Clever First Aid, a smart first aid system, utilizing cutting edge IoT technology, to take the pain away from managing and monitoring first aid compliance and reduce the paper trail by recording incidents automatically (https://cleverfirstaid.com). Reporting to the CTO, the role was responsible for developing embedded firmware that adds the 'Clever' to First Aid.• Working with microcontrollers, Raspberry Pi, Linux, Python, C, Confluence, git, Jira, TinyML• Responsible for building the custom Linux image used to run the Clever First Aid Station.• Integrated an image compression solution into First Aid Stations, reducing cellular data usage by almost 50% across the fleet.• Kept the production system, used to transform a raw base image into a First Aid Station with an identity, running, making sure kits come off "the line". • Prototyped a TinyML solution for the next generation First Aid Station that performs object detection to ensure a photograph of the user is captured and uploaded for insertion into the automated incident report.• Working on a rewrite in Rust

Farmote Systems is an agritech startup building a world first IoT pasture monitoring system that takes the guesswork out of pasture and grazing management on dairy farms. The role was responsible for setting up the embedded firmware development environment and building of prototypes through to first product. (https://farmote.com/)• Utilised technical expertise and experience to define and setup firmware development best practices. Advised business on firmware development issues.• Designed, developed and tested embedded firmware for a LoRa WAN IoT pasture measurement probe. Optimised power usage of solar charged battery powered device while still extracting maximum performance from the large array of sensors required to accomplish the devices’ mission. Hardware: STM32 microcontrollers, IR time of flight sensors, accelerometer, GPS, atmospheric sensors and light level sensor. Tools: Atollic TrueStudio, STM32 CubeMX, ST-Link v2, PC-Lint, Mecurial, Jira, Trello, Confluence, Protocol Buffers• Devised, implemented, tested and executed device calibration and commissioning procedures. Scope of work was not limited to firmware, but also encompassed the design and build of PC software in .NET & C# and physical calibration fixtures.

For more than 50 years Stanbury has been delivering motive power solutions around the world, earning a name synonymous with reliable, quality battery chargers and accessories. The role encompasses software development, project management and systems engineering and leading efforts to define and institute company practices in these areas. (http://www.stanbury.co.nz)• Identified improvements to engineering practices to achieve better outcomes; developed and refined company standard operating procedures.• Directed effort on projects to develop Stanbury charger accessories, required significant co-ordination with outside entities.• Designed and developed applications used to support Stanbury products, help Stanbury and their clients save money and do business more effectively. The spectrum of applications include a system to wirelessly control electricity demand of chargers thereby realising saving on electricity costs; applications used to setup and calibrate devices and a profile editor used to design the charging state machines loaded into computerised chargers. Technologies included C#, MVVM, WPF, .NET, SQL Server Compact, LINQ, Entity Framework, PIC microcontrollers, IEEE 802.15.4 radio, embedded C.• Championed efforts to introduce a product road map for the company’s product portfolio and helped define the roadmap.• Introduced agile project management into the organisation, based around a Kanbaan board, with daily standups, leading to better managed work, increased visibility into ongoing work and project prioritisation cognizant of business needs.• Introduced the use of version control and issue tracking systems.

Tait works with a broad range of local and international clients to create, support and unify the critical communication solutions they depend on to do their jobs. The role was responsible for leading a team of software engineers, who under my guidance developed one of the world’s first DMR Tier III digital radio base stations. (http://www.taitradio.com)• Discharged the duties of Scrum Master, Technical Lead, Line Manager, Proxy Product Owner and Release–meister for a team of 6 Embedded Software Engineers from early development, through to commercial release and subsequent maintenance.• As Proxy Product Owner and Technical Lead, was the team’s first point of contact for requirements clarifications and resident guide for architectural and coding issues.• Acted as SCRUM Master with a servant-leader approach; as part of serving the team acted as a guardian of the SCRUM process, ran all SCRUM related meetings, maintained SCRUM artefacts, removed impediments and took responsibility for maximising team productivity. Strove to ensure that the Product Owner and Development Team understood their roles and provided coaching on how to best fulfil them. Used Atlassian JIRA.• Undertook Line Management responsibilities including recruitment, retention, personal development, performance management, performance appraisals, administration of leave and time sheets and other HR-related activities.• Stepped into the role of Agile Project Manager for a cross functional team who were adding encryption capability to the Tait DMR product portfolio when all project managers in Tait were committed to other projects. Successful on time delivery enabled a sale to Tait's first DMR encryption customer.

