Robert K. Waite

*** ********** ***** ******, ** 01520

Work 978-***-****

ac1hzw@r.postjobfree.com

Summary of Qualifications

Electronic system and product designer with strong emphasis on iterative, customer interactive design for usable products.

Experienced hardware designer using discrete and programmable logic, analog, and a variety of microprocessors.

Extensive software engineering skills using most modern programming languages

Experience with military and medical products.

Education

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester,MA Bachelor of Science, Summa cum Laude in Electronic Engineering (Minor in Physics)

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Half complete Master of Fine Arts in Photography

Various Academic Institutions Over thirty CEUs in a variety of technical areas

Work Experience

May – October 2015 – Aspen Systems Inc – Prepared product specifications and State Transition Diagrams for a medical liquid chiller. Wrote code to test product using VB.Net, communicating over RS-485.

Fall Prevention Alarms, Inc (Part-time consulting) 2008 – 2014

As the sole engineering resource for this small company, I designed a variety of different fall danger alarm categories combined into a single, configurable, microprocessor-based product compliant with UL specifications. Also designed a new alarm which operates for three years on 2 AA cells and one which records details of the last 100 actuations. All products use TI MSP430s. All code written in C using TI’s Code Composer Studio versions III through V. One patent applied for.

Infinite Water, Inc. – 2011 – 2012 - Worked with the company’s non-technical founders to develop an updated version of the “WaterStar”, machine for home or office use which produces potable water from the humidity in the air. Designed a second version using thermoelectric coolers. This required designing the thermoelectric cooling system, fans, and heat exchangers, as well as a new user interface and controlling new flow rates and paths. Controlled by a TI MSP-430 running code written in C using TI’s Code Composer Studio V. One patent applied for.

StreetSmartSigns, Inc. Adams, MA 2007 – 2012

Chief Technical Officer (part time) for this manufacturer of innovative crosswalk signs. Designed all electronics and wrote all software for solar powered, battery operated crosswalk signs with high power LED beacons. Signs communicate via radio (ZigBee) to eliminate trenching and re-paving the street. Designed switching power supplies and PWM LED dimming. Automatic light sensing and brightness adjustment. Maximum power point Tracking of the solar panel. 2 TI MSP430s and two radios per sign. All code written in C using TI’s Code Composer Studio III and IV.

K.O. Instruments, Inc. 2007 – 2012

Worked with the company’s non-technical staff to design an instrument which tests a home circuit breaker by characterizing the power line to which it is connected, then applying a controlled-duration short circuit to trip the breaker and report and store the results. This device experiences voltages up to 800V and currents up to 2000A. Power FETs and SCRs are used. TI MSP-430. All code written in C using TI’s Code Composer Studio V.

(Three patents issued)

J. J. Reidy Co. Holden, MA 2000 – 2009

Worked with the company’s non-technical founder to develop “WaterStar”, machine for home or office use which produces potable water from the humidity in the air. Redesigned this machine from a crude electro-mechanical prototype to its final form using a PIC microprocessor with sensors for temperature, humidity, liquid level, and Ultra Violet light. (PIC C)

Designed a second version using thermoelectric coolers. This required designing the thermoelectric cooling system, fans, and heat exchangers, as well as a 24V, 40A switching power supply. Controlled by a TI MSP-430 Code written in C using TI’s Code Composer Studio III and IV. One patent issued.

TekCel, Inc. Hopkinton, MA 2002 - 2003

Took over as Chief Engineer for a small biotechnology robotics company with an incomplete product. Supervised 3 MEs, 4 SW engineers, one EE and 3 technicians. Diagnosed and corrected field failures and redesigned the hardware to eliminate the problem. The product was a large freezer with robotic access from listings in a database. Worked on communications, software design, robotics, and heat transfer issues. All microprocessors were PICs, programmed in C.

Hear Music / Starbucks Seattle, WA 1996 – 2002

Music store technology – Working alone, I designed, had manufactured, and supervised installation of all technology to provide a chain of 17 music stores with customer-operated interactive CD listening stations, multimedia (slides, room lighting, and sound) product promotion systems, and custom designed audio systems which indicate the selection playing.

