RKT Engineering, Inc. / RKT Technologies, Inc.,
Londonderry, NH
September 1977 to PresentDuring 25 years as Owner and President of RKT
Engineering, Inc. (a Massachusetts corporation) and its successor corporation RKT
Technologies, Inc. (a New Hampshire corporation), I have provided hardware and software
design consulting and technical services to a number of companies primarily in the Greater
Boston and Southern New Hampshire area. Highlights in approximate reverse chronological
order (except where indicated):
- (2001 – 2002) Software architect and key software developer for a navigational
system for installation on oceangoing ships. Also served as mentor to other software
engineers in the areas of C++, VxWorks, Tornado, and Unified Modeling Language (UML).
- System provides a central redundant fault-tolerant computer that takes inputs from
Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), depth sounder,
magnetic compass, speed-through-water sensor, and redundant weather sensors, and outputs
information to shipboard displays and other shipboard systems.
- Central computer provides services including Dead Reckoning capability so that the
ship’s position could be estimated in case of failure of the INS and GPS.
- Central computer consists of two PowerPC processors in a CompactPCI chassis.
- Designed central computer software using UML on Rhapsody Modeler with implementation in
C++ on VxWorks 5.4 and Tornado 2.1.
- Provided code modification and code review services and assisted in testing and
debugging of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for this system, which was implemented on
a ruggedized PC using Microsoft Visual C++.
- (2000 – 2001) Key software developer for a Voice Over
IP (VoIP) test system for use in testing and validating VoIP gateways. Platform was
PowerPC and VxWorks with development under Tornado 2 in C and C++. Served as mentor
and instructor to other software engineers. Served for a time as acting Principal
Software Engineer / Technical Lead for this project while the client went about the
process of hiring someone on a permanent basis to assume that role.
- (1999) Implemented some software modifications on a device
whose purpose is to use radiation to increase the effectiveness and success rate of
cardiac angioplastys.
- (1999) Served as software design and Independent
Verification and Validation (IV&V) consultant for a microprocessor-based microkeratome
for use in ophthalmic surgery. Responsibilities included:
- Rewrote the System Requirements Specification and the
Software Design Description, and wrote a Software Requirements Specification, to bring the
design controls for the product into compliance with the FDA Quality System regulation.
- Reviewed and identified problem areas in the software for
the microkeratome.
- Wrote and executed a Software Test Plan and Procedure and a
set of test cases to verify and validate the microkeratome software.
- (1999) Performed some modifications to a Windows-based test
program written in Visual C++, in support of a debug effort for a poor-weather landing
system for business-class aircraft.
- (1998 - 1999) Served as acting Principal Software Engineer
for a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets laser-based hair
removal systems. Responsibilities included:
- Wrote and implemented software development policies and
procedures to bring the company’s software engineering procedures into compliance
with the FDA Quality System regulation;
- Restructured and rewrote the software for the company’s
primary product to make it maintainable, bring it into compliance with the FDA Quality
System regulation, and add new features;
- Wrote and implemented an Internet-protocol system monitoring
and debugging facility so that software debugging could be aided over a network by a
client program running under the X Window System;
- Searched for, interviewed, and made recommendations on
candidates to assume my position as Principal Software Engineer on a permanent basis.
- (1995 - 1997) Served as Project Software Engineer and a
principal software developer for a Night Targeting System Upgrade for a Cobra helicopter
flight simulator and Aircrew Procedures Trainer for the United States Marine Corps at
Patuxent River NAS, Maryland. System uses a VME bus-based controller with a
triple-processor CPU card using a 68040 master controller and two 68360 peripheral
controllers, all communicating with one another over shared memory, and running VxWorks
real time pre-emptive multitasking operating system. Software design and documentation was
developed using DOD STD 2167A as guideline; development and debugging was performed in C
on the Solaris and Linux platforms.
- (1998 - 1999) As a follow-up to the Night Targeting System
project noted above, while performing a number of software upgrades and enhancements for
the U. S. Navy's Weapons Systems Trainer, implemented and installed an Internet-protocol
remote debugging facility so that software debugging could be performed from remote
locations via the Internet or a point-to-point modem connection.
- (1997) Served as QA Consultant and specification reviewer /
critic for the system and software specifications and design documents for a military
airborne surveillance system.
- (1997 - 1998) Acted as Independent Verification and
Validation (IV&V) Consultant / Auditor for a medical subsystem intended for
installation in a blood-processing device requiring FDA approval, whose software was
written in C++.
