Why choose me?

• Wisdom from decades of development in all manner of environments and products; hardware design from the component up; software creation from a blank page. Integration of OTS products at multiple levels.
• Architect of systems ranging from water heaters to Class IIB pain mitigation.
• Able to adapt to existing code base; coding standards; development IDE, version control, and other tools; any engineering process. Exposed to Agile methodologies.
• Proficient in Fagan Defect Free Process; code and document inspections. Trained in XP and Crosby. Familiar with QFD, Demming, Kaizen, etc.
• Professionally trained and experienced in technical writing; can author for different audiences, multiple document types.
• Experience in many aspects of comms, from the One-Wire, I2C, and SPI level up through client/server interchanges using protocols like MQTT. Wireshark, etc. for analyzing traffic issues. Some work in LTE, BLE, WiFi, Zigby/XBee, ISM, etc.
• Experience in various flavors of *NIX, Linux, and RTOSes of mixed heritage; from ELDK up through ThreadX and VxWorks; homegrown dispatchers.
• Experience in creating ATE, test plans, test procedures. Created tools for production, line testing, and servicing. Some use of Robot and other testing frameworks.

I can work at any level of development, in any environment, with any size team or on my own. I set and keep realistic schedules with clearly-defined work goals and testable results. You will be pleasantly surprised that work gets done when I say it will, complete and without bugs.

Technical Experience

This is only a smattering of what I've done.

• Real-time system design: Systemic solutions for simultaneity, predictability, and latency; multiple simultaneous axis control; "Go and Load" event handling; BSP primitives and drivers; task-switching schemes based on time and priority; bringing up new hardware from scratch.
• Thirty plus years of experience in C/C++; a few years of other compiled languages and scripting in PHP, Perl, Javascript, Python, and other scripts.
• Operating system application and internals knowledge: Various flavors of ELDK and commercial embedded Linuxes; similar OSes such as C-EXEC and QNX; Windows; VxWorks, pSOS; ThreadX; proprietary schemes; thread management and inter-process data exchange; eliminate issues such as deadly embrace and resource-dependent priority inversion.
• Web applications: LAMP stack applications; REST interface design; web site design and layout; AJAX and other active scripting in PHP, Perl, Python, and Javascript; various CGI server-side applications.

Technology Background

This is a small sample of what I've been a part of.

• Medical and scientific devices: Class III patient-intrusive blood separator; Class IIB syringe pump; Nuc Med Gamma camera control; analog X-ray; medication delivery; peritoneal dialysis; blood sample-handling deck motion control.
• Imaging: Marine video display system central manager; video capture and recording via DirectX and proprietary schemes; astrophysical data acquisition display; Nuc Med medical imaging; phototypesetting.
• Datacomm: Router REST interface package; video game networking; automated voice message notification via SIP telephony.