The listening station product read up to 20 customer controlled switches, lights the corresponding lights, and emulates a variety of remote controls to command disc players from many manufacturers. It has a self-contained headphone amplifier and power supply. (8051 C)

An automated sign was developed, which reads the Sony inter-component code and lights a portion of the sign indicating which CD is currently playing on the store music system. This required decoding the Sony digital information stream. (8051 C)

Waitek, Inc. Clinton, MA 1999

Enlarger control – Working alone, I designed and wrote software for a device to record exposure levels used in a black-and-white darkroom and hold a selected exposure level constant through enlarger adjustments. (PIC C)

hypOview, Inc. Stow, MA 1998

Designed “hypOview” - an optically-enhanced lighting and viewing system to make it easier to see fill levels and bubbles in hypodermic syringes. This is a passive product that illuminates syringes with dark-field polarized light for better visibility of bubbles and voids. (optical / mechanical design)

Housing Devices, Inc. Somerville, MA 1996 – 1998

I designed the ADA 1001 – Complete design responsibility for the first UL Certifiable ADA-compliant alarm / intercom system. Worked with UL and CSA to refine their specifications for this type of product. The system monitors up to 60 remote stations and uses 85 PIC processors communicating over distances of up to a mile. (PIC C, audio amplifier design, RS485, digitized voice, switching power supplies)

Structural Integrity Monitoring Systems, Inc. Willimantic, CT 1996 – 1997

Bridge monitoring system – as the only EE, I developed the electronics and wrote all the software for a new generation of digital / optical position sensors. Designed the support electronics to use these sensors as a structural integrity monitoring system for bridges, buildings, or ships. (PIC C) (Visual Basic)

Richmond Graphics, Inc. Cranston, RI 1996

Working with one other engineer, we designed and developed:

“DPS-2000” - An automated exposure system for UV emulsions used in silk-screening. Designed a motion control system which moves a telephone booth-sized UV projector up to twenty feet to a prearranged location for the correct image size, then auto-focuses the lens and automatically exposes the material. Controlled stepper motors, relays, and high voltage UV lamps from a PC. Also wrote a database to store previous setups by negative number for re-printing. (Visual C, Visual Basic, PC)

“30 channel light integrator” - microprocessor controlled UV light integrated dose monitor with 30 presettable levels. Used to control UV exposure in a contact printing application. A PIC processor is used with a 6 character LED display, UV sensor, EEPROM, and a proprietary keyboard. Complete design responsibility including mechanical, electrical, software, keyboard overlays and usability engineering. (PIC C) This device is still in production.

Victoria’s Secret New York, NY 1995-1996

Bra-Meter – working with non-technical people, I designed electronics, mechanical system, and software for a push-button controlled electronic tape measure that displays correct brassiere sizes. (PIC C)

Teconics, Inc. Stow, MA 1992 -1995

Motor controller – designed the hardware and wrote the software for a DSP-based controller for three-phase electric motors from 300 to 3500 horsepower. The controller allows user input to set various starting profiles and limits and reports on power consumption as well as various operating conditions. Measures voltages up to 75,000 and currents up to 20,000 Amperes. Communicates with other equipment on two programmable digital links. (TI DSP, 8051, C)

Valve controller – Wrote all software for a dual valve controller used in semiconductor processing airflow control. Allows user input and displays parameters and warnings. Communicates with a host (RS-232) and two valves (RS-422). Uses I2C for on-board communication with the display controller. (PIC C)

Educational software – wrote a compiler and code editor for authors to produce guided learning texts. All code in Visual Basic and Visual C.

OxMax, Inc. 1991

Chief Engineer . Developed “Ox-Max” - A portable oxygen use monitor for measuring true energy expenditures by athletes. This product measures the volume and oxygen content of both inhaled and exhaled air when used by an athlete. By measuring the chemical changes and volume, it calculates and displays the actual energy consumption, rather than estimating from forces and repetition rates. Designed all electronics and wrote all software. Designed and built an artificial lung to test with. (68HC11 C)

Sterimatics, Inc. Bedford, MA 1988 – 1990

“REFLUPS” - a computer-controlled machine to produce measured, bagged, sterile IV fluids from local water sources for the military. One of two lead programmers supervising a team of four to develop a software safety standard, a software development standard, specifications, code, and testing. This system required code written to meet both military and FDA standards. (8086 C)

Finished the project working in System Engineering.

