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diff --git a/docs/plan.adoc b/docs/plan.adoc new file mode 100644 index 0000000..70db19d --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/plan.adoc @@ -0,0 +1,376 @@ += Puzzle Box Project Plan +include::share/meta.adoc[] + +== Table of Contents +:toc: + +== Introduction + +This document has been written by students following the computer science +curriculum at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Den Bosch. The purpose of +this document is to plan out the puzzle box project, in which realistic goals +will be established. Key points of this document include the way this project +is going to be developed, the expected outcome, and project management. +Throughout the semester project, this approach ensures process control and +provides a clear overview of activities and the work organization. + +== Background information + +This section gives the reader background information as to why the project is +necessary. + +=== Project + +During the introductory week, students participate in a competition task on +Monday afternoon. The goal is for teams to perform tasks related to electrical +engineering and computer science programs. The competitive element and +interaction with other groups are crucial. For the 19-20 introduction, the bomb +task was created, inspired by the game "Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes." A +description of the game can be found on the website [1]. + +Originally, the plan was to create a bomb that needs to be defused and a puzzle +box generating codes for defusing the bomb. A previous group successfully +developed a bomb requiring software and hardware creation by intro students, +followed by entering defusing codes. This system includes an RPI connecting to +the internet for bomb countdown time synchronization and remote control. +Additionally, a configuration program for PCs allows the bomb to be set to +countdown at a specific time. The bomb's hardware is ready, but a puzzle box +could still be created. + +This puzzle box would generate codes to be entered on the bomb for defusing. +The bomb's software can be expanded for collaboration with puzzle boxes or +other additional features. Several puzzles for the puzzle box were developed in +the 20-21 academic year and improved upon in 21-22. A design for the box's +appearance has been created, along with software and a web-based user interface +for accessing a mesh network set up by the boxes. + +== Project definition + +This section describes the different aspect of the project, including the +analysis of the project, the approach to completing the project, and the goal +of the project. + +=== Problem analysis + +Currently, the idea of defusing a bomb has been realized and is being used in +the introductory weeks at Avans. However, a puzzle box has yet to be realized. + +Several puzzles were already developed in the 20-21 academic year and improved +upon in the 21-22 academic year. A design for the box's appearance has been +created, along with the software and web-based user interface for accessing a +mesh network which is set up by the boxes. + +The puzzle box hardware and software need to transition from prototype status +to a final product, including the integration with the bombs. The hardware is +not complete for all puzzles, as these have been redesigned in the 22-23 +academic year. + +=== Project approach + +During this project, kanban is used, in which different tasks are described +that are actually in constant motion. The advantage of this is that it is +actually always clear who is working on which task and which tasks still need +to be done. This does require each project member to keep track of their tasks +on the kanban board, to ensure efficiency and discipline while the project is +ongoing. The tools to enforce this are shown in §7.3. + +=== Project goal + +The purpose and motivation of this project is to create a puzzle box that +interacts with the existing bomb, which can be used in the introductory week. + +The bomb would have to be defused using codes given by the puzzle box. The +puzzle box would consist of several puzzles for the student to solve. These +puzzles are related to the Smart Hardware and Smart Software study paths. + +The focus of this year's run of the puzzle box project (23-24) is to create a +new software framework from scratch, that allows future students working on +this project to easily integrate new puzzle modules, or port the existing +puzzles to different hardware. Previous iterations of this project were +realized with complicated libraries and/or frameworks, which requires extensive +research for students unfamiliar with them. + +=== Halfway goal + +Due to this project being divided over two periods a halfway goal has been +established. This goal must be reached in week seven of the project. The first +half of this project focuses on researching and designing the final product. As +a result, several documents are created. The documents delivered in this phase +of the project are the following: + +- Project Plan (this document) +- Requirements document +- Research document (1st version) +- Design document (top-level software design) + +=== Project outcome + +The outcome of the project is that the puzzle box software has been brought to +a product-level. Furthermore, a software framework has been implemented, which +uses only