With an Eye for Electronics
"As a child, I thought electronics was something magical because it was invisible. I wanted to understand what made it possible to press a switch to make something happen," Marte says with a smile.
Today, the 27-year-old works in one of the largest electronics environments in the Nordics, alongside about 90 electronics and FPGA resources in the "eWorks" department at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. This is what one might call a solid professional environment. eWorks employs staff both at Kjeller, in Asker, Moss, and in Kongsberg where Marte works, along with about 30 other "electro-heads."
"It's incredibly rewarding to be part of such a large and competent professional environment, where there's always someone to ask, there's room to 'nerd out' on electronics and to be a bit quirky. But the best part is that everyone wants to share their knowledge," she says.
Indeed, knowledge sharing is extremely important, in fact, a prerequisite for deserving a place in the group. - "We are dependent on people sharing because with such a broad field, one cannot know everything, and that’s why it’s a great advantage to know that there's always someone to ask right down the hall," she says.
As an electronic engineer in eWorks, Marte is one of those who develop circuit boards for the entire product portfolio of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. That entails variation and plenty of new challenges.
"And the coolest part is that we follow the products all the way from sketch to finished product," Marte tells us.
Together with the project group, she develops specifications that tell what the circuit board is to do; what is to go in and out, how much power is needed, what voltage to work on, what type of communication to use, etc.
A particularly fun part of the development phase is what is called "circuit board layout," Marte tells us. It's about finding the optimal placement of all the circuit board components and ensuring there's room for everything.
"It becomes like an advanced puzzle where you actually get to see what you have worked on in the development phase," she says with a smile.
After design and development, the circuit board must be tested to ensure it meets all the requirements they have set. It's both fun and very educational, because then she physically sees if and how things work. And of course, it's motivating to feel that one is approaching the goal. The card is subjected to all conceivable environmental stresses from temperature fluctuations to vibrations - because the products they are to become part of must withstand everything.
And when Marte has designed and final tested the card, the drawings are sent to electromechanics like Nikoline, who ensures assembly and assembly.
Look at this box! Have you seen anything so beautiful?
Nikoline says that she becomes genuinely happy when she sees a box where everything is tidy, fits together perfectly and is connected correctly.
But what she likes most is when a challenge or a problem arises which needs to be solved. Whether it is something that does not fit correctly, or when something completely new comes in that they have not worked with earlier. She then needs to deep dive into the task, take part in testing and developing the product so that it will work as intended.
“I especially like it when it’s my idea that we use and that it works. It makes you really feel both seen and heard,” she says and smiles.
Advanced technology and products with strict performance requirements demand something extra from the engineers who work on them. That's what Marte wanted to contribute to, when she decided to apply for a job at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, after completing her bachelor's degree at OsloMET.
"This company is an eldorado for those of us who love electronics," says Marte enthusiastically. - "We work with everything from analog sensors, embedded computing, RF, and servo systems. It's simply a fantastic mix of everything the electronics world has to offer!"
She now balances her job with a master's in Sensor Technology and Microelectronics at the University of Oslo (UiO), and uses her work time effectively to work on her master's thesis.
Born and raised in Kongsberg, Marte already has a network of family and friends in the city, but now she also has a large group of colleagues she enjoys to spend time with. The highlight of the day is lunch in the sofa corner of the office landscape with a large group of young colleagues, many of them newcomers without much of a network outside of work.
And she loves her hometown and speaks warmly about the range of activities, distinct seasons with proper winters and summers, great skiing opportunities, proximity to mountains, the sea, and Oslo - all things she herself likes to take advantage of.
Maybe you also have an eye for electronics and like to try new things? If so, you might become one of Marte's new colleagues, and join her latest project; year-round bathing.
Facts about eWorks:
eWorks is the electronics and FPGA professional environment at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (eWorks@KDA).
The eWorks department designs and develops most of the electronics for all of KDA's product groups, across divisions and departments.
The main areas for the eWorks department are architecture, design, and layout/PCB of circuit boards, FPGA development, development of automated test systems for electronics, and Component Services.
Currently, eWorks consists of about 90 employees distributed across locations in Kongsberg, Asker, Kjeller, and Moss, and now we are looking for electronics and FPGA resources for all locations.