Developmental Enterprises, Inc. Clinton, MA 1986- 1987

Chief Engineer. Supervised 3 SW engineers, 1 ME, 1 EE, and 2 technicians to build the““D.U.M.P.” system - a truck-mounted monitoring and route management system for the refuse collection industry. This product used PCs on refuse trucks, reading hydraulic pressures and controlled by special-purpose keyboards and IR data links to monitor pick up operations and weigh trash. The office section allowed route data input and delivered activity reports and billing information. I and my team developed all hardware, software, packaging, keyboards, data links, and system concepts. (PC C, 8051 assembly language)

Signologies, Inc. Seabrook, NH 1983 – 1985

As the only engineer, I designed all products and wrote all software.

Beck-N-Call” - A restaurant communication system featuring the ability of the patron to signal needs to the waiter from the table by radio. Developed all aspects of the product, packaging, battery charging system, radio integration, displays, communication over AC power lines, and all software. (8051 assembly language)

“Serve-R-Call” - A waiter notification system for the restaurant which also provides service status information to the management. Developed all aspects of the product, packaging, displays, communication over AC power lines, and all software. (8051 assembly language) One patent. Some are still in service.

Waitek Groton, MA 1983

Working with one other engineer, we developed “ProTex” – A low-speed data scrambler using an 8051. (8051 assembly language)

Controlonics Concord, MA 1983

Voice scrambler control software – designed and coded software to control voice encryption machines for military and police work. (NSC800 assembly language)

MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA 1978 - 1982

Member of the Technical Staff - Developed interface specifications for SACDIN, one of the building blocks for today’s Internet. Designed and developed both hardware (8085) and software (PL-M) for prototype add-ins for satellite communications systems using microprocessors to intercept and decode messages.

Newport Metals Newport, RI 1977

Gold bar validator – This machine assessed the purity of gold bars by determining the transit time and intensity signature of a pulse of heat traveling end-to-end through the bar. Any signature outside very tight limits was rejected. Controlled heaters and positioning mechanisms. Read temperatures of the bar and the ambient. (6502 Basic, EEPROM)

ADVENT Corporation, Cambridge, MA 1976 – 1978

Trained technicians to repair and adjust early projection TV systems.

Other work:

Loose stone detector – Designed all aspects of a product which detects whether a mounted gemstone is loose by listening for high frequencies when a piece of jewelry is vibrated at a known low frequency. (Discrete logic, analog)

Defect Identification - Software system to identify defects from video images and track the growth of defects in semiconductor wafers as they are processed. Wrote software to upgrade the client’s defect identification system. Wrote a software production standard. (PC C)

Wafer-handling robot – Developed the electronic hardware and control software for a 2-axis robot with a transfer station to place and remove wafers to and from a laser-trimming machine. Controlled and measured motion and vacuum. (8085 PL-M)

Disk drive control electronics – designed some hardware and all software for a removable-media hard disk. Very high-speed software control over head positioning. (8085 assembly language)

Cut-off machine - A semi-automated cutting machine to calculate and cut lengths of titanium tubing for custom-made bicycles. Used a PC to control a stepper motor to position a cut-off saw based on various combinations of rider measurements. (PC C)

Professional memberships

Life Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

Member IEEE Boston Consultants Network

Other

Member of Holden MA CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) (volunteer, not on call). Trained in Fire suppression, search and rescue, non-confrontational police work, and CPR / AED / advanced first aid up to the Medical First Responder level.

Two years as a part-time police officer.

Three years US Army Intelligence – left with grade E-6 (Staff Sergeant)

Cleared at various times up to Top Secret.

References

Guy Parsons – ac1hzw@r.postjobfree.com

John Juby 413-***-****

Kevin Keith – ac1hzw@r.postjobfree.com

Further professional and personal references are available upon request.

Patents and publications

U. S. Patent 477488 “Restaurant Service Request Communication System”

U.S. Patent 7791386 “Device and Method for Testing an Electric Power Branch Circuit”

Provisional Patent for “Enhanced Viewing Device” for hypodermic syringes.

Inventor or Co-inventor in fourteen other patents, provisional patents, and patents-applied-for.

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