Over 15 years experience in taking projects, applications, and products through the entire development life cycle
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(541) 929-3681 Robert W. Challis bobc@peak.org
Accustomed and comfortable with working through the entire development cycle: determining customer needs; assessing design/architecture implications; evaluating system requirements; developing and programming the solution; testing; implementation; support; enhancement; and migration. Experience with migration issues: designing software architectures which are easily ported between OS’s; migrating applications to new languages, migrating between OS’s. Extensive background in providing human/machine and graphical user interfaces, process control, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and embedded systems used in various industries including welding, casino control, poultry hatcheries, paper testing labs, wetbench wafer processing, food processing, steel billet conditioning, and oil pipeline control. SKILLS Operating Systems: Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows 2000, HP-UX, Linux, SCO Unix, QNX, VMS, Concurrent-DOS Hardware: IBM-PCs and Compatibles, HP 9000, DEC VAX, Gould PLC, Embedded Control Systems Languages: C, Dynamic C, C++, VC++, Win32, Basic, BP2, Visual Basic, Fortran, Pascal, Cobol, RPG, SQL, Datatrieve, Assembler Networking: TCP/IP, NOVELL NETWARE, BANYAN VINES, NetIPC, DECNET, MAP, SECS I/II, MODBUS, OPTOWARE Layered Products: Oracle, Microsoft Access, Paradox, Informix, dBase, XWINDOWS, ONSPEC GUI Tools: Visual C++, Visual Basic, Qt-Windows, kdevelop. OTHER SOFTWARE SKILLS Microsoft Office, Lotus Office, Coreldraw, Solidworks, Eagle PCB Design Tools CAREER MAP
Business operations cover two major areas:
EXPERIENCE Apr, 2002 - Present Weyerhaeuser Paper Company Upgraded the privately-developed paper testing SCADA/Embedded system produced in 1989 to run under the Linux/XWindows environment. Improvements in the embeded control system hardware and software increased the data collection rate by 300% and reduced the benchtop footprint by 90%. Further upgrades to the system are currently under way to enable Ethernet/Internet access for remote program download, compile, and run/debug, to send e-mail and to serve dynamic web pages. SCADA, Embedded Systems, C, C++, VC++, Win32, Qt-Windows, KDevelop, XWindows, HTML, SSI, Dynamic C, Z-World BL1700/BL1100, Eagle Circuit Board Designer, Solidworks, Coreldraw, Linux, Windows 2000, Windows 98 Nov, 2001 - Mar, 2002 Electroglas, Inc. Corvallis, OR Designed and developed a software regression testing facility to capture and save user input and system responses during a testing session. Captured user input could be used to automatically drive future sessions. System responses from the base and current session were automatically compared and differences reported. Conducted manual testing and regression analysis of wafer inspection systems. C++, VC++, Visual Basic, Win32, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 98 Aug, 1998 - Nov, 2000 Weyerhaeuser Paper Company Designed and manufactured a paper cutting device to produce 12x12 sample sheets for the quality control lab. This device eliminated operator fatigue, stress, and injury caused by manually cutting these sample sheets. It produced the samples in 1/3 the time and significantly improved test reliability through improved sample consistency, cleanliness, and alignment to fiber orientation. Took the product through the entire development cycle: customer need assessment and specification mechanical and electrical engineering embedded controls design and development machining and fabrication component testing system integration and testing factory acceptance testing product support and maintenance
May, 1998 - August, 1998 Professional Mechanical Albany, OR Designed and developed an automation system to integrate the independent devices used in a large-scale pipe welding process. This SCADA/Embedded system provided centralized configuration and real-time device control resulting in a 20% to 40% increase in productivity depending on the type and size of materials to be welded. The control interface utilized an embedded micro-controller to provide both direct and supervisory control of the various devices. The user interface consisted of a console and pendant. The console provided configuration and machine setup capabilities while the pendant provided real-time “no-look” control of the welding process. SCADA, Embedded Systems, Dynamic C, Z-World PK2100, Eagle Circuit Board Designer, Windows 98 Dec, 1997 - Apr, 1998 Datafind Philomath, OR Implemented