Resume: Philip Karras, Consulting Software Engineer

Philip Karras

PHILIP KARRAS page 1 of 3 [C] (301) 471-2596
3305 Hampton Court [H] (301) 829-3260
Mt. Airy, MD 21771 [E] philip_karras@yahoo.com

PROFILE:

Creative and dynamic problem-solving Senior Software Engineer with extensive experience in device and software testing, embedded programming, application programming, database development, web development, optical engineering, fluid dynamics, medical imaging, RFI/EMI mitigation, op-amp circuit redesign, wireless signal measurement and testing, and antenna testing and design with complete life-cycle experience in government and for-profit environments. I have the ability to pick up programming languages, protocols, and operating systems quickly. I tend to think outside the box when solving problems and will use all my experience to solve problems in unique ways.

SELECTED ACHEVIEMENTS

Hold patent #4,464,054 for Colorimeter instrument with fiber optic ring illuminator.

Was the technical editor for: Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours, 3^rd Edition by Michael Moncur, pub: SAMS.
Author for numerous articles in three radio related magazines on power supplies, maintaining batteries, antennas, and using JavaScript for databases and hiding e-mail addresses.

Languages, Tools: UNIX - DOS - Windows (3.1 - NT) - JavaScript - Java - Java applets - CGI/Perl - PHP - DHTML - HTML - FORTRAN - PIC C, DeSmet C - Microsoft/Visual C++ - Borland C/C++ - Quick & Visual Basic - SQL - Betrieve - DB_File - db_VISTA - ORACLE RDBMS - SQL - SAS

Microprocessor programming experience: NEC Vr4310, Motorola 6800, 6809, 68340, Intel 8080, 8085, 8088, 80286, 80386, 80486, Microchip PIC16C843. Designed and built an 8080-based microcomputer. Paradigm emulator/debugger experience

Syntek Systems Corp 1999 - 2003

EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Developed design verification tests, using embedded assembly language under VxWorks on the NEC Vr4310, for the motherboard of a commercial satellite-to-ground station packet transmitter/receiver with multimedia functionality. Tests and product introduction were completed on time.
Worked on the Fax Interface Module (FIM) adding embedded V.23 communications capability, using Microsoft C on a proprietary RTOS as well as VAX-based tools.
Created two Java utilities, one to test server response time and another to test for bad links in a web page. These helped customers clean up their web presence.

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Designed a Perl on-line DB_File database supported by D/HTML and a JavaScript shopping cart. This increased sales and decreased web-product upkeep costs.
Worked as a test-engineering consultant on RF-related software. This software saved the costs of installing in-the-field hardware replacements.

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Syntek Systems Corp (continued) 1999 - 2003

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Supervised two software engineers to help solve problems and bring the projects to completion. In one case, the problems were solved and the project continued without my assistance. In the other case, the problems were solved and I was asked to take over the project.

Innovative Solutions Group (Software Engineer) 1998 - 1999

APPLICATION PROGRAMMING

Wrote texture analysis tools for feature extraction and image quality checking. These were faster and more reliable than those previously available.
Created digital image feature extraction software to bring out wetlands. This ability was added to our feature extraction software.
Designed and coded a polynomial curve-fitting method to help extract roads from digital images. This routine was more accuate and faster than those previously used.

SFA (Medical Imaging Physicist) 1997 - 1998

APPLICATION PROGRAMMING

Developed software in C/C++ for laboratory experiment control, rotational stages, data acquisition, and analysis. This allowed us to control the experiments more reliably and to analyze more data.
Performed data conversion programming in C/C++. This made it easier for us to do our statistical research.
Evaluated optical Mammography standards, sensitometers, densitometers, light boxes, and performed contrast enhancement studies. In one case, I developed a more accurate software evaluation routine.

DATABASE PROGRAMMING

Used SAS and ORACLE SQL programs for (FDA) MQSA data reduction and evaluation. These reports were used to improve equipment standards.

Marsh-McBirney, Inc. (Senior Design Engineer) 1995 - 1997

EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Developed and maintained embedded firmware for the Flo-System family of water flow measurement instruments in C and assembly for the 68000 family. My additions improved the reliability; customers responded by making these instruments our best-selling product.
Created communications control software in C for the Flo-Tote using a PIC16C843. This added feature broadened our communication ability.

APPLICATION PROGRAMMING

Designed drilling control software in C using serial and parallel communications. This made the manufacturing process more repeatable and saved time and money.

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Marsh-McBirney, Inc. (continued) 1995 - 1997

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Managed the Flo-System family of water flow measurement instruments. After joining the company, I got these instruments to manufacturing with all the firmware and hardware problems solved. This family of instruments became the best seller.

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Molecular Physics (Laser optics/Software Consultant) 1995

Built and aligned a high-power IR laser for sample destruction tests.
Wrote laser control software. This application added precise timing control of the laser firing.
Created sample alignment and positioning control software. This application added precise timing and positioning control of the sample under test.

NACE International (Senior Software Engineer) 1986 - 1995

DATABASE APPLICATION PROGRAMMING

Added features and enhancements to both Web and PC C# -Visual Studio, MS SQL database programs for the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory.
Designed databases and user interfaces to build SQL queries for the NACE-NIST Corrosion Data Center using Oracle and MS C.
Wrote databases in ORACLE, db_VISTA, NOVELL XQL, and others in BASIC, C, and C++. All of these were developed on time, within budget, and were profitable.

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Designed and managed the NACE-NIST Corrosion Data Center's software coding standards and code-library system.
Managed a multi-program, multi-year project developing software to address corrosion problems for the electric power industry. This five-year project was completed within budget.

EDUCATION

M.A. Physics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
B.S. Physics, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Spent junior year at Phillips Universität in Marburg, Germany
Continuing Education - 44 continuing education credits in analog and digital electronics and in microprocessor programming and voice synthesis.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

VxWorks, JavaScript, Java, Perl, PHP, and C# - Visual Studio.

OTHER INFORMATION

Member: American Radio Relay League, FCC Amateur Extra Class License.

Member number:8384
Additional Contact information is available on the Information Page.
Software Contractors' Guild (www.scguild.com)
Copyright(c) 1995 - 2001 Philip Karras and Software Contractors' Guild, Post Office Box 257,Nottingham, NH USA 03290-0257