Hardware Engineering Internship (Summer 2012)

About MeIowa State UniversitySenior in Electrical Engineering1st year internOriginally from White Bear Lake, MNPlayed hockey for 15 years

Hardware Engineering MentorsPrimary Mentor:Nathan HermanSecondary Mentors:Brad FergusonMatt LarsenNathan CarlsonDan SkenzichManager:Frank ArtnerProjects Worked OnX2e Variant creation, Prototyping, and TestingU-Blox GPS Python Scripting and GPS SimulationWVA Daughter Board AssemblyX5R Proof of Concept, Assembly, and Homologation TestingX4/X4H Cellular Modem replacement and cellular Pre-Scan using CMU200Tank Monitor LED Testing Other little projects around the office for people

X2e CADStar Variants

Worked with Dan to get the XBP24CZ7PIS-I085 added into the Digi Libraries in CadstarCreated an Xbee Pro variant for both X2e with and without Wi-FiWorked with Dan and Van to get the ENG and MFG files into PendingFilled out a Prototype Request for the -04 variant (US with Wi-Fi) to do collocation testing

X2e Collocation TestingAfter Prototyping, did a collocation test on both an -04 variant and a -02 variantReport the information to Brad and David so he could move forward with the ECO

U-Blox GPS and Python ScriptingWorked with a U-Blox GPS engine and wrote a python script for reading the bufferUsed the script to test if we were picking up valid coordinates

WVA Daughter Board AssemblyStarted with the bare PCB and soldered on all of the componentsGot graded by the Nathans on my work and what I need to look for

X5RAssembled the proof of concept for Nathan HermanAcquired MAC informationMounted the X5R onto the sheet metalInstalled the SIMsWorked with Will to create the homologation script for Lenny to test with

X4/X4HFor the X4s and X4H, installed cellular modemsDid CMU200 Testing on a few X4Hs to make sure they passed testing at Digi

Tank Monitor/IDF Formatting Worked with Matt to wire up the 55m so that we could test our new containerDid LED testing to come up with an alternative to Red/Green Bi-color LEDWorked with the mechanical team with getting mounting holes imported into ProE

Key Learning'sDocumentation for everythingi.e. variants, DVT testingAsking Questions and Using ResourcesDeveloping a learning process that works for youStaying energized and enthusedQuestion and Answer