a Microsoft Access application to support a manufacturing operation. The system included information handling for customers, orders, vendors, purchase orders, shipments, work in progress, and inventory. Microsoft Access, Windows 98 Dec, 1996 - Nov, 1997 Acres Gaming Corvallis, OR Reverse engineered and enhanced an (almost) abandoned casino control system based on Windows NT, Netware, DOS, DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI), and Paradox database. The system provided high-speed, high-volume, high-availability Supervisory Control and Data Access (SCADA) for casinos with up to 2800 slot machines. Every significant event such as coin in/out, jackpot, and player card in/out was tracked in real-time. Each slot machine was equipped with a proprietary embedded system (data collection node - DCN) microprocessor to gather slot activity, to control player point awards and messages, and to communicate with a PC-based Floor Controller. Each Floor Controller (up to 10 per casino) controlled up to 1000 DCNs using a proprietary communications interface card while maintaining player/slot information in a Paradox database located on a Netware database server. The system was written in a combination of Delphi (Windows) pascal, DOS pascal, c, and assembler. Enhancements to the system included:
This system is currently operating 3 major casinos in Las Vegas and Reno. SCADA, Embedded Systems, Delphi Pascal, DOS Pascal, C, Assembler, Windows NT, Netware, DOS, DPMI, Paradox Apr, 1996 - Nov, 1996 Weyerhaeuser Paper Company Designed and manufactured a paper cutting device to cut sample strips from the production line for use in the quality testing lab. This device cuts up to 3 strips of the heaviest linerboard in a single pass. The sample strips produced are clean, consistent, and precision-cut resulting in a significant increase in the accuracy and reliability of the tests performed. Took the product through the entire development cycle: customer need assessment and specification mechanical and electrical engineering embedded controls design and development machining and fabrication component testing system integration and testing factory acceptance testing product support and maintenance Coreldraw, Linux, XWindows, Windows 95, Feb, 1993 - Mar, 1996 Summit Corvallis, OR Designed and developed an automated, turnkey system installation, configuration, and control facility to support enterprise-wide Image Archiving based on an HP9000 HP-UX database server. Archival of reports and graphical images could be stored on hard disk or on optical autochangers (jukeboxes) containing either erasable or WORM media. Autochangers with up to 144 platters (288 sides of 650Mb each) were supported. Therefore, capabilities were provided for automated, 'smart' backup which minimized backup time for very large (2 Gb plus) database(s). Procedures to create, extend, deactivate, reactivate, retire, restore, and backup databases were augmented with automatic fail-safe measures to insure database integrity while allowing maximum user flexibility. Designed and developed networking software to integrate applications running on HP9000 HP-UX, Intel 486 SCO Unix, PC-based MS-Windows, and HP3000 MPEX platforms. The integration of these platforms was based upon the Unix System V Transport Layer Interface facility (TLI) to transparently support various network providers including, Unix TCP/IP, Banyan Vines SPP (an XNS protocol), Walker, Richer, Quinn TCP/IP WRQnet, and HP3000 NetIPC. Designed and developed a common network service to interface the above with various applications including Home Banking and enterprise-wide Image Archiving. Home Banking enabled PC users to conduct Credit Union transactions from their desk. Enterprise-wide Image Archiving provided indexing, storage and retrieval of text (reports), and graphical images (signatures and documents) both locally and across the network on magnetic, WORM, or erasable optical media. Single-platter and jukebox optical drive configurations were supported. C, Unix shell scripting, Image-X, Oracle, Network Programming, HP-UX, SCO Unix, TCP/IP, Banyon Vines, WRQnet, NetIPC, HP9000, IBM PC’s, MS-Windows, HP3000 Jan, 1991 - Jan, 1993 Hewlett-Packard Corvallis, OR Gathered and integrated server, window manager, client, terminal, and HP Visual User Environment test suites within a single testing architecture providing consistent maintenance, execution, and reporting procedures. The architecture was highly compatible with the XWINDOWS build tree structure to enable simultaneous testing of multiple releases as well as various combinations of layered products within releases.
