Fairborn, Ohio, United States
Over 25 years of industry experience in the design, testing and analysis of analog circuits from DC to millimeter-wave, and from wafer level to PCBs and modules. Through it all, employing attention to detail and an analytical nature to develop testing and troubleshooting strategies, then using both verbal and written means to communicate the results.
RF Engineer, involved in Solid-State Power Amplifier (SSPA) testing in multiple millimeter-wave bands, as well as pulsed current and voltage (PIV) testing of on-wafer semiconductor devices. Using LabVIEW to automate instrument control and data collection. A Personal Favorite Memory: During my tenure, I performed bench-level testing on many SSPAs, but the final example operated in a frequency band our lab hadn’t used before, with the test implementation including: * Borrowed waveguide components from a lab upstairs * Thermal chiller plate loaned from the lab next door * Repurposed metal stand from long-past project to clamp the DUT to the chiller plate * Refractory tile suggested by fellow engineer to keep cold from leaking into the stand * Thermocouple module (unused for years) monitoring baseplate temperature * 4-band QuadPlexer contributed by another team in the lab who no longer needed it * Makeshift bandpass filter (end-to-end launchers), fashioned to suppress the 2xLO frequency In the end, meaningful test results were achieved at minimal additional cost through material reuse and contributions of multiple other individuals. This one took teamwork, and that made it special.
Customer phone/RMA support for serial data and Ethernet networking devices Documentation (Quick Start and Troubleshooting guides, manuals, Web FAQs) A Personal Favorite Memory: Because these particular types of devices were a bit outside my norm, I had to overcome a learning curve while answering support calls for customers. It seemed that many of the concepts and features that had initially puzzled me were the same ones customers were asking about, prompting my development of the DCB Encrypted Tunnels FAQ (https://www.dcbnet.com/datasheet/ut_FAQ.html), which I consider to be my most significant contribution to the team.
Analysis of circuitry in prototype and production phases, provided recommendations for improved regulatory compliance and factory yields On-site representation at EMC labs while regulatory testing (FCC and EU) was performed A Personal Favorite Memory: Only a few weeks into my time there, a small transmitter board (designed elsewhere, not in-house) was exhibiting poor output power and out-of-spec harmonic levels. Based on the PCB thickness, I immediately suspected via inductance was detuning the output matching network. When I drew the network on the board and explained my suspicion, my manager and another engineer looked at each other strangely: They said they'd never had anyone walk in and start diagramming complex impedances on the whiteboard before.
Bench characterization of ISM and 3G/4G cellular transceiver ICs Test plans and automated instrument control/data collection using LabVIEW Applications support and documentation, including schematic capture with PADS A Personal Favorite Memory: There had been a delay in my hiring, so by the time I arrived, first samples of a recently-designed IC were just being delivered for our lab to evaluate. My supervisor thought we'd be fortunate to collect 15% of the bench characterization data using automation, due to my late start. However, by building LabVIEW routines with a strategy of starting with simple tests and reusing portions for the more complex ones, the design team later estimated that 85% or more of the 1st Pass bench data collection had been automated. LabVIEW proved to be a powerful tool that allowed us to far exceed past expectations.