Diamondb Stress Management and IT Solutions

PERSONAL PROFILE

I have 20 years of experience in the computing field, from programming at assembler level through to GUI interfaces, from standalone/embedded through to networked systems and latterly in support roles on both PC and Macintosh platforms.

I have a keen interest in the Forth programming language (I own a copy of SwiftForth from Forth Inc.) and am a member of the Forth Interest Group UK, though I am interested in all aspects of software. I would like to move back into the programming arena, particularly where embedded/standalone systems are involved.

PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE

Real-time programming (IBM-PC and non-PC systems); multitasking; embedded systems; instrumentation; control/data acquisition. Software prototyping. Software/hardware interfacing, including IEEE; man-machine interfaces. Computer graphics and imaging libraries. Data capture. Database design. Web design.

HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGE

Microsoft Visual Basic V3 and Professional BASIC 7.1 on "PC" 80x86 systems.

FORTH and polyFORTH on 6809, 80x86, and 6502 systems.

(Implemented F.I.G. Forth on all but the 8086.)

C on "PC" 80x86 systems. AppleScript, HyperTalk (HyperCard) on Apple Macintosh IIx. OPL on PSION Organiser. PL9 (procedural) on 6809 FLEX systems. DCL (job control language) on VAX. Macros in Lotus 123 and Symphony.

ASSEMBLER LEVEL

80x86/88, 8051, 6502, 6800, 6809, Z80, ARM.

HARDWARE

PCs (IBM & non IBM, Pentium-8088), Desktops, Laptops. Apple Macintosh (Classic -PowerBook-G4). Epson HX20, PSION Organiser II, 6809-FLEX systems, 8051 SBCs, Z80 CP/M systems.

WORK EXPERIENCE

My most recent program was in AppleScript to allow the networked Macintoshes at AstraZeneca to connect multiple drives on NT servers via a dialog box and using a 3^rd-party control panel.

I also recently attended a VBA for Excel course (Visual Basic for Applications).

All my contract roles have allowed a degree of programming. At AstraZeneca for example, I have been able to script the insertion/deletion/update of join-table records to allow a many-to-many relationship for a FileMaker-based inventory system. I also developed a network-based package delivery system for program upgrades using Applescript (similar to Visual Basic, but for the Macintosh).

June 1991 to Oct 1992:

Contract Software Engineer for ICI Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Research Engineering Site Services, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4TG

Duties and responsibilities

Completed more than 12 projects involving scientific instrument data capture/transfer and translation, with data sent to a PC for further analysis. Most aspects of projects were covered including software design, hardware configuration, cabling, equipment installation, user training. Latterly involved in projects to GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) standards now adopted for most Pharmaceutical product development. All projects were documented/designed using modified Jackson Structured design principles.

Techniques included; rapid data transfer, finite state machine concepts, text windows user interface, GLP considerations.

Instrumentation included; scintillation counters, multi-cell plate absorbance spectrophotometers, DNA Synthesizers, CHN analysers.

Hardware included; various PCs, PSION Organiser, Apple Macintosh IIx, Epson HX20.

Software used: Professional Basic 7.1, Symphony macros, and proprietary packages on PCs; HyperTalk (within HyperCard) on Apple Macintosh; VAX DCL (command language) and Kermit for data transfer on a VAX; OPL on PSION Organiser.

The Professional BASIC had special text windows libraries to give a standard user interface.

May 1988 to Feb 1991:

Software Manager V.S.W. Scientific Instruments Ltd.

Warwick Road South, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 0JT.

Duties and responsibilities

Managing instrumentation projects. Project planning and progress reports to higher management. Liaison between departments. Supervision of software project engineers. Interviewing and training software personnel. Design and test of custom application software, system software and software tools. Customer training, support and (contractual) software requirements. Evaluation and costing of new equipment at system and board level. Hardware testing at system and board level. Writing and supplying software manuals.

General

Coordination of planning and estimating the design of a new "integrated system", a surface science multi-technique software package for control, acquisition, display and processing of data. Based initially on MS WINDOWS 3.0, it was intended to have a life-cycle of 5-10 years.

Presentation of Datasystems marketing and development plan to department heads.

Presentation of Datasystems sales training seminar to European agents.

Supervised the release of three new in-house designed software packages for control, acquisition and processing of data for static and imaging surface science instruments.

Promoted, installed and trained staff in the use of utility software for the company, including: askSAM free-form database; Manuscript document processor; Autocad design package; Mathcad maths package.

Authored a 200 page software user manual for a surface science imaging system. (Nov '88 to Feb '89)

Attended a four-day Software Project Management course (Learning Tree International), covering development models, planning, documentation, estimating, management support tools. (Dec '89)

Attended a on-day intensive management training course in "Leadership Skills" (Padgett-Thompson), covering motivation, meetings skills, negotiating, dealing with difficult colleagues, "coaching" etc. (Nov '88.)

May 1987 to April 1988:

Assistant Software Manager at V.S.W. Ltd.

Conceived supervised and implemented the software design for a surface science analysis imaging system (part of a £250K package). Installed the software and trained the customer. This used a command driven and mouse driven interface based around an "experiment" and state vector- a custom database design to allow point, spectra, line and image data to be recalled and instructions repeated or modified. The dual display used one monitor for commands and the other for full windowed graphics (several years before any version of Windows was usable on the PC).

Guided the design stage of a new microprocessor based "generic" front panel system, with networked control. Jointly supervised the software project engineer involved in the project. This was based around both 8051, 6809 and 68020 boards depending on the module involved.

Trained and supervised a new programmer to enhance a microprocessor controlled mass spectrometer (see below), including floppy disc data file storage and numerous improvements suggested by customers (6809-based).

Evaluated a project planning software package (SuperProject plus). Demonstrated its use for planning future developments within the company.

July 1984 to April 1987:

Software Writer for V.S.W. Ltd.

Implemented 6809 polyFORTH running under the FLEX operating system, and "In-Situ Development" target software for dedicated instrument controllers, incorporating special display drivers and multitasking.

Designed and implemented software to control, acquire and display data real-time from a mass spectrometer. There was a 6809-based standalone system and an IBM PC version with IEEE interface. The high-level code was basically identical. Participated in the design of marketing literature.

Conceived and designed the overall structure of an imaging system software package and supervised the other programmer involved in the project.

Evaluated the suitability of several PC-based video frame-grabber cards for the imaging system.

Implemented graphics libraries for all the frame-grabber cards. This included both line and text drawing, contrast enhancement, pseudo-colour mapping etc., using a combination of 8086 assembler and high-level code.

Trained two junior programmers in software design, methodology and practice and supervised their efforts in several projects.

Attended a four-day Advanced FORTH Programming Course (Computer Solutions Ltd. - UK FORTH Inc. Agents).

May 1984 to June 1984:

Software Consultant for V.S.W. Ltd.

Empress Street, Old Trafford, Manchester.

Co-programmed software for a controlling a mass spectrometer by self-contained 6809 based control, acquisition and display system. Programmed in PL9, a Pascal-like language for the 6809.

December 1983 to April 1984

Part-time Software Consultant for V.S.W. Ltd.

Whilst completing the M.Sc. I designed and wrote prototype software to control the mass spectrometer (see previous). This provided necessary funds to support my wife and myself in addition to my grant and was also the basis for full-time consulting and subsequent job offer at V.S.W. Scientific Instruments Ltd.