- (1993 - 1994) Key software developer for a medical blood
analysis system controlled by a 486/33 PC-compatible desktop computer; software written in
C using Borland C 3.1.
- (1997) Created a System / Subsystem Specification and a User
Interface Specification, using MIL STD 498 as guideline, for a Precision Pressure
Controller Monitor used for testing, calibration and certification of aircraft altimeters
and airspeed indicators.
- (1997) Provided a number of software-related services,
including assuming responsibility for a user interface program that runs on a PC, for a
Precision Digital Barometer for the National Weather Service. System uses a 68332 as
controller. Software development and debugging was performed in C on the Solaris platform
for the target system, and in SALT (a C-like language) on the PC for the user interface
program.
- (1994) Specified and wrote test plans and functions/routines
in preparation for FAA TSO approval of a fuel-flow monitoring instrument for jet
airliners.
- (1996 - 1997) Performed a software design/documentation
review, and implemented numerous software defect repairs, for major portions of an
Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in preparation for an FDA review of that device and the
methodologies used in its design.
- (1994) Performed an extensive overall software
design/documentation review in preparation for FDA review of an operating-room
blood-reprocessing system.
- (1994) Developed translation-layer and communications-layer
software in C and 80x86 assembly language for a test system for telephone switching
equipment and long-lines, for installation and use in third-world countries.
- (1992) Hardware/Software Design Engineer and Project Engineer with responsibilities in a
number of additions and enhancements to company's line of non-invasive defibrillators and
pacemakers. Microprocessors used were 8051 and 80198, and software development was in C
and assembly language. Responsibilities included:
- Provide hardware/software co-ordination and identification and resolution of
hardware/software tradeoff issues, taking into account issues of reliability, testability,
manufacturability, and economy.
- Create and implement diagnostic software in C and 8051 assembly for a major enhancement
module to one of the company's defibrillators.
- Analyze and identify new-product design problems, and provide the company's engineering
management with the tools and documentation needed to implement necessary revisions. Have
established and implemented new standards for acceptance for digital and software designs.
- (1987 - 1990) Principal software developer and hardware
design consultant for a cartridge tape cleaner and tester/certifier for IBM 3480 tape
cartridges. System uses the Z80B as CPU, with 64K of bank-switched RAM and 96K of
bank-switched EPROM. Software is implemented as a heavily interrupt-driven
foreground-background system written in C and assembly language.
- (1981 - 1983) Designed much of the electronics (including
all of the computer interface electronics) and wrote all of the software for a Printed
Circuit Board drilling machine and programmer.
- (1989) Designed hardware and designed and wrote a demo
software package for an 8051-based controller for a power plant test instrument. Software
was written in C and in 8051 assembly language. Complete project (including circuit
design, printed-circuit board layout and fabrication, assembly of three prototypes, and
software) was completed and delivered to the client in less than five weeks' time.
- (1984 - 1989) Designed, and supported for several years, a
family of multi-axis Digital Position Readouts for the machine tool industry, using the
Z80B as CPU. Served for a time as acting engineering manager for this client.
- (1983 - 1986) Designed hardware and software for a number of
voice and data communications security products using CPU's Z80B, 1802, and 8035. Designed
an off-line hand-held encryption terminal using an 8035. Redesigned an 1802-based
half-duplex voice encryption device as a full-duplex system using two 1802's sharing
tasks. Served as principal software developer for a major addition to this client's data
communications security line, implementing asynchronous data communications security using
the Data Encryption Standard.
- (1982 - 1983) Designed much of the electronics and served as
principal software developer for an automatic stitching machine for the shoe manufacturing
industry. This system used 4 Z80A CPU's, one as the main system controller and one each
axis for a 3-axis servo controller driving an industrial-grade sewing machine.
- (1983) Wrote a C-language program to emulate an Excellon
drilling machine on a Houston Instruments plotter.
- (1987) Wrote a C-language view program to display an
Excellon-format printed-circuit board drill pattern on an IBM PC-compatible with VGA
display, and to delete unused pads from inner printed-circuit board layers.
- (1985 - 1988) Designed and wrote the operating software for
an interface between an Excellon OPIC-II PCB programmer and an IBM PC.
- (1986) Designed and wrote software for an on-line
special-purpose data communications terminal using surface-mount devices including a
surface-mount version of the 64180. Designed a high-density, fine-line printed-circuit
board for the above.
- (1987) Wrote diagnostic software and performed a detailed
printed-circuit board noise analysis for a new 64180-based addition to the client's
point-of-sale terminal line.
REFERENCES: Available on request.
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