Communications Resume

Digital and software-defined radios, with data security and integrity, from baseband networking to X-Band space links, using existing technologies or developing wholly new ones.

Used extensive experience in creating new wireless communications systems, and using existing wireless and wired systems, to help a number of organizations augment their product line. Several activities were classified and most remain proprietary; in respect for my clients, summaries only are listed here:
- Implemented a 10X capacity, 3.5dB sensitivity improvement in the Globalstar Simplex (SENS) system, using only a software upgrade. Led the design, coding, and testing efforts, including onsite real-world testing. Personally coded all demodulation, network interface, and test support software.
- Numerical simulation and realtime emulation of communications systems, including high-dynamics (orbital), high-noise, and high-reliability systems
- Creation of completely new LPD and LPI communications systems
- Contactless card (RFID) communications and security
- Encryption and security implementation on wired and wireless networks
- Extensive use of software-defined radio platforms, including USRP and gnu radio
- Integration of ZigBee, WiFi, USB, Ethernet, and custom wireless communications capabilities to existing customer products

Responsible for all engineering related to AeroAstro�s Sensor Enabled Communications System (SENS), a worldwide satellite-based remote asset monitoring system. Hosted over the Globalstar satellite network, SENS provides users the ability to efficient track and monitor their assets using the lowest cost, lowest power, smallest satellite transmitters available. Transmitter and end unit support, Globalstar technical interface, satellite receiver manufacturing and maintenance, data warehousing, and Internet interface with Web and voice features, all were within the Director of Engineering role to lead.
Created, implemented, and refined the Progressive Discrete Fourier Transform algorithm, a massively parallel approach which allows many overlapping spread-spectrum signals to be detected simultaneously. This algorithm allows very efficient band utilization with no need for coordinating transmitter operations, making the transmitters exceedingly simple and cost-efficient, while allowing plentiful traffic through the system to make it commercially viable.
Integrated and deployed the terrestrial, prototype satellite, and first operational SENS receiver systems. A complete 8-channel, 40 GOPS software defined radio, each of these receivers contained a computer-controlled analog front end, multiprocessor DSP engine, and network interface, requiring thorough knowledge of all of these functions in order to perform on-site diagnosis and successful installation.

Architected the all-digital, FPGA-based BPSK tracking loop for the New Millennium Radio Fabrication (NMRF) X-Band transponders, used in NASA�s 3-spacecraft ST-5 mission. These radios performed excellently throughout the ST-5 mission, and due in part to its FPGA baseband system, were one-tenth the size of any other X-Band spacecraft transponder available.

McDermott et al (2009): US7,596,170, Coherent detection without transmission preamble.

Smith et al (2009): US20090257422, Time slot synchronized, flexible bandwidth communication system, pending.

Stafford et al (2008): US7,433,391, Spread-spectrum receiver with fast M-sequence transform .

McDermott (2007): US7,227,884, Spread-spectrum receiver with progressive fourier transform.

McDermott et al (2006): US6,985,512, Asynchronous spread-spectrum communications.

McDermott et al (2006): “The Application of Satellite Communication Technology to Operational Knowledge Acquisition.” 2006 Military Communications Conference, 10.1109/MILCOM.2006.302268.

McDermott et al (2006): US6,985,512, Asynchronous spread-spectrum communications.

Fleeter et al (2002): US6,856,606, US6,396,819, Low-cost satellite communication system.

Zenick et al (2001): US6,128,469, Satellite communication system with a sweeping high-gain antenna.

Concentrations in Circuit Design, Communications, Artificial Intelligence, Psychology

Fluent: English, French; Familiar: Italian, Spanish, Russian, German, Japanese, Mandarin

Fluent: Java, C, C#, C++, VHDL, Objective C, Pascal, Assembly

Fluent: Linux (embedded and desktop), OS X, Unix, Windows, vxWorks, no-OS

Fluent: PowerPC, PIC, ChipCon, MSP430, x86, ColdFire, 80x1, 68xxx, 56xxx, Blackfin.

Fluent: Actel, Xilinx. Familiar: Atmel, pSOC.

Security clearance: Secret

Pilot: Single-Engine Land, IFR

Hobbies: classical and modern piano, travel, home automation, model rocketry, electric vehicle construction