Donald T. Starr

1184 Deerpath Road

Franktown, CO 80116

don@starrsoft.com

 

Qualifications

Extensive experience in software and digital hardware design for both embedded targets and PC systems, from initial engineering concepts to finished product. Mastery of C, C++, and various assembly languages. Hardware design experience with several processor architectures. Expertise in real-time control system design and programming, communications systems, embedded systems, and Win32 (C++, MFC, API), including IPC, GUI, multithreaded applications, and Winsock. Experienced with schematic capture and CAD systems.

Experience

2013 Present      Consultant - Dean Miller Associates (Menlo Park, CA)

Developed Win32 software for real-time control, display, and user interface for medical ultrasound imaging product. Hardware control and data collection via external ultrasound hardware using TCP/IP. Image data and user info (depth markers, measurements, etc.) rendered via DirectX. Software developed in C++ using Visual Studio 2010 and MFC.

 

2006 2013          Consultant - PMMI Consulting (Sterling, VA)

Responsible for design and development of all firmware and PC software tools for scanning radio receivers manufactured by General Research of Electronics (GRE). Designed digital hardware using Renesas M62P and Microchip PIC18F microcontrollers. Implemented all real-time operating code, USB and SD card interfaces, FAT file system and library (fopen, etc.), DSP (TMS320) boot loading, LCD and keypad interfaces, all user interface code, control of RF hardware (tuning, etc.), audio recording and playback, optimized data storage mechanisms, etc.. Decoded various radio data protocols used in public safety radio systems (Motorola, EDACS, LTR, Project 25, NWR SAME, etc.).

See http://www.greamerica.com/scanners.html for actual products developed:

         Handhelds: PSR-500, PSR-310, PSR-700, PSR-800

         Desktops: PSR-600, PSR-410

         RadioShack versions: PRO-106, PRO-197, PRO-107, PRO-18

 

2001 - Present         Self

Developed several Windows apps for programming various police scanners, some freeware, others as paid shareware. Available for download/evaluation at http://www.starrsoft.com.

PC products support the GRE-made scanners above, plus older GRE-made radio scanners marketed by RadioShack.

 

1996 - 2006             ICTV, Inc.

Los Gatos, CA

(Now ActiveVideo Networks, San Jose, CA)

(Interactive cable television systems)

Senior Systems Software Engineer, Project Lead

Developed client software for various digital cable TV set top boxes (including Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, Pace, etc.). Coded to / interfaced with the boxes' operating systems, as well as middleware and electronic program guides (TV Guide, Liberate, etc.). Code written in C, C++, Java, and JavaScript. Developed and implemented new communications protocol between cable company head-end and custom telco and RF set top devices. Worked with hardware engineers to specify requirements of the underlying PGA and CPU. Designed and implemented software for existing digital set top boxes to communicate over cable network to ICTV equipment at the cable head-end. Implemented software at the head-end to communicate with the remote devices. Designed multiple Microchip PIC based devices to remotely control PC motherboard state (power, etc.), to gather data from PC joysticks for the above set top devices, and to print to standard PC printers over the cable network.

 

1995 - 1996             Neuroguard, Inc.

Fremont, CA

(Acquired by Nicolet Biomedical in 1997)

(Doppler ultrasound systems for monitoring intracranial blood flow)

Staff Software Engineer

Maintained and repaired the products existing code. Developed extensive report-generation application (Win32, GUI) for current and future products. Part of a team that developed a Win32-based system designed to support both the companys current platform (analog front ends, timing controller, single DSP), as well as future systems (digital front end, integrated controller + multiple DSPs). In this project, responsible for system architecture, interprocess communication, network application interface, and display and archival of trended data.

 

1991 - 1995             Medical Data Electronics, Inc.

Arleta, CA

(Acquired by Thermo Electron Corp. in 1996)

(Portable patient monitors, defibrillators, and associated RF networks)

Software Engineer

Responsible for all communications subsystems used by patient monitoring systems, implementing HDLC, SDLC Loop, and various async protocols. Designed and coded RF, IR, and wired networks across multiple platforms with token-ring and star configurations, most using OSI-type layering. Developed several SBCs using HD64180 and i960 processors, as well as various serial controllers, A/D converters, etc.. Major accomplishments include implementation of RF network to gather patient data to central nurses station as well as coordination of data between multiple processors within bedside patient monitor.

Education

                              California State University, Northridge

Three years study toward BS Mathematics / Computer Science.

 

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