Electronics Handyman

As a so-called “Electronics Handyman” you will deal with the more practical side of electronics in a race car, namely tasks that require physical approaches rather than simulations and PCB designs. You will get to build electronic circuits - you receive a PCB, components and soldering gear and start working to build a circuit that will find its place on the race car! However, there’s more to this job than soldering. Sometimes you get to search for specific electrical components that we would need on our car (e.g. brake lights, push buttons, switches, TPS, MAF sensors and so on). Splicing wires is often needed. The way you choose to do it? That’s up to you! You will search for different connectors, splicing tools and techniques to do a reliable job.

The fun doesn’t stop there! As the name implies, being a handyman means that you have to be… handy! You’re going to be the one with initiatives and quick solutions when the situation demands them. In Formula Student, there are dozens of unforeseen situations that you will have to adapt to and overcome quickly. 

Responsibilities and duties:

• Meeting with the members of the electronics department to discuss your progress and problems you’ve encountered (and how you tried to fix them)

• Searching for technical solutions and developing innovative ones for all sorts of electrical projects

• Searching for parts online and offline - online stores, scrap yards (for wires, connectors and other parts that can help), private vendors (OLX and others)

• Completing your given task in time

• During your work, you’ll often have to work with sensors that have no datasheets. You will need to improvise some sort of test bench/logging tool to determine the behavior of a sensor (anything that provides relevant data - Arduino, Raspberry, or simple circuits with LEDs, resistors, transistors, etc)

• Taking care of soldering, splicing, power electronics (batteries, sources, transformers, alternators, etc)

Qualifications and skills required:

• Be creative

• Be able to solder components on PCBs

• Have sensors knowledge - how a specific automotive sensor works/what sort of response it provides (voltage, current, pulsed signal)

• Have practical skills - Connecting wires together with or without designated connectors - crimping/taping wires and more

• Have the ability to remain calm and hold of the situation during challenging, time-demanding tasks

• Speak English fluently for public events

• Have a sense of humor

Nice to have

• Experience with automotive electronics

• Knowledge about electronics safety - fuses, insulation, what you shouldn’t do with batteries and power sources

• Power electronics

• CAD design

• Graphics Design (for external screens - Arduino/Raspberry)

• CAN knowledge (how it works, how to read messages)