Daniel S. G. Dickerson
dickersn@earthlink.net

RTF copy of this Resume
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Education
      California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA - B.S. in Engineering, 1983

Professional Experience
      APh Technological Consulting; Pasadena, CA - 1982 to present
      Senior Software/Hardware Developer and System Administrator for company computer network

Twenty years of digital circuit design and programming in assembly and upper level languages, including C, C++, FORTRAN, Forth, Basic, and Pascal. Development experience creating CGI programs to add functionality to HTML web documents. Extensive work designing database systems using MS  Access, SQL, Paradox, and Visual  FoxPro. Hardware design experience with systems incorporating 68000, 8051, 6502, 146805, TMS320C25, TMS34010, Z80, 32016, 68EC000 and other microprocessors. Member of IEEE.

• WEB PROGRAMMING PROJECTS
  • Developed e-commerce shopping cart system and other CGI programs to support interactive websites. This system allows Web vendors to implement online ordering on their website. It can be either added to an existing online catalog, or it can be used to create a new catalog from scratch. When applied to a pre-existing website, it gives the e-commerce functionality without requiring any major design changes to the site. Examples at www.poconoscopes.com and www.kendrick-ai.com.
  • Created turnkey database tools used in the internal generation and maintenance of web pages for the Product and Human Resources divisions of a Pharmaceutical company. - www.sicorinc.com
  • Created turnkey database tools used in the internal generation and maintenance of web pages for dog show superintendents. - www.jbradshaw.com
  • Created CGI systems used for online education and testing. Example at www.traffic101.com.
  • Created very large educational website for the Simon Wiesenthal Center. This involved extracting the data from an Oracle database running on Macintosh Quadras, and converting it to over 100,000 HTML pages. These pages are highly hyperlinked, and were created using proprietary tools developed for the project. - motlc.wiesenthal.com/pages
  • Worked on development of educational website with online coursework for My Own Business Inc, a non-profit online course for entrepreneurs starting their own business. - www.myownbusiness.org
  • Created demonstration e-commerce shopping cart system using dynamically generated web pages for an auto-parts manufacturer (JC Whitney). This ordering system enabled the customer to selectively determine which catalog items would be displayed according to his vehicle and current needs. The entire system was designed to run server-side because of the desire to run generically with any browser and also the early status of browser capabilities. (1996)
  • Created turnkey database tools used in the internal generation and maintenance of web pages. (www.edmunds.com - 1996, no longer active)

• DATABASE PROJECTS
  • Created turnkey database system used to collect and analyze legal exhibits for use during court proceedings. This system allows the lawyer to search the exhibit list for needed information during testimony. These searches can be based upon any combination of people mentioned, keywords, source of material, date of entry, or other fields.
  • Created system to combine and analyze output from various version control systems to generate reports regarding the relative contributions of engineers to an engineering project.
  • Developed database system for the automatic generation of websites using modifiable templates. Examples at www.meade.com, www.poconoscopes.com, and motlc.wiesenthal.com/pages.
  • Designed several database systems using Paradox. These include a membership recording and dispatching system for a union local, and a policy recording system and report generator for an insurance brokerage. The union local software was later expanded and ported to Access97.
  • Created database system for the input, storage and analysis of customer information supplied by phone contacts and product registration cards.
  • Designed and developed turnkey database system used to run dog show competitions and report results to American Kennel Club (167 SQL Queries, and 16,000 lines of code). This system includes the input of show information and entries, and the output of FrameMaker files for the publication of catalogs, judges programs, and all other materials needed for the proper operation of a dog show.
  • Created a turnkey user interface that controlled and external test system via the serial port. This system tests electronic components and records the various parameters returned. It controlled the operation of the hardware system and stored the data in an Access97 database, allowing the user to create reports on both the individual component and on the entire production run.

• PORTING/MULTI-PLATFORM PROJECTS
  • Ported debug kernal to a new PowerPC system board. This involved modifying an existing kernal so that it could control the new hardware configuration. This package interfaced to an existing debugger/emulator running on the host systems and allowed for the cross-platform development.
  • Ported over 10,000 lines of C code from a Convergent Systems computer to an AT&T 3B2 computer for a security system. This involved checking code for nonstandard coding practices and removing system-specific code. An additional 2,000 lines of code were needed to implement further features requested by the client and to fix programming errors that were discovered in the Convergent version of the code.
  • Ported C code from an MS-DOS based system to a 80386 system running ix/386 UNIX. Similar to above project but also included the initial installation of the system and application software.
  • Completed several additional projects porting C code between various operating systems, including Berkley UNIX, Windows, and others.

