RKT Technologies, Inc.
A Consulting and Technical Services Company Since 1979.

603-437-1811 * Fax 603-425-6475
e-mail info@rkt-tech.com

In 31 years as Owner and President of RKT Engineering, Inc. (a Massachusetts corporation) and its successor corporation RKT Technologies, Inc. (a New Hampshire corporation), I have provided hardware and software design consulting and technical services to a number of companies in the Greater Boston and Southern New Hampshire area and elsewhere in the Eastern and Central USA. Highlights in approximate reverse chronological order (except where indicated):

• (2007 – 2008) Performed a full requirements analysis and top-level design for a digital communications system for Boeing 757 airliners and freighters being developed to FAA DO-178B standards. Client retained my services in doing the requirements analysis while they searched for a qualified permanent employee to continue the development. System is based on MicroC/OS-II operating system.

• (2007 – 2008) Served as independent software quality assurance analyst for a new type of ice cream vending machine; system used a Linux-based multi-tasking software package driving custom hardware to dispense individual servings of ice cream of the customer’s choice of flavors and mix-ins.

• (2005 – 2006) Served as senior software engineer for a multi-device, multi-node Voice over IP communications network implemented on embedded Linux in C++.

• (2004 – 2005) Designed and implemented the software for a feasibility prototype of a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system to monitor and control the operation of appliances in a shipboard galley for the US Navy. System was implemented using the Iconics Genesis32 SCADA platform and Visual Basic code. Also served as advisor for system- and hardware- related issues.

• (2004) Hired to perform a major system upgrade to a Night Targeting System Upgrade Kit for helicopter flight simulators that I had developed in 1995-1997. Original project was developed to run across three separate processors, with two of the three processors executing single tasks. This year’s upgrade involved moving to a new, faster CPU with a single processor. This required an extensive restructuring of the system software to run in multiple tasks (a total of 19 prioritized tasks) on VxWorks 5.5.1 using Tornado 2.2.1 as IDE.

  As part of this project, I designed and wrote a multi-tasking data simulator on Microsoft Visual Studio / Visual C++, to send and receive formatted data concurrently across 6 serial ports to the target system. This tool involved creating several dialog boxes to configure the outgoing messages and specify the expected configuration of the incoming messages.

• (2003 – 2004) Served as Principal Software QA Engineer for a new type of endoscope. Duties included making sure that the software development was in full conformance to the FDA Quality System Regulation / 21 CFR 820, ANSI / AAMI SW-68, ISO 14971, 21 CFR 11, and each of the stakeholders’ internal Standard Operating Procedures. Also served for a time as acting Software Project Engineer for the project, with duties that included managing the activities of a group of off-site software developers, and assisting in defining the job description and qualifying a permanent employee to take over that role.

• (2001 – 2003) Software architect and key software developer for a navigational system for installation on oceangoing ships. Also served as mentor to other software engineers in the areas of C++, VxWorks, Tornado, and Unified Modeling Language (UML).
  • System provides a central redundant fault-tolerant computer that takes inputs from Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), depth sounder, magnetic compass, speed-through-water sensor, and redundant weather sensors, and outputs information to shipboard displays and other shipboard systems.
  • Central computer provides services including Dead Reckoning capability so that the ship’s position could be estimated in case of failure of the INS and GPS.
  • Central computer consists of two PowerPC processors in a CompactPCI chassis.
  • Designed central computer software using UML on Rhapsody Modeler with implementation in C++ on VxWorks 5.4 and Tornado 2.1.
  • Designed and implemented a graphical display on Linux / Xfree86 using a TCP/IP network connection to display the real-time value of variables in the VxWorks target system software, for use in debugging and verification.
  • Provided code modification and code review services and assisted in testing and debugging of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for this system, which was implemented on a ruggedized PC using Microsoft Visual C++.

• (2000 – 2001) Key software developer for a Voice Over IP (VoIP) test system for use in testing and validating VoIP gateways. Platform was PowerPC and VxWorks with development under Tornado 2 in C and C++.  Served as mentor and instructor to other software engineers.  Served for a time as acting Principal Software Engineer / Technical Lead for this project while the client went about the process of hiring someone on a permanent basis to assume that role.

• (1999) Implemented some software modifications in PIC assembly language on a device whose purpose is to use radiation to increase the effectiveness and success rate of cardiac stents.

• (1999) Served as software design and Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) consultant for a microprocessor-based microkeratome for use in ophthalmic surgery. Responsibilities included:
  • Rewrote the System Requirements Specification and the Software Design Description, and wrote a Software Requirements Specification, to bring the design controls for the product into compliance with the FDA Quality System regulation.
  • Reviewed and identified problem areas in the software for the microkeratome.
  • Wrote and executed a Software Test Plan and Procedure and a set of test cases to verify and validate the microkeratome software.

• (1999) Performed some modifications to a Windows-based test program written in Visual C++, in support of a debug effort for a poor-weather landing system for business-class aircraft.

• (1998 - 1999) Served as acting Principal Software Engineer for a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets laser-based hair removal systems. Responsibilities included:
  • Wrote and implemented software development policies and procedures to bring the company’s software engineering procedures into compliance with the FDA Quality System regulation;
  • Restructured and rewrote the software for the company’s primary product to make it maintainable, bring it into compliance with the FDA Quality System regulation, and add new features;
  • Wrote and implemented an Internet-protocol system monitoring and debugging facility so that software debugging could be aided over a network by a client program running under the X Window System;
  • Searched for, interviewed, and made recommendations on candidates to assume my position as Principal Software Engineer on a permanent basis.

• (1998 - 1999) As a follow-up to the Night Targeting System project previously completed in 1997, while performing a number of software upgrades and enhancements for the U. S. Navy's Weapons Systems Trainer, implemented and installed an Internet-protocol remote debugging facility so that software debugging could be performed from remote locations via the Internet or a point-to-point modem connection.

Summary of activities prior to 1998

REFERENCES: Available on request.

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