ECE 495 — B4L38: Final Project Work Day

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Timeline

Final Project: Where You Stand

When	What
L35	Checkpoint in — act on its feedback first
L38 · today	Work day: template, rules, rubric — then write
L39 · start of class	Complete draft, as a PDF, through Teams
L39 · in class	Peer review #1
Before L40	Peer review #2, as a PDF, through Teams
L40	Revision work day
L41 · start of class	Final paper, response table, code, AI transcripts

The draft is due at the start of L39. Today is for writing it.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Template

The IEEE Template

Start on Overleaf

Download FinalProject_IEEE_Template.zip
New Project → Upload Project → the zip
Menu: compiler pdfLaTeX, main document main.tex
Recompile: a PDF of placeholders means it works

What's in the zip

main.tex — the paper, pre-sectioned, guidance in % lines
refs.bib — two lesson citations to copy
figures/ — placeholders to replace
ResponseToReviewers.tex — for L41

Local MacTeX works too — pdflatex, bibtex, then pdflatex twice. The zip's README.txt has both routes.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · The Paper

Seven Sections, Six Tasks

Section	What it reports	Tasks
Abstract · Index Terms	Problem, method, key numbers, recommendation — write it last	—
I · Introduction	The problem, your contribution, the roadmap	—
II · Background and Related Work	The models, and the lessons behind them	lessons
III · Scenario and Threat Model	The scenario in your words; the threat picture; chain to $\lambda$	T1 · T2
IV · Route-Planning Method	Directed grid, edge cost, sweep, fuel limit; methods for T4–T6	T3
V · Results	$P_S$, the Pareto front, DRMS, $\Delta P_S$, the pop-up	T2–T6
VI · Discussion and Limitations	Where the models break; one L37 trend	R
VII · Conclusion and Recommendation	The route to fly and the risk you accept	R

References and any appendix follow. The 4–5 pages count neither.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · LaTeX

Figures, Equations, BibTeX

Figures

Vector PDF from MATLAB, saved in figures/
figure fills a column; figure* spans both
Every axis: quantity and unit; the caption says what to see

Equations and references

Number it, \label it, point at it with \eqref
Each lesson or source is one refs.bib entry, cited by key
BibTeX numbers the list in the order you cite

exportgraphics(gcf,'figures/map.pdf','ContentType','vector')  % MATLAB

\includegraphics[width=\columnwidth]{map}                       % LaTeX
... as Fig.~\ref{fig:map} shows, from \eqref{eq:survival} \cite{ball2003}.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Use of AI

Using AI Inside the Rules

Allowed: typeset, point out

“Turn this table I wrote into a LaTeX table.”
“Why won't this compile?”
“Format this reference as a BibTeX entry.”
“Point out my paragraph's grammar errors.” — then you fix them

Not allowed: write, rewrite

“Write my Results section.”
“Rewrite this paragraph to sound better.”
“Summarize these papers for my Background.”
“Write the paragraph that explains my Pareto front.”

Used AI in any way? Every transcript goes in with your code. Sample prompts: the handout’s appendix.

The words and the judgments in the paper are yours.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Citations

Citing the Course

At least one lesson from each block — four or more — each cited for the specific claim it supports.

Block	Lessons you can cite
Block 1	L1–L8 · radar fundamentals
Block 2	L11–L18 · RF electronic warfare
Block 3	L21–L28 · IR EW and signature management
Block 4	L31–L37 · survivability and mission planning

J. Jurado, “Lesson 34: Optimal Path Planning,” ECE 495: Electromagnetic Warfare and Survivability, U.S. Air Force Academy, Fall 2026. [Online]. Available: https://usafa-ece.github.io/ece-495-ew/block04/L34.html

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Citations

External Sources: Optional

If you cite one

Publicly released, and you opened and read it
Credible for its claim: author, venue, date
One line of vetting in Appendix A

Not a source

AI output — AI is not a source
A reference you have not opened and read
Anything classified, CUI or export-controlled

An external source can add to the lessons. It never replaces a block.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Rubric

The Rubric

Line	Points
Threat picture (T1, T4, T6)	15
Route method and cost design (T3)	20
Survivability, support package, sensitivity and recommendation (T2, T5, R)	20
Writing, figures and IEEE form	15
Course citations and sources (≥1 lesson per block)	10
Peer reviews given (specific, accurate, rubric-anchored)	10
Response to reviewers	5
Code reproducibility	5
Total	100

No innovation bonus. The peer-review form uses these same eight lines.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Resources

Starting Point and Help

Resource	What it is for
The starter	The plumbing: the scenario read in, the map drawn, a first route
`FPToolkit.m`	The MATLAB toolkit; the handout says what it provides
Sample AI prompts	The handout's appendix: requests the Use of AI rules allow
The Sample Paper	Every section at the depth expected, on a toy problem

Example File: L38_FinalProjectStarter.m

The Sample Paper is a model of format and depth, not an answer. The analysis and every judgment in your paper are yours.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Battle Rhythm

Today's Battle Rhythm

Clock	What happens
First 15 min	This brief; your template compiling on Overleaf
Next 30 min	Write the section you are furthest from, with its figure
Last 5 min	Check against the draft list; name your blocker before L39

I am floating — bring me a figure, a paragraph, or a citation you are unsure of.

Complete means every section, figure and citation in place. Polish is L40.

Block 4 · Lesson 38 · Wrap-Up

Wrap-Up

Before you leave

Your template compiles, with your title and name
Every section started; every figure planned
Four lessons, one per block, in refs.bib with their claims

Next lesson

L39: Peer Review — complete draft (PDF) through Teams at the start of class
Review #1 in class, on the peer-review form
Review #2 due before the start of L40