• OTHER SOFTWARE PROJECTS
  • System manager for the in-house network of Sun workstations and PCs. Also supervised the operation of the VAX 11/750 and DEC-2020 computers before they were decommissioned.
  • Developed a system using MS Visual C++ to control and test a tire inflation system. The test system consists of a simple but complete user interface and monitors several hundred system parameters. It is used in the servicing of the hardware, both in the field and in the factory.
  • Created report generator for an employee security system, over 5,000 lines of C code. This system runs on AT&T 3B2 computer under UNIX V. (This project was not associated to the system listed above in the Porting section.)
  • Developed custom terminal emulator (running under Windows 3.1x and Windows 95) for use with a retail ordering system. This project included control of the serial line and modem.
  • Programmed and supervised the programming of interactive video games.
  • Created magnetic card entry security system for daycare facilities. This included designing interface for external hardware (card readers and door latches). Software was written in C++ and runs under Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. This project involved designing both the physical installation and the software interface. The system handles door security, and the logging in/out of children from the facility. This system was later modified to run as an Access97 application and coordinate with the existing accounting package to automatically record entry/exit for billing purposes and to include the staff time-clock.

• HARDWARE AND SYSTEM DESIGN
  • Maintained the schematic integrity and designed simple test equipment for the Mars Observer Camera. This project was designed and partially assembled at APh and was a component of the Mars Observer Satellite, which was launched in the Fall of 1992. This camera was later used in the Mars Global Surveyor Spacecraft.
  • Wrote preliminary project proposal and initial design for a high speed, high resolution graphics system for DARPA.
  • Designed and oversaw installation of computer systems for an interactive museum exhibit and research center, the Simon Wiesenthal Beit Hashoah Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, which opened February 8, 1993. This included:
    • designing the layout of the mezzanine level computer rooms
    • specifying the power and air conditioning requirements for these rooms
    • coordinating with contractors to insure the timely and correct installation of equipment racks, conduits, cables, cabinetry, etc.
    • specifying the equipment to be used on the mezzanine and exhibit levels and contacting vendors to obtain pricing and delivery schedules
    • designing such circuitry as was needed to allow for the remote operation of the computers, and walking this hardware through production and installation
    • supervising the installation of the computer equipment and hiring outside contractors as needed
    • coordinating with outside vendors to insure that the equipment would operate correctly as a system
    This project continued for several years and included supervising system maintenance and providing consulting services for the operation of both the research and main exhibit levels in the museum. Later, this project was ported to the Internet.
  • Wrote preliminary project proposal, white paper, and initial design for a high speed, high resolution graphics system for DARPA. This included preparing time, budgetary, and manpower estimates for the project. This system would combine data from RS-170 sources (laser disc players) with computer generated images into high definition television displays. The primary usage of the system would be the display of map and radar data for the Customs Service, DEA, and Defense Dept.
  • Designed emulator for new Cable Set-Top Box. This system incorporated two PCs, one to emulate the new graphics chip, and one to emulate the remainder of the controlling hardware. A dual-port memory board was designed to allow the two systems to communicate. This board connected to each system via the ISA bus and moderated memory accesses to give each processor seamless access to the data. A communication protocol was developed to allow asynchronous transactions. This system was used to allow software engineers to program the new cable boxes while the hardware design was still under development and to demonstrate the new system's capabilities at trade shows.
  • Worked on numerous interactive museum displays using both infrared and resistive touch sensors. Also adapted an existing system to use an external SMPTE source to synchronize the operation of a 5-disk system with external video sources and mechanical devices. Prepared price and equipment quotes for museum display systems.
  • Designed several general purpose system boards and development systems based on the TMS32016, 68EC000, TMS32020/C25, 146805, 8051, 6502 and other microprocessors. These boards are used as a foundation for many in-house projects and contract work performed by APh.
  • Designed and programmed in-circuit emulators for 146805, 8051, and 6502 microprocessors. This involved porting/recreating the debug kernal or RTOS to each microprocessor assembly language.
  • Designed and programmed an intelligent computer terminal employing an internal modem, data compression and correction, graphics, and a light-pen interface.
  • Finished the hardware and software design for a stepping motor control testbed. This system determined the feasibility and accuracy of a new technique in motor control.
  • Worked on the redesign and debugging of a home video game system. This included locating and correcting errors in the silicon chip design and the design of external circuitry to accommodate those errors. It also involved detecting programming errors in previously written code and modifying the design to allow for these errors. Subsequent design was required to replace scarce custom parts with common ICs. This project included design changes and testing for FCC certification.