Testing ,Testing, 123
Tom
Experience Information
Employer: L3 Aviation Products
Job Title: Test Engineer
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Integrated Manufacturing, Sales, Engineering, and Support staff all in one building with approximately 150+ workers . The company as a whole has several locations with specializations in each but a general focus on aviation products is maintained throughout the business.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
My work at L3 was focused on Test Engineering and the rigorous testing process which aviation products have to go through. Software work was emphasized as much of the mechanical/ electrical aspect of the design is taken care of by the initial engineering team as the products are designed. Work towards a "station test box, test" was the bulk of the work done during the co/op. This involved building intricate knowledge of the circuits and signals involved in the testing of a set of products as well as working with software to send and receive specific in order to check their validity.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I have gained specific knowledge on a bunch of Serial interfaces including RS-232,RS-422,RS-485, ARINC-429, MIL-1553, and CSDB interfaces. Aside from this I have worked a lot in C coding as well as a bit of python coding. As a result of this I have a significantly better understanding of C libraries and larger scale coding projects. Work in fixing production problems (things that break/don't work on the test floor) has improved my improvisation and problem solving skills.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this co-op was seeing the things that I had designed take place as a 100% implemented part of the engineering process. Starting by changing a drawing is a little step but putting it together with a couple of other processes and a finalized product emerges. This is a unique feeling that L3 helped me experience.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I feel that my experience in this co-op has broadened the areas in which I will consider my work once I become a professional engineer. Normally I would have dismissed a field with such an emphasis on coding, but I now see that a field such as this can be a pleasure to work in as both electrical and software aspects meet.