1 on 1 with: Ethan Astifan

Ethan attends the Ohio State University where he is majoring in mechanical engineering while minoring in Spanish.  This is his first co-op session and he’s lucky enough to spend it with Signalysis. Let’s learn a little more about him in this interview.

What are your general responsibilities with Signalysis?

So far, I have done a lot of Arduino and microcontroller programming, especially on the Trigger Pulse Generator project

Can you tell us a little about your background? 

I’m from Loveland, Ohio, where I live with my parents and younger brother

What attracted you to co-op for Signalysis?

It’s a small company where I could work directly on projects and see what engineering looks like “in the real world”. Since many of the products and projects Signalysis works on involve robotics or automation of some kind, there’s an opportunity to learn more about both mechanical and electrical engineering and how they interact

What’s something that you’ve learned during your short time at Signalysis?

I’ve always enjoyed programming, but I was not very familiar with C++, code optimization, or computer communication protocols before this. Learning how to modify programs down to the bit level has been interesting and rewarding, as I’ve been making substantial progress on R&D projects that have been left on the backburner for years. Learning how to make a computer, laser, oscilloscope, and Arduino all talk to each other with serial communication has also been fun.

What’s something about you that not many people know? Any interesting hobbies or special talents?

I enjoy trying new sports – anything from rock climbing to longboarding to squash. I am on the Ohio State Formula SAE team and will be the Vehicle Dynamics Lead this season. Finally, I was the leader of a robotics team for 3 years in high school.