Erin Taketa was born and raised in Wailuku, Maui. She is currently attending Colorado State University and studying Computer Science with a concentration in Networks and Security. At school, she works as a teaching assistant helping new computer science students learn how to program in various languages. After graduating, Erin plans to move back to Hawai’i to pursue a career in the computer science field. In her free time, Erin likes to read, go on hikes, and spend time with her friends and family.
Home Island: Maui
High School:
Institution when accepted: Colorado State University
Project Site: Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope: NSO/DKIST, Pukalani, Maui
Mentor: Karl Newman
Project Title: Designing a Testing Framework for The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope Safety System
Abstract:
At the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), there is an extensive functional safety system that runs on Allen-Bradley GuardLogix Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). This safety system controls whether the telescope can move and function correctly by checking if all the controls are in a good state. When safety logic is modified in the system, DKIST uses a method called live testing, which tests the functionality while the telescope is in actual use. Since potential logic failures are not tested prior to use, there is a much higher risk of danger that can result in damage to personnel and hardware. In order to mitigate these risks, the aim of this project is to design a testing framework that can be used to assess the telescope’s software updates prior to live implementation. This will require researching test bench applications, setting up the framework, creating automated tests that can detect any logic failures, and documenting how to do this for future use. Given that the system is so large, the documentation will be detailed for DKIST staff to build upon on their own as needed.