Systems / Embedded Software Engineer
Product & Feature Development ª Test & Automation Engineering ª Global Team Leadership

Senior systems and embedded software engineer with extensive experience developing new products and features for broad industry application. Track record of developing innovative, automated test capabilities to enable test and debug of products during various stages of development. Strong organizational, leadership, and management skills with demonstrated success bringing projects back on schedule. Core competencies include:

• Real Time Embedded Software Development
• Layer 1, Device Drivers Software Design
• Strong Hardware / Software Debugging
• Test Automation, Programming
• Software / Systems Verification & Validation
• Mixed Analog - Digital Circuit Design
• Project Scheduling, Execution, Leadership
• UL, FM, CSA & PTB Requirements
• System Architecture Design & Evaluation
• Requirements Gathering / Definition

Technical Skills

Hardware :

ARM, Microchip, ATMEL, STxP70, ETM, JTAG, ICE, STM, FPGA platforms, Interrupts, DMA, DigRF, SPI, I2C, ADC, DAC

Software / RTOS:

C, C++, Assembly, National Instrument lab window CVI, Visual Basic, Clearcase, Access DB, Enea Real Time Operating System, Intusoft Circuit Simulation, Schematic Capture

Wireless Standards:

GSM, GPRS, EDGE, Partial UMTS (WCDMA)

Automation / Test:

GPIB, RS232, RS485, Acquisition Boards, CAN BUS, HART, Protocol Analyzers, Scopes, Anite, Rhodes & Schwartz, Racal, Agilent

Professional Experience

Confidential, NC 1998 to Present
Senior Software / System Engineer
Developed new products and features for this world-leading provider of telecommunication equipment, from initial requirements gathering through product launch. Designed and implemented layer 1 software for the company’s wireless platforms.
- Embedded Software Design & Development -

• Designed and implemented the CPU / DSP interface software for WCDMA, GSM, Audio, and debug for a new cell phone architecture.
• Designed and implemented control code for sleep, load module, code download, and dump — load module concept addressed limited memory area in the DSP and enabled the use of existing baseband ASIC to eliminate project delays.
• Debugged and resolved WCDMA uplink power control issues, testing algorithms utilizing Agilent 8960 wireless communication test system.
• Investigated GSM / WCDMA sleep control and generated the software implementation proposal used by the software development team during the detailed design phase.

- System / Architecture Design -

• Led the GSM system management group consisted of both CPU and DSP software engineers. Managed the group system projects activities. Addressed and resolved multiple technical issues.
• Main key responsible for the CPU – DSP interface in Ericsson mobile platforms. Interacted with cross functional teams from the product definition stage through product launch. Trained software engineers and assisted in resolving difficult issues.
• Led 8 engineers in Germany, Sweden, Japan, and the US and interfaced with ASIC designers in France to complete the on-schedule design of a new RF and baseband hardware architecture utilizing DigRF 3.09 / 4.0 protocol. Oversaw GSM radio control function mapping and WCDMA data flow over this interface.
• Developed new layer 1 cell phone architecture with multiple wireless standards sharing the same DSP, resulting significant cost saving and increased profitability by reducing the number of platform components.
• Investigated and proposed the Edge protocol architecture for GSM-based products to reduce time to market by eliminating the need to modify existing hardware blocks.

- Test & Automation -

• Designed system required to interface several RF boards to a PC and implemented software to control the platform, allowing RF engineers to test and debug designs prior to the availability of the baseband circuitry.
• Developed software and system needed to interface the Edge baseband FPGA board to a PC to provide test control, enabling test and debug of FPGA design issues prior to the availability of embedded software.
• Designed a preliminary bit error rate test system for the Edge project to enable testing without a base station or extensive embedded software development.

Confidential, NC 1988 to 1995; 1996 to 1998
Senior Electronic R&D Engineer, Sensor Division
Designed intrinsically safe liquid level and temperature sensors for this global leader in magnetostrictive sensors technology. Developed automated test and calibration equipment for the manufacturing line.
- Electronic & Software Design -

• Designed the circuitry for market’s first dual 4-20 ma HART level sensor (digital communication over analog signal) that could be configured to measure a second liquid level or temperature.
• Completed the mixed Analog / Digital circuit development of several liquid level sensors. Modified the amplifier design on the SMT gauge to support extended measurement levels.
• Developed special function PC card to interface special output liquid level and temperature sensors to the ISA PC bus as well as the software to operate the card (using Xilinx foundation package).
• Developed software protocol for correcting the nonlinearly of smart liquid level sensors product line, improving measurement accuracy and opening up new markets for the product.
• Developed software tools for CAN BUS field protocol displacement sensor using Microsoft C and CAN BUS interface hardware — tools were used by field reps to demonstrate the advantage of this field protocol.
• Continuously worked with safety approval agencies such as UL, FM, CSA, and PTB to insure circuit designs met intrinsic safety and explosion-proof requirements.

- Test & Automation -

• Developed manufacturing automated test and burn-in equipment to monitor failure rates, fix manufacturing problems, reduce field returns, and increase warranty period — defined test cases and system specifications and wrote device drivers for monitoring equipment, including motor controls, laser system, oscilloscopes, meters, counters, power supplies, UPS systems, printers, and I/O cards.
• Designed automated calibration systems for the manufacturing line that increased the production rate and improved calibration performance (used National Instrument lab window CVI package and Microsoft C).
• Developed database systems to track manufacturing failures; facilitating product design improvements.

Confidential – Knightdale, NC 1995 to 1996
Senior Product Engineer
Resolved issues and implemented design improvements for the Seriplex control bus product line of this power and control company.

• Redeveloped PLD software and upgraded the regulator and battery charger circuit for the Seriplex handheld programmer to fit Atmel PLDs, replacing 3 obsolete Erasic chips.
• Redesigned one of the PLDs in the Seriplex VME card to shut down the communication bus during shorts between clock and data lines to ground.
• Modified the digital to analog circuitry on the Seriplex Mux-IO card to meet specification; upgraded the test software.

Education & Training

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering – Tuskegee, AL (1987)

Professional Development, LTE § WCDMA § GPRS/EDGE