Paul Smith Email & Phone Number

London, United Kingdom

Developing XRAY detectors based around large CMOS image sensors.

In my role as Director of Hardware Platforms/Research at Cogent, I am responsible for identifying new technology suitable for use in our Telehealth products. I work closely with both hardware implementation and embedded software teams to ensure development is of the highest quality. My work at Cogent has encompassed many facets, including low level implementation tasks (electronic design from Schematic capture through to PCB layout & release including library component creation extending to script development for automated testing of user interface screens), project management, recruitment (which saw the team grow from a single person to involve around 20 dedicated hardware professionals), liaison with suppliers and process development.As a member of the management team, I am responsible for ensuring projects run to budget and on time, and identifying trends suitable for future products.

Previously Imaging division of Micron Technology• Recruited and led a (very successful) team to develop and verify logic IP functions for internal projects, with a focus on quality through verification techniques. Adopted SystemVerilog as the language of choice for high level verification tasks.• Developed a verification environment based around Perl modules and Verilog to functionally prove a mixed signal high speed serial interface.• Developed Verilog RTL for a major function to control the analogue portions of a CMOS image sensor. This involved reverse engineering an existing device’s functionality, before implementation of a new architecture.• Investigation into verification solutions for mixed-signal designs. Focus on tools allowing the ability to use high-level languages for analogue design, including Verilog-A/AMS. Presented the results at an NMI Verification Seminar.

• Identified and implemented testability solutions for embedded DRAM and SRAM on a Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) project.

• Led a large turnkey design project, which involved the management and co-ordination of up to 15 engineers at six remote sites. Ensured project milestones were met by holding regular conference calls and frequent travel to the various development centres.• Wrote major portions of the functional and verification specifications for the design.• Involvement in pre-sales activities by providing technical support to the sales manager.• Identified emulation as a means to improving verification efficiency, and undertook an evaluation of offerings from Mentor, IKOS and Quickturn. Proposal was successful (including a presentation to the CEO).• Implemented an MPEG2 AV decoder on a Quickturn emulator. The result was the ability to simulate full size video images, which ultimately found several bugs that would otherwise not have been detected until silicon was available. • Took on the task of managing a major design following the closure of two affiliated design centres.

• Specified and developed a board level test strategy utilising Built-in Self Test and JTAG for four ASICs being developed concurrently. The system was able to demonstrate signs of life at the first power-up. (It had been expected to take several weeks!) • Specified a DMA engine (a simple RISC machine) and wrote an accompanying programmers reference manual, which proved beneficial to the system developers in designing the final system.• Managed a project, which involved converting a design from schematic capture to VHDL for a different technology.

• Designed a rapid prototype system using Actel FPGAs to emulate a chip that formed part of a DECT system. The use of internal synthesis software allowed for a very flexible system. • Designed a serial to parallel interface chip as a turnkey project for another Plessey organisation.