Senior Design Team sdmay22-19 • Underground Cable Packing Web Tool

Problem Statement

As many companies with the need to distribute cabling, on a large scale, are shifting to more underground cabling, in order to better withstand environmental disasters as well as other potentially damaging occurrences, the need for software to assist in these actions have become even more necessary.

To that end, Iowa State University's Electrical Power Research Center (EPRC) and Professor Mathew Wymore have requested an expanded web tool version of an existing executable program with the addition of new features and improved primary functionality such as: enhanced algorithm, mobile support, and ease of use. This web tool will also allow for more readily available functionality being an application available on EPRC's website for immediate use.

The tool's primary use comes from streamlining the billing process for underground cabling companies and contractors with a known user being Alliant Energy. Other expected uses, from user interaction, include the assessment of proper bore sizing, project based material calculation, ease of optimal calculation, and ease of project specific utility file creation.

Project Overview

Building off of the problem statement for this project, the main goals can be broken down into these: create a web tool version of the existing executable program, take advantage of how user friendly and visually attractive web based software can be, and improve/standardize runtime - all while working toward new features according to client interest.

This project is a two-semester long endeavor between seven computer and software engineering majors. The major steps this team are planning on taking toward completing the project are as follows:

  1. Continuous Project Planning and Defining
  2. DevOps & Tech Setup
  3. Software Design & Functional Design Verification
  4. Redesign Algorithm
  5. Setup Data Tables
  6. Backend Construction
  7. UI Construction
  8. Development Testing Suite
  9. UAT & Deployment

Lastly, the expected outcome of this project is to have created a functioning web application that will be easy to navigate and use, run on ISU servers, run on common browsers (mobile or otherwise), and meet the expectations of a senior design project.

(More can be found in the Documents tab under Design Documents in the Final Design Document, linked: here).

Important Project Diagrams

Existing Executable Example:

PDF slide presentation linked: here

API and Interface Diagram:

Software Architecutre Diagram:

Testing Process: