Electrical & Controls

Electrical & Controls develops the electronics and software that operate our liquid propulsion test stand. We connect the hardware to the operators, from valve commands to live sensor data.

Electronics built for the stand

We design, assemble, and program the circuit boards that connect the test stand’s sensors and valves. The work spans circuit design, board layout, wiring, and firmware—bringing individual components together into a system that can command hardware and read back what it is doing.

Propellant test platform with valves and a pressure gauge above the wired control electronics.

Duke AERO control board on a workbench, with rows of connectors along its edges.

Two circuit boards mounted on a panel and connected with ribbon and power cables.

Control electronics, from the workbench to the test stand.

Test control & data

Our software gives operators a way to command valves, run test sequences, and stop a test when needed. Alongside those controls, we collect and display sensor readings so the team can follow conditions as a test runs and review the data afterward. Hardware, firmware, and the operator interface all have to work together.

Ground-station software showing a command console beside valve controls and sensor readings. — The ground-station interface brings commands and live readings into one view.

Working across the subteams

Electrical & Controls works with Fluid Systems and Combustion Devices to connect the electronics to the physical stand. Bench checks, troubleshooting, and integration are as much a part of the work as designing a board or writing code: the goal is a setup the whole team can operate and learn from.

Students fitting a part into an engine section at a shared workbench.

A student fastening an engine section while teammates watch across the bench.

Handwritten dimensions on a notepad beside a lathe.

Around the Liquid Propulsion shop: shared benches, assembly, and hands-on work across the division.