Academic Year: 2025/2026

Assessment Introduction:

Course:

BEng/MEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering

BEng (Hons)Electrical and Electronic Engineering

BEng/MEng (Hons) Robotics Engineering

Module Code: EL2006

Module Title: Data Communications

Title of the Brief: IoT Investigation

Type of assessment: Report

This Assessment Pack consists of a detailed assignment brief, guidance on what you need to prepare, and information on how class sessions support your ability to complete the assignment successfully. You will also find information on this page to guide you on how, where, and when to submit. If you need additional support, please make a note of the services detailed in this document. The assignment is worth 50% of the overall module mark and should take about 40 hours of independent study to complete.

How, when, and where to submit:

The deadline for this assessment is the 12th  December 2025 at 17.00 via the submission zone found in the EL2006 Blackboard area - Please note that this is the final time you can submit – not the time to submit!

Your work must be submitted via the Turnitin link on Blackboard, the link will be available to you on: 28th November 2025.

Feedback will be provided within the University’s 15 working day policy. (9th Jan 2026)

You should aim to submit your assessment in advance of the deadline to avoid the risk of the mark being capped.

Note: If you have any valid mitigating circumstances that mean you cannot meet an assessment submission deadline and you wish to request an extension, you will need to apply online, via MyUCLan with your evidence prior to the deadline. Further information on Mitigating Circumstances can be found via this link.

I wish you all success in completing your assessment. Read this guidance carefully, and any questions, please discuss with the module team.

Additional Support available:

All links are available through the online Student Hub

1.   Academic support for this assessment will be provided by contacting Patrick Ryan [email protected].

2.   Our Library resources link can be found in the library area of the Student Hub or via your subject librarian at SubjectLib[email protected].

3.   Support with your academic skills development (academic writing, critical thinking and referencing) is available through WISER on the Study Skills section of the Student Hub.

4.   For help with Turnitin, see Blackboard and Turnitin Support on the Student Hub

5.   If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty, long-term health or mental health condition, and not yet advised us, or would like to review your support, Inclusive Support can assist with reasonable adjustments and support. To find out more, you can visit the Inclusive Support page of the Student Hub.

6.   For mental health and wellbeing support, please complete our online referral form, or email [email protected]. You can also call 01772 893020, attend a drop-in, or visit our UCLan Wellbeing Service Student Hub pages for more information.

7.   For any other support query, please contact Student Support via [email protected].

8.   For consideration of Academic Integrity, please refer to detailed guidelines in our policy document . All assessed work should be genuinely your own work, and all resources fully cited.

9.   For this assignment, you are not permitted to use any category of AI tools.

Preparing for your assignment.

Ensure that you fully understand the requirements for the assessment and what you are expected to complete. The assignment will be introduced in a lecture session where you can ask any questions, you can also ask for clarification by contacting the module team.

The following module Learning Outcomes will be assessed in this assignment:

4.     Evaluate different network technologies.

5.    Apply Knowledge of network protocols to new communications systems e.g. IoT.

Please read over the guide to writing a technical document referred to below and ensure that you fully understand the requirements of the assessment. Make good use of the opportunity to go through this assignment and ask questions in the lecture session at the start of the first semester.

Ensure that you research and read widely around the subject area before writing the report so that you have a good background understanding of the subject area.

Assignment Brief

You are asked to investigate the use of Internet of Things technology in a specific scenario and the issues involved in providing reliable connections between the devices identified. This must be your own work and clearly demonstrate your understanding and problem-solving skills.

Scenario

A small farm which consists of several separate buildings, is served by an underground A.C. 3-phase electricity supply. The buildings are connected by separate underground cables to one of these phases. The site plan shows each building’s power supply phase and the location of the consumer unit. All the buildings are of cavity wall brick construction except the barn which is constructed of six inch concrete blocks and steel cladding. The farm house, has been extensively modified over the years and has a broadband router operating the IEEE 802.11ax standard using the 2.412 GHz band.

A solar panel array is being considered to help power the farm house and any surplus generated power being exported to the National Grid. This will necessitate a reliable WiFi connection to the router in the farm house and the Smart meter which is in an adjacent building. Similarly, the Solar power Inverter needs a reliable WiFi connection which is also quite remote from the router. Furthermore, the Inverter requires a serial communication link to a sensor attached to the single phase supply feeding the farm house. The Inverter interfaces include CAN Bus and RS485.

You are required to evaluate this situation and make any recommendations to ensure that the connections to the Broadband router are sufficiently trustworthy. In addition, you need to suggest how IoT technology might be employed to better manage the property.

A formal report of your findings including diagrams, calculations and the detailed proposals to establish the communication systems has been requested. The report should include the following:

.     Specification of requirement objectives and parameters which would constitute a reliable connection to meet these requirements.

.     A discussion of the site-specific factors affecting the WiFi signal and an estimate of the signal strength in dBm at the Metering point and Inverter from the Broadband router.

.    A review of the opportunities to introduce IoT applications to benefit the site and your recommendations of which three applications which would have the most positive impact.

.    A detailed proposal of the equipment, its operating requirements and where it is to be deployed to overcome any identified problems and provide the additional IoT applications.

.     Any further recommendations and your final conclusions.

Word limit: A maximum of 1500 words (see notes below for further information).

Technical Report Writing

To complete the report, you will have to thoroughly research the area using reliable sources and  precisely reference where your information and statements are from. The aim of the report is to be clear, concise and convey technical information to the reader, note that the reader is familiar and experienced in the area. Ensure that you write your report for this audience.

A guide on writing a technical document can be found at the following (this will also be uploaded to Blackboard):

https://www.theiet.org/media/5182/technical-report-writing.pdf

Please read over the above document to ensure that you are clear on what a technical report is and know what you are required to complete, note the above is a guide not an explicit standard you will be required to ensure that your technical report contains the relevant information presented correctly for the reader.

Notes on Wordcount and Referencing

For good marks and given the limited wordcount you should produce work that is: accurate; thorough; well-argued; clear; accurately referenced; relevant and written in correct (UK) English grammar and spelling. You may include figures and tables with short captions (25 words each) and a list of references without affecting the overall word count. Remember that you have limited words so ensure that you “stick to the point” and do not get into detail on superficial elements.

Ensure that you include references when discussing technical facts and statements on the technology used. You must reference all your sources of information. These should be cited in the appropriate part of the report and fully identified to meet the Harvard referencing standard in a list of sources at the end. Website articles must be properly referenced to be considered as legitimate references.

Presentation of assignment work

Except where specifically stated in the assignment brief, assignment work submissions should be word-processed, in Microsoft Word format, with a footer comprising: your module code; date; page number.

Marking Criteria and Weighting