Ben (Oswego H.S.)
Mentor: John Chramowicz and Allan Prosser
With the Phase 1 CMS Upgrades being on such a tight schedule, being able to test the upgraded CMS components within a timely manner is necessary. However, when trying to test the Bit Error Rate (BER) of individual channels within a large quantity of seven channel optical transmitters, it is nearly impossible to test everything and record the results by hand. Because of this, Automation is the only way to quickly and accurately test and record data about these transmitters. The task that I worked on this this summer was to automate the testing and data recording process of these transmitters using a language called LabVIEW, which is a graphical programming language specifically designed for laboratory instrument control. By the end of the summer, I was able to automate the testing process, along with other related tasks, and will have my programs continued to be used to test the BER of optical systems by my Mentors John Chramowicz and Alan Prosser.