Cobham Satcom Cape Town, designs and manufactures Inmarsat satcom antennas and systems. The role was within a team of 5-10 engineers who developed real time embedded software for an airborne Satellite Data Unit that enables circuit switched and packet switched connections on board aircraft. (http://www.cobham.com)• Had responsibility for the development, maintenance and testing of software modules including: steering control loops for keeping the actively steered antenna pointed at the satellite, ARINC 429 navigation data interface, management sub-system for plug in RF modem cards, generic call control library for handling the life cycle of circuit switched calls and the embedded web interface used to configure and monitor the system.• Used the IBM Rational Rhapsody UML modelling tool to generate C++ code compiled with Green Hills MULTI to run on Green Hills INTEGRITY RTOS. Tool chain included RCS for source code version control, TestTrack Pro for bug tracking and Coverity for static code analysis. The embedded Web UI was developed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and AJAX.• Was part of a team that practised SCRUM and test driven development.• Uncovered a major bug in ARINC429 sub system VHDL implementation.• Represented the interests of software as a member of the three man architecture team.•Undertook the running and expanding of the nightly regression test set-up; tests were scripted using a combination of in house tools and python scripts.• Successfully refactored an under performing sub system for detecting and managing plug in RF Modem Cards, leading to improved boot-up times and meeting functional specifications.• Developed firmware for a bespoke SDU used on the Solar Impulse long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft that completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth by a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power.

ViaMedia is one of South Africa's top Wireless Service Application Providers, having won numerous industry awards. The role provided leadership to and managed a growing software engineering team (10+) who developed, enhanced and ran ViaMedia's mobile services platform. The role required considerable use of initiative and independent judgement. (http://www.viamedia.co.za)• Was responsible for building and maintaining a high performance team; recruitment of staff, performance reviews, employee development coaching, team building and technical mentoring.• Worked closely with the executive team to define product direction and coordinated software deliveries to meet business needs.• Fulfilled Application Architect and Enterprise Architect roles. Responsible for the overall Service Oriented Architecture used in mobile services platform rewrite project. Wrote specifications for new features and applications and ensured that they were efficiently integrated into the platform.• Was responsible for full software life cycle. Enforced, and created as needed, software engineering processes, practices and operations to ensure reproducible, high quality development whilst keeping costs and schedules under control.• Conceived and built the generic application framework which enabled rapid development of new applications.• Rolled out the new mobile services platform without disruption to business. The new platform substantially expanded processing capacity, eclipsed the legacy platform in terms of stability, reduced the maintenance burden and achieved significant code re-use via an extensive library of shared components.• Was promoted to Software Development Manager as a result of the vision demonstrated and success achieved as lead developer on the platform rewrite.

Flextronics provides design & manufacturing services to help companies produce electronic products. The role was a fixed term contract, developing embedded software for the Sagem RT2000 GSM based desk phone aimed at emerging markets with no copper infrastructure, and black box test cases for an ADSL 2+ DSLAM. (http://www.flextronics.com)• Was responsible for software design and implementation of the data services (modem capability), supplementary GSM services (barring, AoC, call hold, call waiting, CLIP, CLIR), boot loader supporting upgrade via signed software images and language support features of the Sagem RT2000 GSM fixed cellular terminal. Software was written in C and based on a Texas Instruments software stack.• Documented and reviewed designs according to company procedures.• Participated in design reviews and assisted in writing of high level product requirements documentation using Microsoft Office products.• Developed black box test cases for an ADSL 2+ DSLAM in Python with access to target hardware via SWIG and Sun RPC.• Part of a small remote team based in Cape Town, with the Project Lead based in Johannesburg, I became the de facto local team lead.

QEO Wireless was a wireless communications company developing innovative cellular based products. The role was to develop embedded, real time, multi-threaded code for the award winning QEO Q500 GSM feature phone.• Developed embedded, real time, multi-threaded code for the award winning QEO Q500 GSM smartphone, details of which can be read on Creamer's Engineering News website: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/homegrown-cellphone-receives-design-kudo-2004-01-08.• Responsible for the telephony application (dialler), USSD application, AT command processing engine that controlled the GSM module and the state machines driving the handset. The Q500 utilised an ARM 9 processor and GSM module, eCos RTOS and C++ system software.• Applied hardware skills to improve and optimise parts of phone circuitry, required use of test gear like oscilloscope, DMM & logic analyser.• Another product developed by QEO was a Bluetooth USB cellular modem. Architected and developed the AT command processing engine for the modem, engine ran as a Microsoft Windows service on the .NET framework and was implemented in managed C# and unmanaged Visual C++. Challenges overcome included improvements to C++ virtual serial port device driver, interfacing the device driver to .NET and managing transparent switching of modem connection between Bluetooth and USB.• Developed a framework for implementing a wizard type application using C# and employed the framework to implement an extensible troubleshooting wizard that allowed an end user to correct common problems with modem software suite and configuration.• Fulfilled role of build manager, responsible for overall build of .NET modem software suite including version control of all components and developing the install CD using Nullsoft Scriptable Install System.• Wrote software design and test documentation using the Open Office productivity suite.

