Edmund Merrow-Smith – Firmware Engineer
Profile:
Embedded software engineer with an MSc and BEng in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Swansea University. Experienced embedded C developer for real-time systems in high reliability deployments. Adept at developing electronics and embedded systems for extreme environments. Experience working in continuous integration, agile and systems engineer development environments.
A background in physics and a curiosity for how things work have helped me to design and develop for extreme environments and security contexts. Recent continuous integration testing work has helped me see which skills I should focus on next to best improve my skill set.
Highlights:
•Embedded software / firmware / drivers
•Microcontrollers and embedded systems (Atmel ATXmega, Nordic NRF, ARM STM32)
•C (C99, C89, MISRA C)
•Bare-metal real-time embedded systems
•RTOS (real-time operating systems, Feabas course: C for Real-Time Embedded Developers)
•P-threads (AKA pseudo-threads, proto-threads, coroutines, or cooperative multitasking)
•Version control/Configuration control (Mercurial, GIT, SVN, GIT+SVN)
•Ultra low power systems (microcontrollers and electronics)
•ADC, DAC and power management drivers and state machine controller systems
•Serial Comms (RS232, UART, USART, SPI, I2C/TWI, FTDI USB-serial)
•Electronics design, testing, and implementation for extreme environments
Other technical skills and experience:
•Microcontrollers and embedded systems (Freescale MC9S08/Motorola HCS08, Microchip PIC)
•STM32 HAL + STM32CubeIDE + STM32CubeMX
•Object oriented programming (OOP, C++11 / C++14 / C++21, C#, SPARK / ADA, Rust)
•Unit testing and functional testing (Python, Pytest)
•IAR Embedded Workbench + Eclipse + MS Visual Studio + VS Code
•Assembly / ASM (Atmel, HSC08)
•Linux
◦Used Linux as daily driver PC for +15 years
◦Familiar with Bash scripts, SSH, Vim, GCC, GDB, Valgrind, Unix command line
◦Embedded Linux (Yocto project)
◦Windows compatibility tools (PuTTY, Cygwin, PowerShell)
•Cryptography (PPK, AES, TLS/SSL, Digital signatures, Sages course: Cryptography in practice)
•Networking (Ethernet, IPv4, IP/TCP, UDP)
•XML + pugi-XML
•UML documentation (Enterprise Architect)
•MATLAB + simulink
•3D CAD & 2D CAD (FreeCAD, Solidworks, AutoCAD inventor)
•PCB design (Altium) + circuit simulation (QUCS + SPICE)
•TCAD (Silvaco semiconductor FEA / FEM)
•FPGA firmware (Verilog, VHDL)
•USB (USB-C power delivery)
•Digital motor control (PWM DC, multi-phase brushless, steppers with interface chips)
•Electronics design, modelling, manufacture, packaging
•Semiconductor materials and devices
•Instrumentation (conventional electronics instruments and nanoscale instrumentation)
•Electrical, mechanical, chemical and physics laboratory experience
•Office suites, spreadsheets, and image editing software (MS Word, Libre-office, Calc / Excel, PDFs, LaTeX, GIMP, HTML)
•Motorsport (telemetry, vehicle and engine electronics / wiring, engine setup and maintenance, vehicle dynamics, alternative fuels)
Soft skills and personal attributes:
•Inventive, Pragmatic, and Inquisitive
•Solid background in physics and mathematics
•Good problem-solving skills
•Work well under pressure; never prone to panic; adapt well to unexpected events and circumstances, especially emergencies
•Confident teamwork skills (experience at SURE and Metrol)
•Good independent working skills (experience at Metrol and during MSc)
•Good written English, some ability with Welsh, German and French
•Self-motivated; career goal to achieve chartered engineer
•Enjoy challenges and learning; constantly seek out and find projects, articles and books to update and expand skills and understanding, multiple friends and colleagues have called me academic, side interest in history
•UK passport and driver’s licence
Career and Education:
2023-03 – Present
HID Global PACS (Assa Abloy Group)
Card Readers, PACS, Security
Cardiff, UK
Embedded Firmware Engineer
C, FreeRTOS, ADC, Nordic NRF52, Python, Pytest, C#, Unit testing, Functional testing, Hg (Mercurial), CI, Jira, BitBucket, Git, SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)
•Work as part of scrum team to maintain, support and improve HID’s Signo reader product line.
