OBJECTIVE

Study and learn new technologies and develop embedded firmware and software, client applications, and related components, using recent development and production tools on modern hardware. Projects that require Digital Signal Processing techniques are particularly welcome.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Programming Languages: C/C++, C#, .NET, Java 1.5, PHP, Unix Shell (Bash), HTML, JavaScript, Visual Basic, GNU Octave, Motorola/Coldfire Assembler, FORTRAN

• Operating Systems: Windows XP, Linux, MS-DOS

• Development Tools: MS Visual Studio, Subversion, CVS, Expect, Emacs, Make

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

E-Play, LLC 02/2009-02/2010
Software Engineer (02/2009 - 02/2010)

• Developed software to decode the bar code at the hub of a DVD or game disc embedded in an image of the disc taken by a low-resolution video camera. The company has applied for a patent for this camera-based identification system.

• Modified the kiosk GUI to accept card swipes and scans all the time and differentiate between inputs that identified the user and those that do not.

• Developed utility to distribute movie and game trailers via an encrypted XML formatted BluRay or DVD disc. Modified kiosk software to recognize and deploy the distribution disc.

• Developed device drivers for USB magnetic stripe readers, USB and serial bar code scanners, and USB video cameras. Initially developed drivers for Linux-based 'satellite' kiosks and later wrote new drivers for the master Windows-based kiosks.

• Developed optical disc drive-based game and movie disc identification algorithm for XBox, XBox360, PS2, PS3, Wii, DVD and BluRay formats.

• Reverse engineered DVDROM drive firmware to attempt multiple game platform disc identification via PC equipment to support game trade via DVD rental kiosks.

Technologies: C, C++, C#, USB, PHP, MMC/SPC, UDF (DVD file system), XML

Independent Contractor 04/2007-02/2009
Software Engineer (04/2007 - 02/2009)

• Designed and developed additional fine-grained alarm notification to an existing C++ based monitoring board. Wrote process documents. Wrote mock-ups for the new Web user interface.

• Developed some prototype temperature, humidity, and contact closure sensors using Dallas Maxim 1-wire protocol devices for a proposed Liebert monitoring system. Researched alternative devices, selected components, laid-out circuit boards, and assembled prototypes. Used Tcl/Tk for the demonstration GUI.

• Converted the communications protocol for a TMS320 processor-based IO add-on board from CAN to CANOpen for use with a different controller. Worked with customer's test department to verify proper operation.

Technologies: C++, CAN, CANOpen, TI TMS320, 1-Wire, serial communications, Tcl/Tk, HTML/JavaScript

PECO II, Inc. 06/1998-04/2007
Senior Software Engineer (06/1998-04/2007)

• Project lead for the design and development of 24 and 48-volt power systems controller families: charted the schedule, produced the process documentation, specified hardware features, selected an engineering services firm to review in-house hardware designs, and critiqued hardware designs. Performed 'board bring-up' by writing test drivers and tracked down hardware bugs on the processor and IO boards. Selected and customized a tool chain for software development, and wrote tool installation and usage documentation. Developed serial, Ethernet, RTC, CAN, ADC, digital IO, and flash drivers, time keeping task, system configuration manager, diagnostic interface, build process, terminal handler, multi-image boot manager, and file system. Ported network stack and multi-threaded real-time operating system from old platform. Wrote and executed test plan. This controller has been shipped in about 640 systems.

• Developed power system controller meta-data and tools to generate code from this data. One tool generated the Web interface including JavaScript-based pages and data files for the server. Another tool generated configuration files that control the content of communications and terminal user interfaces. A third tool generated SNMP MIBs. Used the Excel Automation interface to allow the tool to directly access several spreadsheets to circumvent management's "no databases" miss-direction.

• Developed a protocol converter that runs on a single board computer using Linux. The device communicated with PECO's legacy interface and translated trend logs into a format compatible with the customer software. This project demonstrated to the company the effectiveness of Linux as an embedded operating system.

• Added a generic SNMP agent to existing controller firmware. Wrote MIBs for multiple power and environmental monitoring applications. Note that the same agent served multiple applications.

• Developed browser independent user interface with graphical (gauge style) displays for generic controller using Java applets and IBM Visual Age for Java.

• Incorporated store-bought HTTP and FTP servers and homegrown file system into proprietary general-purpose industrial controller firmware. Wrote supporting documentation and sample applications. Developed applications for client side remote controller programming from Windows PCs with Visual C.

Technologies: C, C++, HTTP/JavaScript, Java/Swing, TCP/IP, FTP, SNMP, SMTP, Ethernet, CAN and CANOpen, PRO-E, SPI, Motorola M68K family, Freescale Coldfire family, Linux 2.4, US Software RTOS and embedded TCP/IP stack

CompuServe, Inc. 08/1992 - 04/1998
Systems Programmer (06/1994 - 04/1998)
Systems Analyst (08/1992 - 06/1994)

• Developed Active Server Pages, Active-X controls, and SQL-access middleware components for prototype Internet applications using Visual C++. These prototype applications ultimately became Lycos Groups via a different company.

• Developed a search engine crawler as part of the File Finder team using Visual C++ and object oriented programming techniques. This feature indexed CompuServe content.

• Technical lead for the Tax Preparation System: Designed a language called Tax Analyst Specification Language and wrote the TASL user manual, wrote a compiler and developed a runtime system for an income tax preparation system. H&R Block used the tax preparation system generated by this compiler nationally in 1993 and 1994 to process 35 million tax returns.

Technologies: C, C++, Lex/Yacc, Visual Basic, MS-DOS, Win32 API, MFC, SQL, MS SQL Server

Battelle Memorial Institute 07/1982 - 05/1992
Systems Programmer (07/1982 - 05/1992)

• Systems programmer and system administrator for the US Coast Guard Marine Safety Information System. Developed systems utilities, operations procedures and supporting scripts, maintained local and wide area networks.

Electronic Dev. & Assembly Corp. 12/1981 - 06/1982
Software Engineer (12/1981 - 06/1982)

Microcomputer Ventures, Inc. 04/1979 - 11/1981
Software Engineer (04/1979 - 11/1981)

Battelle Memorial Institute. 01/1977 - 04/1979
Systems Analyst (01/1977 - 04/1979)

EDUCATION

The Ohio State University 1972 - 1976
College of Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering. (Graduated December 1976)

PUBLICATIONS

• Kean, Jr., Victor A. "Beam Steering on 160 Meters." QEX Nov. & Dec. 2009: 24-39. Print.

• Kean, Jr., Victor A. "Off the Shelf Digital Radio." Proc. of 22nd ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference, Hartford, CT. 94-107. Print.