NICE Systems is a worldwide leader of digital recording solutions for use in contact centres, trading floors, ATC sites, CCTV security installations and government markets. The role was to lead a team of five software engineers that developed and maintained a call centre quality monitoring product used by 65% of Fortune 100 companies across 8500 sites at the time.(http://www.nice.com)• Led the team through the full software life cycle of 2 major feature releases, interim service packs and several customer specific versions. The product was a client service software suite implemented in Visual Basic 6, Visual C++ and Delphi; using COM, DCOM, Microsoft SQL database and InstallShield. Was responsible for day to day planning and development, technical guidance and line management tasks.• Improved product quality by implementing software engineering practices within the team and documenting them in a team manual, improving release control, refactoring old code to make it more maintainable and improving the relationship between engineering and QA teams. Was responsible for configuration management, build management, design and implementation of new features and maintenance of existing code.• Introduced automated nightly builds delivering build results to the team by e-mail and improved the speed and efficiency of build process by scripting it.• Developed a code documentation tool that integrated into the VB IDE, leading to major improvement in the use of and uniformity of commenting.• Led effort to internationalise software product and developed custom translation tools to speed up the translation task; resulting in sales in new markets (Far East, South America and Europe).

Denel Aviation develop and maintain aircraft and aircraft systems and manage system integration projects. The role was a short term contract to develop unit test cases for autopilot software modules, undertaken while waiting for work visa's for the USA to be approved. (http://www.denel.co.za)• Performed code inspection on and devised & implemented white box unit test cases for Denel AH-2 Rooivalk helicopter autopilot software modules as part of the DO-178B certification process. Delivered 4 KLOC of C based automated unit test code that only produced one warning when subjected to static analysis using Gimpel Software's PCLint.• Code inspection results were delivered as a written report detailing architectural and implementation bugs uncovered, resulting in improved safety and reliability of system after corrective actions were implemented.

Denel Aviation develop and maintain aircraft and aircraft systems and manage system integration projects. Marshall Aerospace won a contract to perform heavy maintenance on and upgrade the South African Air Force C-130 Hercules fleet. Denel Aviation was subcontracted to perform the related Integrated Logistics Support work. The role was a secondment to Marshall Aerospace in England as liaison for the South African based team designing, planing and documenting the support system for the new systems being fitted to the SAAF C-130 Hercules aircraft. (http://www.denel.co.za)• Coordinated efforts of logistics team based in South Africa and technical design team at Marshal Aerospace in England.• Reviewed all system designs in order to apply design influence with the aim of ensuring maintainability was not compromised for the sake of technical solution. • Visited equipment suppliers and served as liaison with design team to obtain information required to perform logistic support analysis.• Performed logistic support analysis, the result of which was used to develop maintenance procedures, technical documentation, training material, calculate MTBFs and spare part inventory requirements.• Worked closely with project manager, filling in for him during his absence and assisting in technical and project meetings and reviews. Used Microsoft Office suite to prepare a variety of documents including schedules, presentations, reports, quotes, spreadsheets and technical memos.• Established as system expert by virtue of in depth knowledge gained working on project; was made responsible for appraisal of new and updated technical publications to ensure quality, accuracy and consistency before submittal as contractual deliverables.

Denel Aviation develop and maintain aircraft and aircraft systems and manage system integration projects. The role was a software engineer developing a multitude of support and test tools. (http://www.denel.co.za)• Designed, developed and supported various PC based and embedded real time avionics test tools utilizing C, C++, MFC, OWL, SQL, Win32 API and Windows GDI programming for Windows 3.1, Windows NT and RTKernel RTOS platforms.• Designed, developed and supported an Autopilot Test Tool used by Flight Test Engineers to monitor and adjust control loops inside the AH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter autopilot during flight tests. Software was written in C++ and ran under Windows on a ruggerdised PC with an in house built touch display user interface. Interfaced to aircraft systems via ARINC429.• Designed, developed and supported a mission debriefing system for playback of flight profile data recorded onboard the Atlas Cheetah fighter aircraft during ACM practice sorties.• Designed and developed a hardware test box for testing autopilot controller unit hardware on the production line.• Wrote software and hardware documentation to internal and military standards.• Adding data capture capability to the Autopilot Test Tool reduced post flight analysis turn around times from days to a few hours. System was still in use 5 years after development.• The user interface of the Autopilot Test Tool was designed to be used by a flight test engineer wearing gloves and working under pressure in an environment characterised by vibration and glare.