•New product development (Signo expansion modules) and sustaining work (Signo electronics cost down and bug fixes).
•Part of broader department effort to add functional and unit testing to all parts of firmware code base.
•Fixed bugs in drivers and added driver workarounds for chip-level bugs.
•Worked with hardware team to test and support circuit design changes, investigate problems and provide test code to assist circuit design and investigation work.
•Gathered feedback from testing and development teams to improve the testability of the product.
•Sages training course: Cryptography in practice
2022-07 – 2023-03
Magicard Ltd. (Brady Corp. Ltd.)
Card Printers
Weymouth, UK
Embedded Software Engineer
C++, embedded Linux, GIT, Jira, Confluence, BitBucket, STM32 ARM, XML
•Work as part of engineering department to design, development, maintain, support and provide continual improvement of Magicard's printer product line
•Respond timely to issues escalated to engineering by tech support
•Inspired by colleague to look into Rust programming language and Unit testing
2022-04 – 2022-06
Job Hunting
Southampton, UK
2022-01 – 2022-03
Chamsys Ltd. (Chauvet Lighting)
Stage Lighting Industry
Southampton, UK
Software Engineer
C, STM ARM, Linux, Eclipse, GIT+SVN, GDB
•Work with R&D for design, development, maintenance, support and continual improvement of the bespoke ChamSys / MagicQ / QuickQ software and related MQ deck products.
•Design and implementation of software, firmware and hardware.
•Testing and release of software, firmware and hardware.
•Support of ChamSys products.
•Successfully collaborated with production team, taking feedback to update and improve test firmware for production QA.
•Left by mutual agreement: Role not a suitable environment for furthering career, and not a fit for team and company culture.
2021-01 – 2022-12
Career Break
Dorset, UK
•Height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Took voluntary redundancy after entire R&D team made redundant following industry downturn.
•Avoided travel and sheltered due to pandemic and economy-wide hiring freeze.
•Focused on mental and physical health to great benefit.
•Academic pursuits including various online history and biology lectures.
•Continued electronics hobby with personal projects including; solar PVs, USB power delivery systems, battery and off-grid systems, DC-DC PC power supplies, FreeCAD, QUCS + SPICE.
2018-06 – 2020-12
Metrol Technology – Dorset Research Centre
Prospecting technology for Oil and Gas Industry
Dorset, UK
Graduate / Junior Embedded Software Engineer / Firmware Engineer
C, microcontrollers, IAR, Atmel, PCB design, SVN, Enterprise Architect, UML
•Worked in a high technology engineering environment.
•Responsibilities included:
◦full firmware development life cycle for the company’s product range, covering design, development and testing.
◦designing products for extreme temperatures and strain
◦low power development
◦developing new and existing products to enhance the service offering
◦designing code for microcontrollers.
◦producing innovative designs to ensure the company stays ahead of the competition.
•Part of collaborative team effort to develop prototype product for long distance underground EM communication and control applications, running off harvested background energy.
•Whole firmware lifecycle involvement, from capturing requirements, developing code, controlling equipment, analysing results, support for users of the final firmware, and the practical application of the results.
•Sole software and firmware developer for the bulk of the project’s code development.
•Created combined hardware and software systems to harvest power from cathodic protection and charge storage capacitors as replacement for battery power and to manage system power budget.
•Documented systems in UML.
•Investigated capabilities and developed extended spec for chosen microcontroller.
•Feabhas training course: C for real time applications.
•Took voluntary redundancy after entire R&D team made redundant following Covid-related downturn.
2018-01 – 2018-04
Job Hunting
Swansea, UK
2017-08 – 2017-12
Career Break – looking after family with illness
Ceredigion, UK
2016-11 – 2017-07
Assystem Ltd (Systems and Software)
Contractor for Automotive, Rail, Aerospace, Defence and Nuclear Industries
Bristol, UK
Graduate Systems Engineer
Spark / ADA, DO-178C, Verification & Validation, V-life cycle, Unit Testing, Rapid Software Testing, FPGA, Agile, DevOps
•Reviewing and writing technical proposals and responses to client RFI, RFP, RFQ documents. Resolved misidentification of client priorities in response. Ensured two proposals were corrected to address overlooked customer comments and requirements.