software and programming languages native to the curriculum. A +temporary cli-interface has been realized, allowing for management of the game +state. + +=== Project deliverables + +- Project Plan +- Requirements Specification +- Design Specification +- Site acceptance test +- Factory acceptance test +- Qualification Document +- Puzzle box games/interface +- Handover plan + +=== Product quality + +Multiple tests will be created to safeguard the quality of the project. Code +and document reviews are also used to safeguard quality. More about this can be +found in §6.2. + +== Project phases + +=== Research phase + +This project consists of several research topics which are stated below. + +Investigating the already existing code/software that has been written by +previous project members to determine if the code/software could be +reused/ported to another controller or software language. + +Another vital research topic to explore is the unit testing framework. By +investigating different unit testing frameworks, project teams can identify the +most suitable one for their specific needs, enabling them to maintain code +quality, detect bugs early, and facilitate smoother integration processes. That +means that for this project a new, robust, and future proof unit testing +framework needs to be chosen since there is none now. + +Lastly, researching the controller, there is already a controller picked for a +prototype version of the puzzle box for this project, but it is unclear which +controller it is and if it is still a good option to continue using since the +puzzle box itself uses a Raspberry Pi, but the puzzle box consists out of +several puzzle modules which each must have their own controller. The raspberry +Pi for the box itself should be fine but for now it is unclear what is used for +the modules and what is the best option to move forward. + +A design document will be set-up in where the decisions will be made based on +the conclusion of the research document for the following components: + +- Puzzle modules (four sides) +- Main controller +- Communiction (with the bomb) +- Power supply + +=== Development phase + +The development phase is used to develop a product, or a predetermined part of +the product based on the research done in the previous phase and agreements +made with the customer. + +This project and thus this phase will be executed using the well-known +KANBAN-method to not only bring more structure and an overview of the product +development but also to make sure that everything is according to the plan and +the customer is satisfied. This means that there will be regularly meetings +with the customer to verify that the requirements are met as expected by the +customer. + +The development will be done using Visual Studio Code in combination with +several add-ons, if necessary, together with GitHub (GIT) for version +management. GitHub will also be used to manage project related tasks so that +all the tasks and issues can be tracked. + +The software will be created according to the tasks planned in GitHub projects. +Each piece of software needs to be tested using a testing framework. + +The development will exist out of five main tasks which are: + +- Main controller +- Side 1 +- Side 2 +- Side 3 +- Side 4 + +The main controller's development will take up the most time thus will be +executed parallel to the development of the four sides. The development of the +sides will also mostly be parallel with just a small delay creating an overlap +between the sides. + +=== Qualification + +The last phase is the phase where everything needs to be tested and verified to +the agreed upon specifications. This will also be done using the KANBAN-method +as discussed in the previous chapter. + +Testing of the code will be done using a unit testing framework to test +individual components, later manual testing is needed to test the complete +system which will be documented in a FAT. The customer will also be able to +test and verify the results during this phase to make sure that everything was +executed according to the plan. + +Lastly, a document needs to be made with a recap of everything of this project, +from research, decisions that have been made to verify progress and a +conclusion with tips to continue this project so that the next project group +can continue this project. + +Also all the other documents will need to be finalized and double checked, +especially the design document since it will function as a 'blueprint' of the +project. + +== Project control + +=== Risk management + +What the possible risks are, and how they are managed, can be seen in the table +below. + +.Risk management calculations +[cols="2,1"] +|=== +| General risk calculation (Chance x Impact) | Outcome + +| HxH | High +| HxA | High +| HxL | Average +| AxH | High +| AxA | Average +| AxL | Low +| LxH | Average +| LxA | Low +| LxL | Low +|=== + +=== Quality control + +This project just as any other project need to meet a certain level of quality +and this quality needs to be controlled or better said verified/management. + +The level of quality must be defined within each task so that it is easier to +verify, this also why tasks should be created as SMART tasks. After that the +quality can be verified by someone else on the project and/or the customer +using the definition within the task. + +The quality of the project itself should be defined within a