645.768.81 - System Design & Integration

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into ten modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules in the menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days; during the Spring and Fall semesters, with one module being 14 days in length. Module lengths are noted on the Course Outline page. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

1. Model-Based Systems Engineering
2. Component Specifications
3. Component Functions
4. Physical Architecture and Performance Budgets
5. Technology, Prototyping, and Risk Management
6. Design Decisions and Software Integration
7. Design for Reliability and Maintainability
8. Design for Usability and Resilience
9. Design for Supportability, Producibility, and Disposability
10. Integration, Verification, and Validation

Course Goals

The goals of System Design and Integration are: (1) to identify and describe principles of system design; (2) plan the application of those principles to specific design problems; and (3) through the use of tools and techniques apply those principles to real-world problems. Two integral parts of system design are the ability to successfully integrate components into subsystems and ultimately the total system, and the ability to manage risk. Therefore, two additional goals of the course are to plan the integration of a system and manage risk throughout the design phase of system development.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Demonstrate the application of the systems engineering method to the engineering development stage of the systems development life cycle.
• Analyze stakeholder requirements, identify deficiencies, and produce a system specification.
• Allocate and decompose system requirements into component-level specifications.
• Develop a physical architecture to the level of detail necessary to produce a detailed design.
• Using a variety of design methods and tools, design a physical system that maps to its functional architecture and system specifications.
• Manage risk within the design, development, and engineering activities of systems engineering.
• Apply MBSE principles to the assignments and project.

Textbooks

Wasson, C. S. (2015). System Engineering Analysis, Design, and Development: Concepts, Principles, and Practices, (2nd Edition). New York, NY: Wiley-Interscience.

ISBN-10: 1118442261
ISBN-13: 978-1118442265

Kossiakoff, A., Seymour, S., Flannigan, D., Biemer, S. M. (2020). Systems Engineering Principles and Practices (3rd edition). New York, NY: Wiley-Interscience.

ISBN-10: 1119516668
ISBN-13: 978-1119516668

Required Software

NoMagic CAMEO Enterprise Architecture application.

Student Coursework Requirements

It is expected that each module will take approximately 7–12 hours per week to complete. Here is an approximate breakdown: reading the assigned sections of the texts (approximately 3–4 hours per week) as well as some outside reading, listening to the audio annotated slide presentations (approximately 2–3 hours per week), and complete the required assignments (approximately 2–5 hours per week).

At the start of each module, you should review the objectives and materials of the module and note its duration, along with the due dates of all required activities. Once familiar with the objectives and materials, you should perform three steps in preparation for the assignments:

Step 1: Read the text chapters and any assigned supplemental readings.

Step 2: Listen to the lecture audio recordings.

Step 3: Participate in, or listen to the recording of, the office hours session(s).

This course will consist of five basic student requirements:

Participation (Seven Module Discussions) (14% of Final Grade Calculation)

Student participation in class discussions is imperative (required) for a successful online class experience and therefore participation is mandatory. Lessons learned and past experiences provide the entire class with a broader perspective of the topics being discussed. Class participation will be a significant portion of your final grade. Weekly discussion activities will be graded with a maximum value of 100 points.

Post your initial response to the discussion questions by the evening of the mid-point for that module. For one-week modules, the mid-point is Friday evening at midnight. For two-week modules, the mid-point is the first Sunday at midnight. Posting a response to the discussion question is part one of your grade for module discussions.

Part two of your grade for module discussion is your interaction (i.e., responding to classmate postings with thoughtful responses) with at least two classmates. Just posting your response to a discussion question is not sufficient; we want you to interact with your classmates. Be detailed in your postings and in your responses to your classmates' postings. Feel free to agree or disagree with your classmates. Please ensure that your postings are civil and constructive.

We will monitor module discussions and will respond to some of the discussions as discussions are posted. In some instances, we will summarize the overall discussions and post the summary for the module.

Evaluation of preparation and participation is based on contribution to discussions. Preparation and participation is evaluated by the following grading elements:

1. Initial post (50%)
2. Responses to Other Students (50%)

Preparation and participation is graded as follows:

85-100 points = Initial post is rich in content; full of thoughts, insight, and analysis. Responses add value to the discussion, presenting additional insight and information.

70-84 points = Initial post provides substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place. Responses support or refute the original post with information.

