Alex Zhang worked at Viavi Solutions in Washington state as a test engineer refining a tool used by companies to inspect optical fibers.
For many industries, from medicine to telecommunications, it’s essential that the optical fiber used to transmit data is working perfectly.
Testing the hair-thin fibers for flaws is repetitive work, but thanks to Northeastern University student Alex Zhang, it just got a lot easier.
As a co-op at Viavi Solutions in Bothell, Washington, Zhang worked as a test engineer, refining a tool used by companies including AT&T and Boeing to inspect optical fibers.
The tool, which looks like a hot-glue gun, can be used as a handheld device to test fiber tips for debris, dirt or damage. But inspecting fibers this way is inefficient, Zhang said, and the need for reliable fiber optics is growing.
Zhang is pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at Northeastern’s Seattle campus. During the first week of her co-op, Zhang’s manager handed her a bunch of fibers and a testing tool. Inspect these manually, the manager said, so you’ll know how to improve it. The first thing Zhang noticed: There needs to be a way to make the tool run on its own.
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“When I designed the automatic testing script, I already knew what I needed it to do,” Zhang said. “It’s kind of annoying if you use it manually. If we wanted to collect thousands of results, that’s definitely something we can use script for, better than a human being.”
Zhang earned her bachelor’s degree in applied science. She is on schedule to complete her master’s in computer science this fall.
Optical fibers can be bundled into cables to transmit data and signals, but they can also be connected together. But before they can be joined, they must be dust-free and undamaged, Zhang said.
By inserting a fiber’s end into the gun-shaped tool and pulling the trigger, a microscope within the device can detect any flaws in the fiber. A display on the device indicates exactly what and where the issues are.
“Our product is designed to test the fiber, and my job was to test the device,” Zhang said. “I wanted to make sure the device could work for a long time, like several hours, and still function.”
When companies build data centers, they may use cables that contain thousands of fibers. Data center workers need hand-held devices like the one Viavi makes, to test individual fibers, in addition to the capacity to test thousands automatically.
But the device they use is usually customized to their specific needs, for security or logistics reasons, Zhang said. This means that testing protocols evolve for different clients.
“They are continuously following the expectations of the market,” she said. “And actually the regulation of optical fiber is changing really fast.”