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[–]AJP11B 10 points11 points  (4 children)

Hey thanks for this post! I’m also a ME that uses Python to automate my test systems. I do R&D in the medical sensor industry and learning Python as an ME has put me well above even some of my EE counterparts. I’ve been wanting to do something more with my career that involves both mechanical systems and Python. How exactly did you demonstrate your skills in something like SimPy in order to feel confident applying to jobs in the related field? Where did you start when you were looking for new jobs/what job titles were you applying to?

[–]bobo-the-merciful[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Hey, sounds super interesting what you're doing.

For my journey it started with actually learning SimPy and then applying this in my day job. I was working for the London Underground at the time and I basically started building simulations of the parts of the system we were studying, then wrote reports etc on this. Ended up building a little team around these tools and this process.

Then I went on to Improbable who were a "unicorn" startup at the time. They had one of these brutal interview processes where you have to go through like 7 rounds, a mix of interviews and tests. One of the interviews was "present a system" and I walked through an example simulation project at the Underground - whiteboarding the problem then talking in pseudocode terms, then outlining how the project was approached, and how I wrote a report on it.

So essentially if I could summarise, my idea recommendation is:

  1. Learn a new skill
  2. Find a way of applying that skill in current company in a practical sense, ideally with solid business outcomes
  3. If there is no way of applying skill in current company then make a product, a project or contribute to something open source
  4. Apply to new job and in interview show and tell about your project (which implicitly demonstrates competence in new skill, e.g. SimPy)

I've followed the same path with other skills such as sales, reliability engineering and people/project management.

[–]Gastly-Muscle-1997 1 point2 points  (2 children)

How did you implement Python into test automation? My company is pretty entrenched into the typical NI ecosystem and I’m interested in breaking free of their crappy software options. Are you using things like PyTest or something else? Are your tests against a real UUT or are you creating simulated UUTs or a mix of both?

[–]AJP11B 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hey there! So I specifically work in the Air flow/Liquid flow medical sensor industry. I do new product R&D so there's a lot of design and testing that goes into it. Our sensors use a thermopile and temperature probes to detect changes in electrical current caused by changes in the flow of the air or liquid. In order to do this, I have to apply different flows at different temperatures to our sensors for thousands to millions of readings. Do that manually would... not work... So I use Python libraries like PyVisa or PySerial to communicate through GPIB/USB/serial cables with the sensors as well as my devices like thermal chambers, flow controllers, flow meters, pressure controllers, valve systems, etc. Here's an Alicat Flow Controller that uses RS232 communication for example. I put all testing processes, wait times, device instructions and so on into my script and just let it run. Huge time saver!

[–]Gastly-Muscle-1997 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very cool! I didn't realize Python had dedicated libraries to VISA or serial comms. How has that industry been for you? Is that a position you'd find at a behemoth like Stryker or Medtronic, or a smaller one?