RICHARD HALLIDAY
7119 Via Romera Avenue • San Jose, CA 95139 •  408/315-4033  •  Email: RichHalliday@hotmail.com

(Note: There are links to my project pictures in this resume. Please feel free to explore.)


SUMMARY

·        I have worked on many challenging projects including designing a one of a kind completely Analog Computer prototypes for NASA, a complex servo control system for the space plane project, as well as consumer products with 70% of all Dive computers (SCUBA decompression gauges) in the world being of my designs. I have also worked with a team integrating hardware and software components for PC-on-a-board technology. I'm an engineer that can think on his feet, and recently I thrived under the pressure of an accelerated project for GE Plastics designing three working robots and their related control systems for GE's successful TV Commercial and ad campaign.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Firmware & Hardware Engineer, 2004 - Present

    Zircon Inc, Campbell, CA

·        I was hired by this company to get a handle on their firmware. They had out grown their ability to write simple, non-modular assembly code. I rebuilt and restructured their firmware to be modular while setting it up to be linker driven. This help create an environment that more than one engineer can work on their sections of the code without adversely damaging other sections. This code was adapted into their CenterVision line of products.

·        As the main firmware designer and builder for Zircon, my responsibilities entailed keeping track and integrating any changes created by any other engineer to the code, let alone designer of all I/O on the product.

·        Due to my Hardware experience, one of my main responsibilities was first time powerups and troubleshooting of the untested new boards. This included schematic and board layout changes, along with firmware changes of the unit.

 

 

Animatronic Engineer, driver and control systems 2002 - 2003

    M5 Industries, San Francisco, CA

·        Fully designed, developed and headed a team for building an electronics control system of three special effects robots, which were used in the latest GE Plastics television advertisement.

·        This includes interfacing robots to a Waldo (Human Interface) for manual control of robots.

·        Responsible for purchasing, tracking and adapting needed equipment and components for the project.

·        Taught and managed an inexperienced team of technicians to build the control systems while adhering to a daunting time schedule of only 3 weeks from concept to finished project.
This was a very ambitious goal as the timeline for such a complex fabrication project would have been normally closer to 3 months to complete.

·        At the site of the television commercial shoot, I was responsible for the proper operation of the robots that could NOT fail during the filming.

 

 

Design Engineer, BIOS and Firmware 2000 - 2002

   Ampro, Inc., San Jose, CA

·        Fully developed and implemented Award (Phoenix) and General Bios for x86 based boards.

·        Provided troubleshooting of existing Ampro boards at the hardware and firmware level.

·        Responsible for BIOS design of Ampro boards Pentium I-Littleboard P5V, Pentium I-Encore 500, and Pentium III-Encore 700.

·        Utilized microprocessors: Intel Pentium and Pentium III family, chipset family Via, Intel 815, and technical tools MS MASM5.11-6.11, Borland TASM and Borland Turbo C.

·        Assisted in debugging both hardware and software by designing fixes to expunge or prevent bugs created by incompatibles.

·        Rebuilt Serprog program for the Core Modules with newer Flash ROM's and rebuilt SETUP for implementation of ENCORE SEEP.

 

 

Senior Hardware and Software Design Engineer 1994 - 2000

   Modulus, Inc., Milpitas, CA

·        Designed and developed from conception to production 16 unique dive computers for Oceanic, US Diver, Sherwood, Dacor. Created analog and digital circuit designs with emphasis on the micro controller firmware. Utilized Sanyo 4-bit family, Motorola 68CH05 family, 8051 compatible family micro controllers.

·        Designed and developed portable tachometer and hour gauge to clip directly to spark plug wire via capacitive pickup for an Autonic Research project.

·        Redeveloped and improved an "air-time remaining" computer for air breathing units used by fire fighters.

·        Managed project development for the engineering department including maintenance of Novell 4.0 LAN.  Wrote technical manuals for dive computers and custom components.

·        Resolved any persistent circuit problems on production line for Scuba Diving Computers and other products including the bonding level of the circuit board.

·        Provided final approval for dive computer assembly drawings and other circuit and PC board designs.

 

 

Electronics Instrumentation Designer 1989 - 1993

   Raman Airo Company/NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

·        Designed, assembled and installed dynamic sensor and control instrumentation for wind tunnels.

·        Designed an automatic RPM Differentiation Controller for two turboprop aircraft engines on a wind tunnel test module.

·        Designed, built and installed several technical devices including:

-        a synchronizer for setting sensors on a module for a snap shot sample that instructed the computer system to take the sample.

-        a 15 servo controller for the international space plane model.

-        a thermocouple interface for SPCL facility.

 

 

 

Independent Computer Consultant 1998 - Present

   Major clients:

·        Helimot European Accessories, San Jose, California.

·        Pizza Bytes, Redwood City, California.

·        Nicholes Manufacturing, Milpitas, California.

 

 

 

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science Degree - Electronics Technology (Cum laude) 1994
        Cogswell Polytechnic College, Cupertino, CA

Operator License: FCC General Radiotelephone