Mark A. Fitzgerald Email & Phone Number

North Andover, Ma, Us

Silver Bullet Engineering, Inc. provides embedded systems consulting for safety critical systems and industrial and commercial product development. Hardware, Software, Electrical Engineering, and project management are services provided.I have significant work in the Medical Device Industry and X-Ray technology where I am a patent holder on two influential designs. I also have extensive experience in Industrial Control Systems, Semiconductor Fab capital equipment, Robotics, and Medical Instrumentation industries which require strict adherence to SEMI, UL, CE, IEC, and FDA standards.Design encompasses the full life cycle: Requirements Management, Architecture, Design Spec, Test Plan, Integration Testing, Systems Testing, Automated Test Systems, Build and Release Management, Source Code Management, Quality Assurance, SOPs and WIs.

North Andover, Ma, Us

Silver Bullet Engineering consults on projects involving embedded micro-controllers, DSPs, and FPGAs, PLCs and control systems. Solutions for low level hardware interfaces such as A/D, D/A, communications buses (I2C, SPI, radio links), algorithm design, and project management. We can review your design, become part of your development team, and firefight complex software bugs to get your project moving.- Medical Devices (FDA compliance IEC 62304)- Semiconductors (SEMI compliance)- Process Control / PLC / Distributed Control (IEC 1131)- Safety Systems IEC 61508 Compliant (Robotics Systems)- Embedded SystemsConsulted on cell phone technology - FemtoCell using CDMA2000 1xRTT and EVDO protocols on a Freescale PSC9131 Qonverge StarCore SC3850 DSP running at 1 GHz. DSP project work: Host GPP (Linux) to DSP IPC (Inter-Processor Communications) over shared memory, DMA, Profiling using VTB Trace Buffers, CLASS profiling, DPU and OCE APIs, Cache control and configuration, Coverity bringup, makefiles.Consulting project using NXP Cortex 3, LPC1759 and LPC1769 microcontroller in a Medical Device Imaging application. Board bringup, wrote the entire BSP interface for all low layer software using LPCOpen as a foundation. LPCXpresso IDE use and training for personnel. UART driver code and enhancement to ring buffer code. Subversion (SVN) configuration management for code checkin. Code Red libraries. FlashMagic bootloader operations.Proprietary file services embedded app using web based get and put to multiple locations. File management in AES encryption. High throughput access and high level of security.Unity, CppUnitLite, EasyUnit.Medical device with Cortex M4 NXP LPC-4088, Barcode (Data Matrix) and RFID reader driver code. HIBC Standard.

North Andover, Ma, Us

I bring business value to companies, not only in the engineering aspect but I also have run entire development projects and been involved with startups where my role was also as project manager and engineering department manager.Mark Fitzgerald spent 16 years at the world’s largest controls company as a Principal Engineer working on all major systems within the company and with thousands of customers, creating both hardware and software solutions. Embedded software and hardware design is not the only focus; project management with an emphasis on business value, concept development and fire-fighting problems are keys to successful past projects. We can help you address your key design issues.We are also experienced in Agile software development.Specialties: RTOS experience, Automated testing, Algorithm Design, C, C++, HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, AJAX, C# .NET, Java, Qt, Android, SQL Database, Assembly Language, Pascal, Embedded firmware design, Embedded hardware design, ARM Processors, Freescale PSC9131/3850, Freescale iMX6, NXP LPC1760, NXP LPC4300, Ti OMAP 5912, Intel PXA-255, Freescale 68HC12, Analog Devices ADSP 21161, Freescale Coldfire MOD5270, TCP/IP Sockets, GUI, MFC, Visual Studio C++, CodeWarrior, Netburner, RTOS, Wind River VxWorks, Nucleus, ThreadX, Freescale SDOS, CPLD design, Verilog, ABEL, OOD, I2C, I2S, ISO-9000, SCCS, Clearcase, Surround SCM, IEEE 802.11 drivers.

The Boston Section of the IEEE Consultants Network serves three constituencies: consulting members of the IEEE, business and industry, and the greater public.As Treasurer I do financial accounting for the IEEE group. I am also on the board of directors and help organize the website, events, and membership. 2022 is my third year as treasurer and I have been a member in years prior.

