I am Remya Maria Paul. I have completed my Post Graduation in 2019 after which I joined an Engineering College as Assistant Professor in a Guest post. During Covid-19, I could get a remote teaching opportunity at an Engineering college which lasted a semester after which colleges began to open its doors to students. But I couldn’t join back since Covid-19 was still at its peak and I was carrying, which gave me a break. After that I was looking for a returnship opportunity and that’s when I found Abhyaz on Linkedin jobs.

Holding on to this opportunity was the best thing I did, as it provided a completely remote option for internship. The virtual office which we use for internship gives a wonderful office atmosphere at the comfort of your own home.

During the internship I could brush up various software’s in Civil Engineering field which I previously used, along with new software’s in Civil field. Software’s which are used in other fields were an add-on to me. It was fascinating that I could learn many new software’s and had hands on out-of-the-box activities like creating SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedure), creating e-learning courses and quizzes. It made me more confident when my presentation skills were much appreciated by my colleagues and mentors and which was further underlined as I received the “Star Intern of the Month” recognition of February month. 

1.  AutoCAD 2016

The first and foremost software that a civil engineer uses throughout his lifetime is of course AutoCAD. I used AutoCAD 2016 software for detailing the beam, slab, doglegged stair case etc. Courses were created where Structural detailing is explained well and usage of AutoCAD software for those detailing was explained well.

2.  STAAD.Pro.v8i

Its an analysis software that civil engineers use to a wide extent. Structural Analysis is an inevitable part for civil engineers and also it’s a need of the industry. I used it for analysis of beams and creating courses on how to use STAAD which would help the users of the course to learn how to use STAAD.Pro.v8i.

 

3.  ETABS

It is also an analysis software. It can be used for modeling, analysis and design of structures. Plans from AutoCAD can be imported to ETABS for easy modeling. I used it for beam analysis which was intended to create course on how to use ETABS software.

 

4.  SAGA GIS

SAGA stands for System for Automated Geoscientific Anlayses. SAGA is a Geographic Information System (GIS) Software. It has been designed for an easy and effective implementation of spatial algorithms. It is an open source software. This software was new to me. I had a chance to learn this new civil related software. I created a course on how to use this software.

5.  Ultimaker Cura

Cura is simple but powerful 3D slicing software produced by Ultimaker. It is an open source software. The print profiles are optimised for Ultimaker 3D printers, but the softwre will slice 3D files for any 3D printer brand/model. This is also a new software for me which made me work out of the box. Once you have the 3D model you'd like to print, you can import the file into Cura. Users will be able to scale, rotate, and duplicate the object as needed. The software provides a visual of the printing bed, and all prints must fit within that space. I imported a 3D wall mount to cura and made needed changes for setting it to print bed and made it ready for 3D printing as a gcode file. If we insert the SD card of printer into computer and copy the file and put it in printer and run we can make 3D print of the model. I could also get in touch with Additive Manufacturing along with this software.

1. UMHDL:

UMHDL is an Open-source software for learning digital designing with programmable logic devices using Hardware Description Languages (HDL) through simulation. Currently, it supports VHDL compilers like GHDL, FreeHDL, and nvc. Future versions will include various free compilers that support Verilog. It supports many languages like Spanish, English, Ukrainian, Arab, French, Chinese etc. It is feasible to work in Windows (32/64-bit), Linux (32/64-bit) and Mac OS X.

I have created a 4-bit ALU using behavioural modelling in VHDL using UMHDL 2.4 version. Using VHDL behavioural modelling and the UMHDL 2.4 version, I have produced a 4-bit ALU. To write code, finish the task, and check the results in simulation form on a Windows operating system, you must download GHDL or another compiler, as specified above, separately.

You can download this software from the below link:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/umhdl/

GHDL Compiler link:

http://ghdl.free.fr/

2. AutomSim Premium:

AUTOMSIM is a circuit design and simulation software for electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, and digital electronics. The software is available for free for 40 days, but after that, we need a licence key to continue using it. For me, this software was new, so learning to use it was a little challenging. I was able to design a simple pneumatic circuit for a single-acting cylinder with the support of mentors and the materials accessible on an e-learning site from prior interns.

3. MCU 8051 IDE:

It is an open-source Integrated Development Environment for some microcontrollers based on 8051(e.g., AT89S8253). Supported languages are Assembly and C. It has a simulator, assembler, editor, and many other tools. It has many virtual hardware devices like LED, LCD Displays, 7-segment displays etc.

It has an easy user interface. I have written and compiled code for LCD in assembly language programming. We can use it for C language and also with the C compiler.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcu8051ide/

4. MATLAB:

MATLAB is a programming and numeric computing platform used by millions of engineers and scientists to analyse data, develop algorithms, and create models. It is used in many fields including deep learning and machine learning, signal processing and communications, image and video processing, control systems, test and measurement, computational finance, and computational biology.

Since MATLAB provides many features, it is bit difficult to learn everything at once. But if anyone has curiosity and learning capabilities, it can become easier. I have used MATLAB for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) application and have written the code for Low Pass Filter (LPF). In the e-learning platform, there are many resources available for MATLAB by previous interns and for different applications.

Software download link:

To download MATLAB, first you need to register on the below site and then you can download any version.

https://in.mathworks.com/products/matlab/student.html

5. Logisim:

An educational tool for designing and simulating digital logic circuits, featuring a simple-to-learn interface, hierarchical circuits, wire bundles, and a large component library. As a Java application, it can run on many platforms. You need to have pre-installed Java development kit to run this software smoothly.

It is easy to use software. I have designed circuit to display BCD code on 7 segment display. Software download link:  https://sourceforge.net/projects/circuit/

I've discovered a lot of new information about how virtual workplaces operate, and I have a wonderful experience there while at home. My most valuable learnings were self-confidence, teamwork, time management, and communication skills.