor. The motor should be controlled as below:
  • Soak stage: the motor stops for 5
  • Wash stage: the motor keep rotating for 10 sec with a spin in one direction and a speed of 800 rpm. Afterwards, it stops for 3 seconds and then resumes rotation in opposite This loops for 3 minutes in total.
  • Rinse stage: the motor keep rotating for 30 seconds with a spin in one direction and a speed of 1000
  • Spin stage: the motor keep rotating for 1minute with a spin in one direction and a speed of 2000
• Sensor and display: In this project, you should include the speed sensor interfaced to the Microcontroller reads the speed of the motor and display on the 7-seg display.
• When the lid is open, the system should not work. If door is accidentally opened in between washing operations, then the system should stop working in minimum possible time (<3s).
• Suitable type of switch needs to be selected and used as the input to start/stop the Washing

You are encouraged to improve your design to build a more realistic washing machine controller.

Hand-In Requirements

Once you have completed the designs, prepare for the submission process. You are required to submit a one coursework report and the project files.

Wherein, your project source files should allow the tutor to reproduce the simulation results you show in the report. The report should be less than 15 pages (excluding cover page and table of contents), including the followings.

• A description of your You may consider to use a hierarchical method to break the project into a set of smaller modules which you can eventually put together to produce the complete system.
• The complete design for your WMC and the detailed explanation. The simulation results, waveforms, synthesis report should be
• The VHDL/ASM design and testbench source files with clear comments. Similarly, the simulation results, waveforms and the synthesis report should also be
• You need to include the explanation of your simulation results and waveforms addressing why they support your
• A discussion of your design problems, methods of improvement and

Please refer to the report marking scheme for the detailed requirements.

If your circuit is not completely functional by the due date, you should hand in what you have got in order to receive partial credit. Late submission will be penalized.

Overall Coursework Marking Scheme

 Guide To Performance Criteria

70% And Above:

Your work must be of outstanding quality and fully meet the requirements of the coursework specification and learning outcomes stated. You must show independent thinking and apply this to your work showing originality and consideration of key issues. There must be evidence of wider reading on the subject.

Key words which may describe a coursework at this level include: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, supports.

60% – 70%:

Your work must be of good quality and meet the requirements of the coursework specification and learning outcomes stated. You must demonstrate some originality in your work and show this by applying new learning to the key issues of the coursework. There must be evidence of wider reading on the subject.

Key words which may describe a coursework at this level include: categorizes, combines, compiles, creates, devises, generates, modifies, reconstructs, identifies, illustrates, outlines, synthesizes.

50% – 60%:

Your work must be comprehensive and meet all of the requirements stated by the coursework specification and learning outcomes. You must show a good understanding of the key concepts and be able to apply them to solve the problem set by the coursework. There must be enough depth to your work to provide evidence of wider reading.

Key words which may describe a coursework at this level include: demonstrates, changes, applies, operates, produces, predicts, shows, solves, uses, translates, comprehends, converts, generalizes.

40% – 50%:

Your work must be of a standard that meets the requirements stated by the coursework specification and learning outcomes. You must show a reasonable level of understanding of the key concepts and principles and you must have applied this knowledge to the coursework problem. There should be some evidence of wider reading.

Key words which may describe a coursework at this level include: comprehends, defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists, matches, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states, rewrites.

Below 40%:

Your work is of poor quality and does not meet the requirements stated by the coursework specification and learning outcomes. There is a lack of understanding of key concepts and knowledge and no evidence of wider reading.

Extenuating Circumstances

If something serious happens that means that you will not be able to complete this assignment, you need to contact the module leader as soon as possible. There are a number of things that can be done to help, such as extensions, waivers and alternative assessments, but we can only arrange this if you tell us. To ensure that the system is not abused, you will need to provide some evidence of the problem. More guidance is available at http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/corporate/SPR/60399.htm.

Coursework, which is submitted up to 5 working days late (except where there is an agreed extension) will be capped at the pass mark for the module. Coursework submitted after this period (except where there is an agreed extension) will be recorded as a non-submission. 

Academic Misconduct

The University defines Academic Misconduct as ‘any case of deliberate, premeditated cheating, collusion, plagiarism or falsification of information, in an attempt to deceive and gain an unfair advantage in assessment’. The School takes Academic Misconduct very seriously and any suspected cases will be investigated through the University’s standard policy (Academic Misconduct Policy). If you are found guilty, you may be expelled from the University with no award.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand what constitutes Academic Misconduct and to ensure that you do not break the rules. If you are unclear about what is required, please ask.

Cheating includes:

1. any form of communication with, or copying from, any other source during an examination;
2. communicating during an examination with any person other than an authorised member of staff;
3. introducing any written, printed or other material into an examination (including electronically stored information) other than that specified in the rubric of the examination paper;
4. gaining access to unauthorised material in any way during or before an assessment;
5. the use of mobile phones or any other communication device during an assessment or examination;
6. the submission of false claims of previously gained qualifications, research or experience in order to gain credit for prior learning;
7. the falsification of research data, the presentation of another’s data as one’s own, and any other forms of misrepresentation in order to gain advantage;
8. the submission of work for assessment that has already been submitted as all or part of the assessment for another module without the prior knowledge and consent of the Module Leader for the subsequent assessments;
9. the submission of material purchased or commissioned from a third party, such as an essay- writing service, as one’s

Plagiarism is defined as the representation of the work, artefacts or designs, written or otherwise, of any other person, from any source whatsoever, as the student’s own. Examples of plagiarism may be as follows:

1. the verbatim copying of another’s work without clear identification and acknowledgement including the downloading of materials from the Internet without proper referencing of materials;
2. the paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without clear identification and acknowledgement;
3. the unidentified and unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work;
4. the deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s

Collusion includes:

1. the conscious collaboration, without official approval, between two or more students in the preparation and production of work which is ultimately submitted by each in an identical or substantially similar form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts;
2. collusion also occurs where there is unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s

For More Information You Are Directed To Following The University Web Pages:

• Information regarding academic misconduct: http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/studysupport/81924.htm
• Information on study skills:
  http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/studysupport/
• Information regarding referencing:
  http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/studysupport/69049.htm