separate so called +qualification document. A qualification document for a technical project serves +as a crucial piece of information that outlines the necessary qualifications +and criteria for individuals or teams involved in the project. + +This document typically includes details such as the required technical skills, +educational background, work experience, certifications, and any other specific +requirements needed to successfully contribute to the project. By clearly +defining the qualifications needed, this document helps ensure that the right +individuals are selected for the project, leading to its successful completion. + +=== Project scope + +The aim of this project is to create a puzzle box with 4 different puzzles +representing the different directions in this study. Examining the existing +hardware designs is an important task to get a good idea of their status. The +existing hardware designs from previous groups will be used as a reference to +develop the software on. The software will enable interaction between the user +and the puzzle box for solving the different puzzles. + +So, the task in this project is to develop this software using the given +hardware designs. If certain parts of this hardware don’t work, this should be +described in the handover document so that the next hardware student can work +on it. + +It was decided to focus only on the puzzle box itself because this project +requires a lot of research to ground out the documents of the previous groups. +So, the loose bomb and web interface are left out of this project and can be +realised later. + +In addition, contact will be kept with the customer to properly incorporate the +requirements into the final product and both parties will not face any +surprises. + +== Parties & Roles + +This section defines the entities involved in this project and describes their +role in the project. + +=== Team members + +<<tab:members>> lists the executive party involved in this project. These +people are responsible for implementation, documentation, testing and +communication with the stakeholders. + +[[tab:members]] +.Team member table +[cols="3*"] +|=== +| Name | Role | Study path + +| Thomas in ‘t Anker | Developer | Software +| Loek Le Blansch | Developer & Project lead | Software +| Lars Faase | Developer | Software +| Elwin Hammer | Developer | Software +|=== + +=== Communication + +Table 3 lists the stakeholders which receive regular updates about the project. +These people are informed about the current progress and are involved in any +meetings where requirements and/or specifications are discussed. + +[[tab:stakeholders]] +.Project communication table +[cols="2,1,2,1"] +|=== +|Name|Role|Communication tool(s)|Frequency + +|Jasper van den Heuvel|Client|School email; Teams|Weekly +|Jonathan Overes|Client|School email; Teams|Weekly +|=== + +=== Version management + +All source code developed during this project is kept under version control +using the Git [2] version control system and is available online at GitHub [3]. +Each software component has a 3-digit version number following semantic +versioning [4] conventions (major, minor, patch). + +This repository also utilizes Git submodules to track the versions of the +utilized libraries and SDKs. Submodules refer to commits, and can automatically +be initialized and managed using Git, so are not further specified in this +document. + +All project documentation is realized using Microsoft Office products and is +therefore stored in a SharePoint folder [5]. These documents use a simple +2-digit (major, minor) version number system. The documents are published at +the discretion of the authors, with each new version incrementing the minor +version number. Major version number 0 is utilized for the document draft +versions, while 1 is utilized for documents after the project goal is reached. +A copy of all the documents is kept for each officially published version. + +== Planning + +This project utilizes GitHub Projects [6] to manage and allocate tasks to team +members. GitHub Projects supports multiple workflows, but this project only +follows the Kanban [7] workflow. Since the Kanban workflow does not require +sprints, the project is divided into milestones. A milestone is considered +complete once all tasks assigned to it are both marked as ‘complete’ and have +been reviewed. + +At the request of the stakeholders, time spent working on the project is +tracked by each team member using Clockify [8]. + +Figure 1 shows a Gantt-chart including the phases from section 5. The +milestones are indicated with vertical dashed lines and are marked with week +numbers. + +The research phase (§5.1) includes the planning and writing of the initial +draft versions of all the project documents. The documentation is also +continuously updated during the development phase, but this is not shown in +Figure 1. + +The development phase (§5.2) consists of the continuous development of the main +(central) controller software and various accompanying tests. During this +phase, the software for each puzzle box side is developed in parallel. Each +side’s software development is staggered to avoid the accumulation of tasks. + +The qualification phase (§5.3) consists of validating the results of the +development phase, fixing issues when they are discovered, and finalizing all +project documentation. + +include::share/glossary.adoc[] + |