•Researching quotes for electrical equipment and generating BoM for technical proposals.
•Agile and DevOps training.
•Unit testing in ADA for aircraft engine software.
•Training for Rolls Royce IT infrastructure (citrus).
•Assembly of rack-mount aircraft electronics test suite.
•Training for Verification and Validation of FPGA firmware development for satellite communications encryption.
•Left when team disbanded after company unable to fit graduate engineers in any team.
2016-01 – 2016-10
Job Hunting
Swansea, UK
2016-01 – 2019-12
SUCS (Swansea University Computer Society)
Student Organisation
Swansea, UK
Alumni Member
Linux, C, Vim, Bash, Public Speaking, System Administration, IT, Computer Science
•The community keeps itself up to date on software, security, and related technical and legal topics and grants access to a large collective body of knowledge and experience.
2014-09 – 2015-07
Swansea University
Postgraduate Student at School of Engineering and Energy Safety Research Institute
Swansea, UK
MSc Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Master of Science with Merit and IET accreditation
•Thesis:
◦‘Investigating feasibility and design of H2ICEs for small scale static applications.’
◦Converting car engines to run on hydrogen fuel to use as generators.
◦Thermodynamics, Engine Design, Fuel Chemistry
•Other papers, essays, and reports:
◦‘Investigating novel method of forming nanosheets from zinc sulphate with n-ethylamine in microwave oven and surface characterization of.’
◦‘The future of power semiconductor devices' roll in renewable energy technology.’
◦‘Demonstration of TCAD 2D FEM analysis on Si DMOS.’
◦‘Demonstration of TCAD 2D FEM analysis on GaAs LED.’
◦‘Possible strategies for replacing fossil fuel power stations in the UK electric grid.’
◦‘The role of electric battery monitoring and management systems in the realization of renewable and sustainable energy.’
◦‘Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) optical network design.’
◦‘Dynamic system analysis of servo motor and development and analysis of control system.’
•Communications: Wireless Communications, Optical Communications, Optical Networks
•Semiconductors: Energy Efficient Electronics Technologies, Wide Band-gap Electronics
•Power Engineering: Advanced Power Electronics and Drives, Advanced Power Systems
•Modern Control Systems
•Nanotech: Probing at the Nanoscale (AFM, SEM, STM, XPS), Nanoscale Structures and Devices
2010-01 – 2015-12
SUCS (Swansea University Computer Society)
Student Organisation
Swansea, UK
Student Member
Linux, C, Public Speaking, System Administration, IT, Computer Science Basics
•Informal computer science lectures and programming tutoring from industry experts
•Lightning talk events
•Staff for 2 years
2014-01 – 2015-07
SURE (Swansea University Race Engineering)
Student Project
Swansea, UK
Electronics, EV, and Engine Teams
Electric Vehicles, Vehicle Dynamics, Lithium Batteries, Battery Management Systems, Engine Maintenance and Tuning, 3D CAD drawing, 3D printing
•Investigating challenges involved with battery powered electric race car.
•Investigating rules compliant and competitive lithium-ion batteries, isolation mechanisms and monitoring systems.
•Investigating and manufacturing wheel speed sensors (hall effect sensor and water-cut steel rotary encoder).
•Installing, packaging and documenting car loom.
•Designing and installing slot-assembled 3D printed weatherproof button box for driver dash for both cars.
•Finding and ordering components, equipment and manufacturing from vendors.
•Review and update of all electronics-related components in competition cost report.
•Participated in full-team debrief after 2015 competition following disastrous results. Highlighted team structure and project management weaknesses that became apparent in light of discussions with more successful competitors during competition. Successfully persuaded demoralised team of the team capability and the necessity to improve and take changes on board.
•Investigating fellow competitors at competitions.
2014-09 – 2015-05
Swansea University
Student volunteer
Swansea, UK
University open day general staff
Showcased Swansea University to prospective students and parents around campus. Noted by head of university’s promotion department for enthusiasm, professionalism, and good guidance throughout events.
