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Week 1 to 15 (Monday 24/07/2000 to Friday 03/11/2000)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• ModBus communication protocol for Access 4000.

• DOS based test program for testing ModBus communications.

• DOS based simulation program for simulating Access 4000 ModBus communication.

• Functional testing of ModBus communication on both PC and Access 4000.

• Functional testing of 3 Modular control units (Autostart Module”, “Basic Module” & “AC Module”),

• Tel panel communication test program.

• Preparation of development of the Access 4000 database program.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

• ModBus technical report.

• Many small report were typed on a daily basis.

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• C Programming using Borland Turbo C 3.0.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• Report Writing

• People Skills

• Internet searching.

• Technical jargon.

• Use of electronic metering equipment such as Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, etc…

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

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Week 15 to 22 (Monday 30/10/2000 to Friday 22/12/2000)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• DOS based Access Annunciator test program developed.
• Windows based Access 4000 language text file editor developed.
• Development work on the Access 4000 database program started.
• Evaluation of the control software for Access 4000 ModBus that was developed in China.
• Access 4000 licence generator program.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Demonstration of ModBus communication protocol for several FG Wilson customers.

• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• C Programming using Borland Turbo C 3.0.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• People Skills

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

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Week 22 to 25 (Monday 18/12/2000 to Friday 19/01/2001)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• Access 4000 database program.

• Windows based Serial generator for GenAccess 1.1.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Design of mail merge document for printing disk labels for GenAccess 1.1.

• Creation of 50 GenAccess 1.1 disk sets.

• User-manual for generating serials and print labels.

• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• Report Writing

• People Skills

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

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Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• Development of windows based GenModBus program for Access 4000.
• Functional and voltage transient tests of Tel Panel.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Training course “Material Master Creation / Amendment – Course for Engineers”.
• Help file for GenModBus program written.
• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 (Serial communications)
• Report Writing
• People Skills
• Internet searching.
• Use of electronic metering equipment such as Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, etc…
• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .
• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…
• Working as a team.

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Week 29 to 33 (Monday 12/02/2001 to Friday 16/03/2001)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• User-friendly windows based Load program for Access 4000.
• Design of front cover for Access Annunciator using AutoCAD.
• Access 4000 Database program technical report.
• Detailed costing of Access Annunciator PCBs and components.
• Concept design of possible methods of configuring the Access 3000 controller from one easy-to-use program.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Help file for Load program written.
• An FG Wilson customer of Access 4000 in Saudi Arabia was having a problem with the Oil Pressure (variations), it was my reasonability to discover the case and put forward possible solutions.
• Population of Access Annunciator prototype PCBs.
• Functional testing of prototype Access Annunciator PCBs.
• On Thursday 1st March 2001 at 14:30 had my first visited from my academic placement officer Mr. George Jackson.
• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• AutoCAD Release 14

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• Electronic Workbench 5.0a

• Report Writing

• People Skills

• Internet searching.

• Technical jargon.

• Use of electronic metering equipment such as Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, etc…

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

• Soldering.

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Week 34 to 41 (Monday 19/03/2001 to Friday 18/05/2001)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• Population of prototype Tel panel PCB.
• Detailed functional testing of prototype Tel panel PCB.
• Added analogue meters to GenModBus program.
• Design of relay board PCB for the Access Annunciator in CADStar.
• MS DOS based Test program for testing Access Annunciator communications developed.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Experimented with custom graph oriented controls using visual C++, iincluding: analogue meters, LED displays, dynamic resizing of controls and pie charts.
• Access Annunciator relay board circuit was tested in electronic lab using bread board, before design of PCB.
• 50 more serial numbers for GenAccess 1.1 software application using my serial generation program I wrote in January was generated.
• 150 GenAccess disk labels were printed using the mail merge technique and disks were copied.
• It was my reasonability to order components and build 5 prototype relay boards.
• Population of a number relay boards were constructed and tested.
• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• C Programming using Borland Turbo C 3.0.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• Zuken CADstar 4.5

• Report Writing

• People Skills

• Use of electronic metering equipment such as Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, etc…

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

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Week 41 to 44 (Monday 14/05/2001 to Friday 01/06/2001)

Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• Access 3000 setup program.
• Programming of communication protocols for Access 3000 setup program.
• Design of dialog/program structure of the Access 3000 setup program.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• MS dos based test program, which will test the communications of the above program. The reason why I needed a test program is that the Access 3000 is in the early stages of development and it will be at least Christmas before a prototype is operational.
• I attended various meetings: (e.g. Training and team briefs).

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• C Programming using Borland Turbo C 3.0.

• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0

• Report Writing

• People Skills

• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .

• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…

• Working as a team.

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Summary of the work I carried out during this period: -

• Access 3000 setup program.
• Access 3000 setup program technical report.
• MS DOS based Access 3000 simulation program used to test the setup program.
• Updated GenModBus program.

Other work activities I carried out during this period include: -

• Design of MS Word template for printing Access Annunciator labels.
• Access 3000 setup program user manual.
• Population of 2 additional Access Annunciator relay boards.

Summary of the skills which I have acquired / improved during this period: -

• C Programming using Borland Turbo C 3.0.
• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0
• Report Writing
• People Skills
• Internet searching.
• Technical jargon.
• Use of electronic metering equipment such as Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, etc…
• Communication (verbal e.g. Telephone, Written e.g. email) .
• Use of a dairy to keep track of meeting etc…
• Working as a team.
• Embedded software

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This report contains in-depth comprehensive information about my placement year at FG Wilson (Engineering) LTD at their UK headquarters based in Larne.

This is the actual report that was handed in for assessment, which had the weighting of 40% of the total mark for the placement year.

This report is split into 6 main sections: -
 

Organisation – Comprehensive detailed information about FG Wilson including: Nature of business; products and markets; main customers and suppliers; main competitors; organisation structure and employment; and financial structure etc…

Work – Description of the work, responsibilities and authority, which I was given during my placement. Includes: variety of experience; level of responsibility given; How my work changed; Monitored; examples of leadership; and human relations.

Technical – In-depth comprehensive technical information about the Modbus Communication protocol I developed for the Access 4000 controller. This is not a description of what was done, but demonstrates some of the technical knowledge required for development of this communication protocol.

Innovation – FG Wilson’s attitude and approach to innovation, change and new ideas. Contains my comments (including examples: e.g. breakthrough scheme) on the organisation’s perceived attitude to change and its approach to innovation and
improvement.

Skills – Comments on the benefit of my placement year at FG Wilson including the skills I’ve acquired or improved upon which would be valuable to an employer.

Summary – Summary of the whole placement experience from seeking a placement organisation to the time of writing this report.
 

Note: I’ve made references to my logbook throughout this report, as much of the detail is contained there. It’s recommend that you follow these references as a larger and more detailed picture of my placement experience can be seen. An electronic copy of my logbook can be found above.

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These are the actual slides that we used in my oral presentation, which had the weighting of 15% of the total mark for the placement year.

The presentation include the following: -

• A brief description of the business and activities of the company.
• My work activities, responsibilities and projects completed.
• How I was accepted in the company.
• Summary of learning points and a critical overview of the experience gained.