Work History

Parsec Technologies, Inc. (né Parsec Systems)   2000...present

• Vehicle anti-theft sentinel; motion detection via accelerometer; cellular and WiFi connectivity for event reporting; SMS and IP over cellular; remote provisioning and configuration. [Vijilcon (startup)] (2021-4)
• Aircraft IR-seeking missile countermeasures testing and bug fixing; test plan creation and execution; source code management and maintenance; issue tracking, etc. [Northrop-Grumman/Prime Technical Services] (2023)
• Biochem lab research equipment motion control; multiple simultaneous axis movement; stepper and brushed DC motor control; command and control coordination and responses; error detection and mitigation [Thermo-Fischer Scientific/Oxford Internal Resources] (2022)
• Peritoneal dialysis treatment reporting over cloud VPN; multiple PPC-based ELDK hosts combined into a single ARM-based Yocto host; SSL->TLS 1.2 HTTPS security conversion [DEKA Research/Black Diamond Networks] (2021-2022)
• Remote lighting control system and other products; REST interface for command & control; overhead lighting control and modulators; multi-station positioning system clients and controller; client-specific low-level protocol over HDLC via RS-485 multi-drop (multi-product) [Techpro] (2019-2021)
• REST interface for an industrial router; many very low-level router services exposed on a secure web interface for complete round trip command and control on an embedded Linux platform [Advantech SmartWorx] (2018)
• SCADA Master and data collection as both online service and dedicated appliance; MQTT multi-broker, multi-topic subscription, data storage, and Javascript web application dashboard presentation; Javascript for gauge and chart widgets as well as data manipulation; LAMP stack; HTML5, CSS, SVG, all the goodies [Comprehensive Communications (speculation)] (2017-18)
• POS cash deposit automated safe command and control via web application; front end UI in Javascript; low-level server application development on Lantronix device server [SUZOHAPP/Infinity Consulting] (2017)
• White goods UI software design and coding on Cortex M0+ MCUs; touch plate and LED dimming for primary UI interaction; I2C-based ambient temperature, humidity, and ambient light sensing; unique one-wire communications scheme and command interpreter for interactions with primary system controller [Haier America] (2015-2016)
• Luxury yacht video monitor command and control through dedicated server hardware platform running embedded Linux; PHP and MySQL on LAMP stack; Javascript UI web application on client side runs local on both the control console and a mobile device [Green Marine Monitors] (2013-2014)
• Multi-purpose I/O interface for first responder video capture systems using PSoC device as core intelligence with smart control over high current outputs, USB hubs and LCD display, and switching of various I/O functions associated with video capture support [IRSA Video] (2013-2014)
• Process monitoring and incident reporting through cellular telemetry; client side events reported via TCP to collecting server over cellular network; events queued up and recorded via local database; event codes translated to voice, then voice calls (complete with recipient handshake via keypad) made to technician cell phones via SIP server access; call tree for ascending priority calls [Comprehensive Communications] (2012-2014)
• Commercial and high-end residential appliance controls for refrigeration and textile processing; refrigeration compressor cycle timing control; icemaker control; commercial dryer time tracking; temperature control of all systems; user interface via raw character displays and hard button processing; BSP primitives and drivers [Invensys Appliance Controls] (2012-2013)
• Automatic vehicle location and reporting through cellular telemetry; location reports containing standard GPRMC location fixes sent to collecting server; server collates reports and records tracking information; Javascript web application shows vehicle positions on a scalable map [Comprehensive Communications] (2010-2016)
• Specifications document creation from requirements and other sources; test plan and test procedure creation from requirements and spec [Invensys Appliance Controls] (2009-2010)
• Corporate engineering process improvement; training in Fagan Defect-Free Process; participation and guidance in live product code and document inspections; document creation for CSA submittal including FMEA skeleton; product architecture creation; communications software for 1-wire implementation in a CPU- and memory-limited environment [A. O. Smith] (2008-2009)
• Video capture and recording via DirectX and other methods; wireless data transfer of video recordings to secure central repository; hardware control of various subsystems on first responder vehicle [Responder Systems, LLC] (2006-11)

Various contract engineering services  1994...2000

• Design architecture of Class IIB patient-controlled analgesic syringe pump; define logging and reporting elements to interact with external report-collecting facilities; code multitasking software components; create and code safety-related interactions and communication between master and safety processors; create specification, API, and other engineering support documents [Baxter Healthcare/Accord] (2000-1)
• Debugging and maintenance of SNMP agent simulator package for large scale network element management system as a component of broadband media (Cablespan) network; create support documents [Tellabs/Accord] (2000)
• Design and code multitasking components of industrial thermal transfer printer for food packaging industry and other applications; task management and priority through brute force and interrupt handling [Norwood Marking Systems/Accord] (1999-2000)
• Design and code display subsystem emulator based on PPC PCI board with VME interface using VxWorks and Peritek VCQ-M four-channel VGA video PCM card to emulate up to four out-of-print VME VGA video boards; create installation and support documents [Fermilab/Accord] (1999)
• Design and code features in Class III apheresis blood separation machine; procedure control through proprietary hardware programming language, file data extraction through proprietary file system, text processing for report generation [Baxter Healthcare/Accord] (1998-1999)
• Design and code industrial label printer controller based on handheld 80451 unit; controller provides label format and database uploading, print-time user data entry and database lookup, and a simple user interface [Weber Marking Systems/Chemtech] (1997-1998)
• Design and code video game networking facilities on proprietary network interface board; protocols for coordination of services and messaging between network hosts and clients, unique device communication protocol and failure recovery for datacomm demonstration product; create API and other engineering support documents [Williams-Midway-Bally/Accord] (1996-1997)
• Design and code position-determining subsystem for an automated precision drill repointer machine; uses a laser proximity sensor to read the drill's surface and find the leading edge by slope analysis [RTW Electronics Tooling Division/Accord] (1996)
• Design and code completely new system for DDS to synchronous serial interface adapter (with BiSync interpreter and Switched 56 call originate/receive) [Telemax/Chemtech] (1996)
• Extend product life of temperature control instrument by adding functionality and optimizing existing MCS-51 assembly code; programming of ATE in various forms of BASIC [Love Controls/Accord] (1995)
• Design analog audio signal handling hardware including mixing, VCA level control, audio path switching; design combination power supply/audio power output amplifier board; assist PCB layout house in creating least-ripple-impact board paths and overall PCB art; create PC-based tools for audio designer engineering support [Lowrey Organ/Accord] (1994)
• Design and code feature enhancements for MCS-51-, Z80-, and 6809-based embedded products (machine controls, terminal equipment, ...) [multiple clients] (1994-1996)
• Create utilities and tools for product development support in a PC environment using C, C++, Javascript, BASIC, and assembly; document the use of the tools [multiple clients] (1994-1999)