Electronics Renaissance Man

Even when I was a young boy, it was evident that I was a bit different. It is not every 10-year-old boy who locks himself away in his room to carefully disassemble the newest electronic gadget just to see how it works. Many a birthday gift has been sacrificed to curiosity. I could also be found scavenging components—a 12-volt automotive battery and charger, car stereo, amplifier, and a bunch of old speakers—to assemble and install them into a suitcase for hours of listening pleasure. Yes, I was likely the inventor of the first suitcase stereo system.

I am also the guy who everyone asks for electronics help: “Hey, will you fix my computer/MP3 player/TV/stereo/PlayStation/printer/wireless network?” This query was most often followed with: “Oh, after that, can you assemble this do-it-yourself system that came with 100-step instructions?” or “Hey, you’re good with electronic gizmos. Will you videotape this five-hour presentation, as well as edit it and post it as a Webcast and Podcast?”

From a very young age, I knew I was destined to be an electronics renaissance man. It is a moniker I sport proudly. Heck, I might even add that title to my business card.

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I am certain I am not alone, and I look forward to interacting with other electronics renaissance geeks in this blog. (May I call you geek? It’s another pseudonym I brandish proudly, by the way.)

Today and for the past decade, I have been a mil-aero geek, surrounding myself with all things electronic in military and aerospace environments. After graduating summa cum laude with presidential honors in information systems, I worked in varied fields—ranging from the gallium-arsenide semiconductor industry to the military/avionics market working on vetronics (vehicle-based electronics systems), avionics (airborne electronics), and thermal design, including computational fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering analysis.

Specifically, I worked for TriQuint Semiconductor running a division of its test floor and managing HP 84000 series RFIC test systems using good old HP-UX. I spent the next several years of my career working for Isothermal Systems Research (ISR)/SprayCool (which was recently acquired by Parker Hannifin) designing, building, and testing liquid-cooled computer systems for myriad military and aerospace platforms, including the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Currently, I am writing and consulting with MindShare Resource Solutions (www.consultmindshare.com) in many facets of the information technology and military and aerospace markets.

I continue to be actively involved in electronics design, particularly in mil/aero; as a result, I am always learning and I look forward to sharing the latest and greatest trends and technologies with you. Welcome to the mil-aero blog. I am confident you will enjoy reading and exploring the mil/aero market with me and Mentor Graphics. And please don’t be shy; I hope you, too, will share your thoughts, comments, and experiences in this space.

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