Jan, 1990 - Jan, 1991 Craig Hunter Farms Developed and marketed microcomputer based turnkey systems for environmental management of poultry incubation chambers. ONSPEC’s HMI/SCADA system provided information management, process trending, and supervisory control of remotely located proprietary chamber control systems. Individual chamber control systems were PLC devices networked to a central data collection node for use with ONSPEC. Designed and developed hardware and software necessary to construct the data collection node. SCADA, Embedded Systems, C, Pascal, Onspec HMI/SCADA, OptoWare Dec, 1989 - Dec, 1990 Weyerhaeuser Paper Company Designed and developed the hardware and software for a SCADA/Embedded system to automate the test procedure which most determines the paper selling grade. The system provided all inputs required for setup, calibration, and testing; captured all data sent to the test device display screen; and stored, processed, and presented the data for an entire turnup on a single screen. Automation could be completely disabled and manual operation restored by removing a one connector. This system has reduced operator involvement for this test procedure by more than 90%. Took the product through the entire development cycle: customer need assessment and specification mechanical and electrical engineering embedded controls design and development machining and fabrication component testing system integration and testing factory acceptance testing product support and maintenance SCADA, Embedded Systems, C, Z-World BL1100, Coreldraw, Concurrent-DOS May, 1987 - Dec, 1989 Intelledex Corvallis, OR Architect and project leader for an object-oriented SCADA system providing process control, automation and information management to control automated wetbench wafer processing. The software was specifically designed for easy portability to any operating system which supports real-time processing, multitasking, inter-task messaging, networking, and an ANSI "C" compiler. The system was originally developed on a DEC MicroVAX running VMS and was ported to run on an IBM AT under the QNX (UNIX variant) operating system in 8 weeks. A Technical Paper covering this architecture was presented at the 1990 conference of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in San Jose, CA and will gladly be provided on request. Designed and developed robotics software for 3 of 11 robot cells in an automated manufacturing process which produced more than 200 hard disk drives per hour. Assisted in final design specifications of robot tools, cell layout and operator safety mechanisms. SCADA, C, Basic, MAP, Secs I/II, Proprietary serial protocols for various wetbench devices, VMS, QNX, DEC VAX, IBM PC’s Advanced Control Technology, Inc. Project Lead Engineer Albany, OR 1984 - 1987 Directed the development of communications, database and information system software for the automation of a food processing plant. The hardware platform consisted of 7 Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and 2 VAX/VMS systems. The development team consisted of 3 PLC programmers, 3 information system programmers and myself as project leader, system designer and developer of communications and database facilities.
1981 - 1984 Bocar Consulting Conducted various consulting/contract programming projects and training seminars. Provided system support/ maintenance service using privately developed system performance monitoring, analysis, and tuning package for DEC RSTS/E operating system. Fortran, BP2, Basic, RMS, FMS, Datatrieve, Decnet, RSTS/E, DEC PDP-11 Digital Equipment Corporation Sr Software Specialist Portland, OR 1978 - 1981 Directed consulting projects and seminars for business applications and operating system enhancements. Provided technical support for VMS and RSTS/E operating systems, database management systems, communications, languages and other layered products. Conducted presentations, demonstrations, and benchmarks; prepared competitive analysis reports; and responded to Requests for Proposals in support of the pre-sales process. BP2, Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Assembler, RMS, FMS, Decnet, Datatrieve, VMS, RSTS/E, DEC VAX, DEC PDP-11 Dept of Assessment and Taxation Operations Mgr/ Lane County, OR 1976 - 1978 Data Processing Services Mgr Directed operations and a software development staff of 18 in an IBM 370 mainframe environment supporting the Appraisal, Real Estate Sales Analysis, and Taxation divisions. Implemented tax payment processing which resulted in more than $500,000 in increased annual earnings to taxing districts. Recovered a 3 year, $3 million, multi-county cooperative software development project in an IBM mainframe environment which had produced no workable results through an implementation strategy which produced in a functioning system within 8 months. EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, with honors, Computer Science and Business Administration Aurora University, Aurora, IL Download 35.65 Kb. Share with your friends:
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