Marlborough, Ma, Us

Analyze current software testing methods, document an automated test strategy to solve current testing issues. Implemented C and C# unit testing, static analysis, and test automation recommendations including GUI functional testing. C for embedded systems. C# .NET for GUI.Tools: Git, Azure DevOps, Microchip MPLAB, Ceedling, Cmock, Unity, Visual Studio .NET, NUnit, Code Coverage Tools, Coverity, Code Sonar, Klocwork, Parasoft, SonarQube,

Waltham, Ma, Us

Agile Scrum Master of 3 teams: Dev Team, SQA Team, India Team of Unit Testing and GUI development, and interface to outside consulting team. Also assisted in product development, architecture development, process and tools development. Medical Device development for Nitric Oxide (NO) delivery. FDA standards and IEC-62304. Embedded MCUs using CAN bus as their primary communications system, supports a touchscreen GUI, SPI and I2C internal. Tools: Jira, Jenkins, Git, IAR, MPLAB x, Ceedling, CMock, Unity, Orcanos ALM/Requirements Management, Teams/SharePoint.

Peabody, Ma, Us

Embedded Linux development. Radio network. Bootloaders. Agile Scrummaster too.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

Scrummaster and Embedded Systems Consultant. Medical device Heart Pump. ARM STM32 MCU. C programming. IEC-62304 process. Scrummaster of team of 9 people and software developer. SPI bus and I2C code. Device drivers. Teamcity setup. Build server setup. ThreadX o/s board bringup in assembly code - ISR development. IAR IDE - Jtag.

North Andover, Ma, Us

Embedded systems consulting on MSP-430, and STM32 MCUs. Bootloaders. GPIO timed algorithms for measurement. Safety processor. Medical devices using IEC-62304 standards and high quality code. Docs, Unit Tests, Integration Tests and Systems Tests. Developed the unit test platform, C and C++ code. Linux host processor and comms to/from host.

Lawrence, Massachusetts, Us

NXP Cortex M4 with dsPIC in a medical device application. Barcode, RFID and Disposables management implementation with digital signature security. HIBC standard barcode and RFID tag. C code. Bootloader development. IEC-62304 compliant device, MISRA coding standard. Doxygen code documentation, CUNIT unit testing. Sub-system Product Requirements and Specification development.

Wilmington, Ma, Us

SQA testing using Microsoft Visual Studio C# application doing automated requirements testing for an IEC-61508 SIL-2 robotics application developed in C++. Additional work for Requirements Matrix Traceability using custom developed Excel tracing of requirements through to test. Documentation of the SQA process in SOPs.

Bedford, Ma, Us

Team lead for new product development. Agile Scrum product development methodology. Embedded medical devices. Development in C, C++, Java. Small to large scale microprocessors. Linux/Android on a screaming fast Freescale iMX6 dual core SOM. Low level Linux driver work. NXP LPC-4088 ARM Cortex M4 development. Use of high level tools: Seapine TestTrack (ALM tool for Requirements Matrix Traceability), Surround SCM (Source Control Management), and Coverity for Static Analysis. IEC 62304 compliance.

Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, De

Medical Device development of heart monitors adhering to FDA standards. Embedded software development. IEEE 802.11b/g drivers, low level hardware interfaces. Bug fixes for multi-tasking related issues (queue design issues, task scheduling, task priority). Resolution of overclocking issues. Work on bootloaders to ensure proper system initialization. Use of OMAP 5912 and PXA 255 microcontrollers (ARM9 technology) and DSPs. Debugging of systems using multiple tools: Signum debugger, Sophia debugger, oscilloscopes, and network analyzers, communications bus analyzers (SPI and I2C).

Manchester, Nh, Us

Multi micro-controller embedded medical device using MSP430, CC2510, 2.5 GHz radio link. Embedded code development in C++ for radio and comm systems. Concept and architecture development including implementation for Medical Devices such as diabetes care using infusion pumps. Development was in C and C++. Conceived and developed a patented communications protocol called PCGP (Packet Communications Gateway Protocol) which provided end to end acknowledged delivery of packets over SPI, I2C, and a radio link. The protocol is general purpose and could be used on any hardware communicatins channel. The radio development was custom and used key concepts in pairing, battery conservation, determining a Dead Channel List, and providing an open channel of communications between devices on the radio link. Specification development was also key.

Lake Forest, California, Us

Embedded software and hardware design engineer. I started up the hardware and software development for this company. I implemented changes to allow the company to grow their internal development so that they could develop product in-house. Changes were made to the ECO system, purchasing system and specification development to get the department operational.The project was a water analysis Extractor using an embedded micro Freescale Coldfire MOD2760. I was the project manager and did project scheduling as well as the hardware and software design. The hardware design involved a SPI bus to communicate with an SD card for a file system, a PCMCIA port to communicate with a wireless IEEE 802.11b card, power supply design for multiple DC voltages, eight RS-422 ports to communicate with the remote extractors. There were also plenty of diagnostic indicators to allow for board production and easy troubleshooting.The software design was done in C++. The concept employed a unique class structure that is a trademark design concept of the way I code C++ for embedded designs. There was no inheritance, yet all classes had a subordinate structure and were well encapsulated. The design utilized a webserver as the GUI interface to the user. The user utilized a web browser to configure the administrative functions as well as use the product. The web browser would also switch modes to display in a PDA format. So this was an embedded design as well as implementing the GUI. The GUI was written in HTML and JavaScript using AJAX.The embedded code was about 30k LOC.

