ALAN TROWBRIDGE

801-***-**** adawqj@r.postjobfree.com

EXPERIENCE

*/****-*/**** ****** Firmware Engineer, ClearOne Inc.

·Leading the firmware discipline of a cross-discipline design team, we developed a new product line with a MIPS32 (TNETV-1050) microcontroller. The project was programmed in C/C++ using the VxWorks RTOS. After initial development, I trained Test Engineers and our world-wide Sales Force in the configuration and use of these new communication products which quickly became an industry-leading product line.

·Headed a design and development effort that took an existing product line with a newly obsolete microcontroller and made it 20% less expensive, using newer and faster parts with more industry standard communication protocols. This product line was developed in C without an OS.

·I was selected to attended numerous training seminars and then train the rest of the firmware engineers how to develop and program applications using VxWork RTOS and Embedded Linux.

·Working with other firmware engineers to find a problem with the execution of our firmware in a new inexpensive product line, I found a hardware issue using an oscilloscope that explained the code execution problem. Once changes were made in the hardware, our firmware was released without change. This system was designed using C++ and the VxWorks RTOS.

·Once the original product using the MIPS32 became obsolete, I again worked with a cross-discipline design team to design a new product and define its capabilities. This new system used an ARM8/9 OMAP microcontroller and a radical departure from the firmware design of the older system. Once approved, I worked together with Hardware Engineers to take the project from development boards to prototypes to release. This major project was redesigned and developed using C++ and Embedded Linux OS with RTOS enhancements.

·The decision was made to add the control for Lynx/Skype for Business to two existing product lines. I added these new requirement changes to the existing code base, which added increased compatibility with Skype for an older code base. This system was developed using C without an OS.

·When the entire company moved to Win7 or Win10, I discovered that the development of many of our older products could not be migrated out of the older Win95. I set up a series of virtual machines using Win95 to allow future changes and updates to be made on these older code bases. All of these older products were developed using C.

·Worked with various source control programs such as git, Team Foundation Server, RCS and CVS.

1/1990-6/2003 Firmware Engineer, BTS / Philips / Grass Valley Group

·Participated in a cross-functional design team to design and develop a control system with a 68000 microcontroller using C/C++ and the PSOS RTOS.

·Developed and documented test procedures and documentation for over 75 products. I then used these documents to be the first in our division to become ISO 9001 compliant which allowed continued sales in the EU.

·I lead a team of firmware engineers to find a replacement for the now-too slow and expensive 68000 system. We convinced skeptical hardware engineers to use an off-the-shelf ‘186 board. Costs were significantly reduced (~40%), and speed increased (8X). I also developed a series of interface functions that allowed the system to use the VxWorks RTOS without having to modify the existing code base. The now 12.5-million-line code base was developed in C/C++.

·In conjunction with the new hardware platform, the decision was made to move the file server for the new system from an older HPUX (Unix) Apollo system to a PC platform. This new PC system required the development of a PC expansion board to communicate with the new ‘168-based system. This expansion board required new firmware, which I led a team to develop using C++ and VxWorks.

·When the decision was made to include a firmware engineering firm in Bangalore India with the Utah development team, I set up a method and procedure to use CVS over an ISDN line to use the same code base and merge the two location’s changes daily.

·Over time, I led a design team to move from the ‘186 system to a ‘386 and then to a ‘586 system. Each redesign fulfilled additional requirements requested by customers.

·Worked at a remote customer site and diagnosed a system-wide error that had existed for 6 years, enabling world-wide sales to resume after a "stop-ship" order.

EDUCATION

1985 – 1989 Utah State University - Logan Utah

I studied Computer Science (Science Option). In my senior year, I regrettably discovered that I could afford to either stay in school or feed my family of four. The decision was made to move to Salt Lake City and work at BTS.