2009-09 – 2014-08
Swansea University
Undergraduate Student at School of Engineering
Swansea, UK
BEng Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (2.ii) and IET accreditation
•Thesis:
◦‘Position Tracking of MFL Steel Floor Inspection Equipment inside Large Drained Out-of-Service Above-Ground Liquid Petrochemical Storage Tanks.’
◦Finding a technology for tracking the position and movement of inspection equipment inside large steel containers, where oil, gunk, welding operations, the remote locations, and the metal walls prevent most common solutions from working (GPS, camera tracking, LIDAR, RADAR, SONAR, etc.)
◦Design and testing of low-power, portable, wireless, millimetre-precision. distance measuring beacons that use simultaneous radio-ultrasound pulses to broadcast location.
•Analogue Electronics, Analogue Design, Circuit Analysis, Instrumentation and control, Practical Circuits, Electronic Circuits, Design Electronics
•Digital Electronics, Digital Design, Signals and Systems, Digital Communications, Speech and Image Communications, Microcontrollers, Software Engineering
•Semiconductors, IC Design, Electronic Materials and Devices, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology
•Nanotechnology, Quantum Devices, Nanoelectronics
•Power Engineering, Power Electronics, Power Systems
•Communications, Electromagnetics, Microwave Circuits and Antennas
•Mathematics for Engineers, Dynamic Systems, Control Systems, Engineering Management, Intensive German
•Team project: Micromouse
◦Design and make micromouse for line following and obstacle avoidance.
◦Team lead, PCB designer, software developer.
◦PCB-as-chassis design was encouraged by teacher for following year classes
2013-08
Swansea University
Student volunteer
Swansea, UK
Summer electronics workshop demonstrator
2011-08 – 2012-07
Technical University of Graz (TUG)
Undergraduate exchange student
Graz, Austria
Erasmus Student
Semiconductor Materials, Advanced Solid State Physics, Electronic networks and devices, Electromagnetics, Electrodynamics, Digital Communications, Computer Engineering, Information Theory and Coding, Mathematics for Engineers
2009-09 – 2011-07
SURE (Swansea University Race Engineering)
Student Project
Swansea, UK
Electronics Team
Freescale HCS08, RS232 communications, Wireless digital communications, Telemetry
•General team commitment and familiarity with team, current car design, and competition rules.
•Telemetry system, including signal processing module for packet baud compatibility between radio and data logger.
•Measuring and creating 3D models of made-to-fit parts for documentation.
•Minor manufacturing tasks including: sanding aluminium and carbon fibre monocoque chassis in preparation for adhesive and paint, assembly jigging and fastening, and manufacturing steel space frame brackets to fit.
•Review and update of all electronics-related components in competition cost report.
•Daily experience working in teams, coordinating between departments and solving design, manufacturing, finance and logistics problems as they arose.
•Installing, packaging and documenting car loom.
•Performing inventory check and audit on team's electrical systems.
•Investigating fellow competitors at all attended competitions.
2007 – 2009
Ysgol Bro Pedr (Lampeter Pont Steffan Comprehensive School)
Comprehensive Secondary School
Lampeter, UK
GCE / A-level Student
Mathematics A A-level 2-year WJEC
Physics B A-level 2-year OCR
Chemistry B A-level 2-year WJEC
Design and Technology A AS-level 1-year WJEC
2007 – 2008
Dragon Machinery Ltd
Student / Apprentice EESW Project
Lampeter, UK
EESW Team Member
Embedded Software, PIC chips, Ladder Logic, ADC Signal Processing
•Engineering Education Scheme Wales Apprentice Engineering Competition.
•Detecting metal contaminants in large industrial soft material shredders.
•Proposed using PIC chip as signal processor and coded high-pass filter.
•Won best prototype, nominated for 7 of 11 awards at the Celtic Manor event.
2005 – 2007
Ysgol Bro Pedr (Lampeter Pont Steffan Comprehensive School)
Comprehensive Secondary School
Lampeter, UK
GCSE / O-level Student
A* Physics, Design & Technology – Systems and Control
A Mathematics, Chemistry, Information Communication Technology (IT)
B English, Biology
C English Literature, Welsh 2nd Language, Economics