Us

Embedded firmware engineer - C and assembly language for a SOC (system on chip) wireless headphone system. This was a VC startup company making an SOC for wireless headphones using Magnetic Induction technology. Code was developed for an 8 bit micro with about 4k ram to control the SOC radio functionality as well as monitor conditions such as remaining battery power. Development of test system software was also a key part of my responsibility. The test system involved tuning the antenna for each unit manufactured. I developed the embedded code which ran on specialized tuning transceivers and also developed a Windows WIN32 application as the GUI and the controller for the test system. I also optimized the code to execute to reduce the manufacturing time. This optimization resulted in over a 50% reduction in the tuning of each unit.

Billerica, Ma, Us

Development in C on a Analog Devices ADSP-21161 for Medical Device Industry NIR spectroscopy. Embedded code for control of the optics to ensure optimal accuracy in measurements of spectrum that was brought into the micro via DMA'd A/D converters. The data was then analyzed and I implemented filtering / averaging on the data.

East Greenbush, New York, Us

Manufacturer of X-Ray polycap/monocap optics, beams and instrumentation for X-Ray materials analysis (startup).Electrical Engineer (Sole Electrical Engineer in Company)New Product software/firmware development in C and Assembler for uC/DSP products and PLC based product designs.• C and Assembly language code for embedded X-Ray beam product (68HC12, DSP56k targets).• ADC, PID, PWM, RTD, table lookup, controls network (Serial, CAN, Ethernet), GUI development and host code.Total product line design and development software/hardware including project management (internal design breadboard, PCBs, code, product certified to Agency - FCC, CE and cert. on 1st pass) – Vendor management.

Us

Manufacturer of Semiconductor Capital Equipment (>$350k product) Diffusion Furnace.Senior Staff Engineer (Level IV)New Product Design/Development software/firmware in C for uP/uC products and CPLD/FPGA based designs.• Development in C on Sun UNIX Sparc for 68060 embedded controls target running VxWorks.• Network Design: Echelon LonWorks network architecture development and code in C / Neuron C.• OOP software design / GUI products, some MFC design.• CPLD, logic/gate arrays FPGA design (Verilog, ABEL, Schematic capture design) using Xilinx and other chips.

See above for Kokusai Semiconductor. Bruce Technologies became Kokusai Semiconductor when they were bought was Kokusai America.

Manufacturer of Semiconductor Capital Equipment (>$500k product) Class 1 Cleanroom Material Handling Systems.This was a startup formed from of Proconics International. Asyst Technologies was the parent corp.Senior Controls Engineer (Level IV)Control system architecture/New product design/Development software/firmware in C and Assembly language.• Architecture and control system design of new material handling control system including software and hardware design of controllers, networks, and I/O sub-systems, failure mode analysis and fault recognition and recovery.• Primary decision maker on all processor/controls hardware and networks purchases (>$1M in products).• Large amount of system design/tradeoffs for control system, Profibus network, Class 1 cleanroom controls

My own consulting firm. I provided consulting services for control systems and networks.Software and hardware engineering services to OEMs and consulting firms for controls systems.• Software and hardware design of infrared host communications to control systems.• Large-scale software redesign of Sunoco System 3 gasoline reprocessing plant using PLCs and GUI.• Control system and LAN design at Ford Engine, Chihuahua Mexico. C, relay ladder logic – PLC Systems.

AEG took over Modicon from Gould. See Modicon below.

Us

Modicon, Inc. (Gould, Inc./AEG/Schneider Automation), North Andover, MassachusettsWorlds largest PLC Controls Company that invented the PLC and many communications protocols including Token Passing Bus (IEEE 802.4).Principal Engineer, Network Services – Level V 1988 – 1993Senior to Principal Product Support Engineer – Level V 1984 – 1988Most senior staff engineer reporting to Director level – designed LANs and comm. systems.• Built new Network Services Dept.; generating over 75 new products and achieved revenue of $680k in 1992.• Plant-wide LAN designs using broadband, coax, fiber optics, twisted-pair and other media.• Wrote and developed part of industry standard IEEE 802 specifications and the MAP (Manufacturing Automation Protocol).• Supported entire product line of PLCs and User Interfaces.

See Modicon Above.