I worked as a part of the Hardware Engineering Team at Sense, an Internet of Things startup, making home energy monitors that use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to help users better understand their home’s energy consumption and save money on their energy bills. The majority of projects I worked on have not yet been released so all accompanying images are sample images to illustrate the projects I worked on.

Core Responsibilities

• Managed the RMA center on site in the Cambridge office, processing returns and repairing defective units for customers

• Performed quality and value analysis studies on manufacturing processes on components coming out of China and Mexico based factories

• Designed and built test fixtures to aid in manufacturing in China and Mexico Plants

• Aided in receiving UL certification for new products

USB Sequencer Project

Challenge:

• Design a test fixture that allows for multiple Sense monitors to be connected to a single USB input to a test computer

A sense energy monitor and the accompanying app

Constraints

• The test device must utilize an existing Sense PCB

• The device must be able to connect at least three Sense Monitors to one USB output

• The circuit board must fit inside of a black box, and have ports for power, USB in, and serial connection ports to connect to the Sense monitors

Designed a similar system to this but with Sense serial connection ports as the output

Process

• I ordered an existing PCB from our board supplier in China

• I cut the board in half, removing the unnecessary components and making it fit within the black box

• I soldered on three serial connection ports and a micro-USB input port

• I spliced and soldered on a power cable

• I fixed the board to the interior of the black box and cut holes for the power and USB cords

• I tested the connections and made sure the monitors could communicate with a test computer in the lab

The unfinished circuit board and black box

The finished test fixture, enclosed in a black box

Results

• The test fixture worked, and I sent it to the factory in Mexico

  • I had to create an accompanying spec document to explain the operation of the fixture to the employees at the Mexico plant

• I learned how to modify existing PCB boards, how to solder components on and off of a board

• On the initial assembly the polarity of the power cable was flipped, so I had to remove the solder beads and replace with the correct orientation