50-69 points = Initial posts are generally competent; however, information is thin and commonplace. Responses are terse and simply agree or disagree.

Exams (Two Exams) (40% of Final Grade Calculation, 20% each)

Canvas exams are employed throughout the semester to assess your comprehension of system design principles and techniques taught in the lectures and described in the reading assignments. Each exam is graded with a maximum value of 100 points. The exam is to be completed through the "Exam" link within the corresponding module or the Canvas “Quizzes” link in the menu. With each exam, pay special attention to the preface to the exam as it will provide specifics. There are two exams, one each in modules 5 and 10. All of them are to be completed by individual students. These are not team assignments.

Grading is indicated in the exam. Partial credit is awarded where applicable. The exam is open-book/open note.

Homework Assignments (Eight Assignments) (32% of Final Grade Calculation)

Seven homework assignments are required throughout the course to provide you with the opportunity to provide insight into a system design problem. The homeworks will be a mix of individual and team assignments. The team assignments are designed to “build” a team collaborative project during the semester, culminating in a final presentation at the end of the semester. Only one team submission should be offered. All team members receive the same grade.

In all cases, please include names of participants in your submission. Each problem should include the problem statement, any assumptions made, all computations, and conclusions/discussion delineated.

All figures and tables should be captioned and labeled appropriately. All assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar. Each homework assignment (individual and project) is graded with a maximum value of 100 points.

Assignments are evaluated by the following grading elements:

1. Writing quality and technical accuracy (Writing is expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards. That is, all assignments will be graded on grammar and style as well as content).
2. Quality of insight demonstrated
3. Rationale for answer is provided
4. Examples are included to illustrate rationale (If you do not have direct experience related to a particular question, then you are to provide analogies versus examples).
5. Outside references are included

Qualitative assignments are graded as follows:

90-100 points = All parts of question are addressed; Writing Quality/ Rationale/ Examples/ Outside References [rich in content; full of thought, insight, and analysis].

80-89 points = All parts of the question are addressed; Writing Quality/ Rationale/ Examples/ Outside References [substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place].

70-79 points = Majority of parts of the question are addressed; Writing Quality/ Rationale/ Examples/ Outside References [generally competent; information is thin and commonplace].

Course (Team) Project (14% of Final Grade Calculation)

A course project will be assigned several weeks into the course. The last week will be devoted to the course project. The team project will be graded with a maximum of 100 points.

The course project is evaluated by the following grading elements (as described in Course Project Description):

1. Student preparation and participation
2. Student technical understanding of the topic
3. Team preparation and participation
4. Team technical understanding of the topic

Course Project is graded as follows:

90-100 points = Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities well defined and understood; individual/ team well versed in use of Adobe Connect; individual/ team work product(s) agreed to, well prepared and available to all team members/ instructors]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [rich in content; full of thought, insight, and analysis].

80-89 points = Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities well defined and understood; individual/ team well versed in use of Adobe Connect; individual/ team work product(s) agreed to and prepared]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place].

70-79 points = Student Preparation and Participation/ Team Preparation and Participation [individual/ team roles and responsibilities agreed to; individual/ team well versed in use of Adobe Connect; individual/ team work product(s) prepared]; Student Understanding/ Team Understanding [generally competent; information is thin and commonplace].

Quizzes (0% of Final Grade Calculation)

At the end of selected modules, students are required to complete a simple quiz. These quizzes are intended to demonstrate that you have captured and understood the material adequately and provide feedback. They are graded by Canvas on a 100 point scale; however, the grades are not part of your course grade.

Although not counted in the course grade, each student is expected and required to complete all quizzes. Failure to complete an individual quiz may result in a penalty of 1% of your course grade, up to a maximum of 5%. The penalty level is determined by the instructor.

Grading Policy

Course Policies

All late assignments are subject to penalty. If the student contacts the instructor via email before the due date and time, a one-week grace period is applied to homeworks (only). If not contact is attempted, a 10% penalty per week may be applied.

Discussions are required to be completed on time. Late discussion posts are subject to a 10%-25% penalty.

Exams are required to be completed by the due date and time. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in significant penalties, up to and including receiving a 0 for the exam.

The Team Project is required to be completed by the due date and time. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in significant penalties, up to and including receiving a 0 for the team project.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.