Fasp a Student Developed Application Program

The results of an experiment to test suitability of development of large-scale computer programs as an electrical engineering student project are presented. Fasp, a user-oriented application program for analysis of signal flow graphs, was developed by a team consisting of a senior, two sophomores, and two freshmen. The senior was able to do most of the program design and coordination. The program, consisting of about 3500 ANSI Fortran statements, was developed in one semester and was tested over the summer on a CDC 1604, a Univac 1108, and an IBM 360/50. The results show that such a software project can be used to extend the benefits of project-oriented courses to an earlier point in the engineering curriculum.