I’m an Electrical and Software Engineer with a robust career at Stanley Black & Decker, where I’ve served as Firmware Lead Project Engineer and Electrical/Software Engineering Manager. I’ve worked on firmware development for DeWalt products like 20V cordless nailers, lighting solutions, and expansion tools, including MEP tools and radios, specializing in BLDC motor controls, Li-ion battery management, test equipment, and BLE connectivity. Leading a team of nine, I’ve driven product launches, managed design reviews, and delivered production code releases, while also innovating through rapid prototyping and proof-of-concepts for projects like robot vacuums and pneumatic torque control tools. With over 30 patents, I’ve made a lasting mark on product development and innovation at the company.

Firmware Lead Project Engineer for 20V Cordless Nailers

Role:
Firmware support for legacy, existing & future 20V nailers

DeWalt DCN920/930/950 Gen4 Framing Nailers
     - Sensorless BLDC motor controls
     - 20V LiIon battery management
     - Production code releases

DeWalt DCN692 Framing Nailer, DCN45 Roofing Nailer, DCN680/DCN660 Finish Nailers, Craftsman CM621 Framing Nailer
     - Firmware line maintenance
     - Sensored/Sensorless BLDC motor controls
     - 20V LiIon battery management
   

Electrical/Software Engineering Manager for DeWalt Expansion Products

Role:
Lead a group of 9 people (4 EEs, 4 EE Techs, 1 SoftwareEng) to support DeWalt Expansion Products

DeWalt DCE310, DCE210, DCE600 Gen2 MEP Tools
     - Lead the Software/EE team to final product launch
     - Lead team to design production EOL testers
     - Nightly Engineering & Sourcing calls with manufacturer
     - Design reviews, safety reviews and DFMEAs
     - High level system reviews with cross functional groups
     - IP meetings
     - Component reviews and Sourcing strategy

     Team Deliverables
     - Firmware design
     - Electrical design
     - Calibration design
     - Database design
     - Webpage design
     - Cloud architecture
     - Data privacy adherence
     - BLE connectivity strategy

Electrical/Software Engineering Manager for DeWalt Expansion Products

Role:
Lead a group of 9 people (4 EEs, 4 EE Techs, 1 SoftwareEng) to support DeWalt Expansion Products

DeWalt DCR028, DCR010 and ToughSystem2 Radios
     - Firmware support for DCR028 radio
     - VI for DCR010 BT radio
     - Line maintenance & warranty for ToughSystem2 radio

Lead Project Engineer for DeWalt Expansion Products

Role:
Firmware support for DeWalt lighting products

DCL074 20V/12V Light
     - Production code release
     - BLE testing and development to phone app
     - Design reviews, safety reviews, DFMEA

DCL077 20V/12V Light
     - Production code release
     - Design reviews, safety reviews, DFMEA

Electrical/Software Engineering Manager for DeWalt Expansion Products

Role:
Lead a group of 9 people (4 EEs, 4 EE Techs, 1 SoftwareEng) to support DeWalt Expansion Products

DeWalt Wireless Tool Control (WTC)
     - Firmware support for remote and RF receiver in the
       DCV585 and DWH161 vacss
     - RF compliance testing
     - RF error handling algorithms

DeWalt DCV580, DC515 and DWV905 Vacs
     - Warranty and reliability analysis
     - Supplier QA evaluation
     - Line maintenance EE circuit changes
     - M class algorithm devleopment and testing for AC vacs

Craftsman 120VAC Jointer
     - Waranty and reliability analysis
     - Supplier QA evaluation
     - Line maintenance EE circuit changes

DeWalt DCE040 BLE Tool Adapter
     - Firmware line maintenance support
     - Battery coin cell charging and testing
     - Current consumption analysis

EE/Software Senior Project Engineer

Role:
Firmware support for DeWalt measurement products

DeWalt DCT419 Wall Scanner
     - Rewrote the DCT418 firmware for DCT419 relaunch
     - Extensive testing and BT data collection
     - Improvements to capacitive sensing algo
     - Improvements to the radar processing algo
     - Improvements to the ferrous & non-ferrous sensing algo
     - Improvements to the user interface
     - Extensive bug fixes

EE/Software Senior Project Engineer

Role:
Firmware and EE Support for DeWalt Innovation Projects

Rapid Prototyping & Proof of Concepts
     - Firmware support
     - Circuit design support
     - VIP demos and presentations
     - User field research
     - C# PC Software
     - C# Smart Phone Software
     - Bluetooth
     - 3D Tracking Systems

Software Engineer - Project Engineer

Role:
Production firmware for DeWalt NiCad and LiIon Battery Chargers and Battery Packs. Internal battery cell testing system software.

DeWalt 7.2V to 18V NiCD Chargers
     - Production firmware for every DeWalt NiCad charger
     - Engineering test equipment
     - Algorithm development

DeWalt 24V Fan Cooled NiCD Chargers
     - Production firmware
     - Dataloging
     - Algorithm development

DeWalt 28V/36V LiIon Charger and Battery Pack
     - Production charger firmware
     - Produciton smart battery firmware
     - AFE ASIC specifications
     - Algorithm development

DeWalt 18V LiIon Charger and Battery Pack
     - Charger system architecture
     - Smart battery system architecture
     - Discrete AFE design

DeWalt Battery Cell Test Equipment - Networked Based
     - System architecture
     - Visual Basic
     - SQL
     - HTML, ASP
     - Serial comms
     - Windows networking

Senior Project Engineer for Consumer Products

Role:
Engineer for Sourced Robot Vacs

B&D SmartTech Robot Vac
     - Product specifications
     - Competitive teardowns
     - Cleaning algorithm evaluations
     - Supplier selection
     - IP clearance
     - International travel to China and UK

Lead Project Engineer for DeWalt Innovations

Role:
EE & Firmware Support for Pneumatic Torque Control

NextGen MacTools Pneumatic Torque Control
     - Torque control algorithms
     - IP development
     - Tool firmware (DSP, RS422)
     - Base station firmware (LCD, keypad, USB host, RS422)
     - Tool and base station electronics design

I hit the lottery with this dream job! I would described it as a combination of NASA, Myth Busters and Disney World. We were funded by the government to research and demo advance robotic technologies to help save the lives of soldiers. I'll never forget my time here, especially working with all the top notch Engineers, Scientists and Technicians who were so dedicated to the mission.

My first project at GDRS was to upgrade the DC to DC power system and electronics packaging in the Foster Miller, Talon IED tanked robot. It's shown in the back of my Ford Explorer for a demo at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. While my focus was on the electronics, I also machined a bunch of aluminum brackets using a manual Bridgeport mill.

Also shown are the robotic dummies I developed to test our LIDAR based pedestrian avoidance sysytem. I developed all the electronics, software and mechanics for a winch based cable control system that moved the dummies attached to a dolly.

Shown is a robotic jeep built for our government customer, TARDEC (Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center).

I was the EE responsible for the vehicle electrical system integration. I had 3 technicians working under me.

Key responsibilities were:
     - Power Distribution System
     - Alternator upgrades
     - PC/104 based autonomous mobility computer system
     - PCIe computer system for navigation & perception
     - LIDAR, Fiber Optic Gyro, Differential GPS integration
     - Drive-by-wire CAN based modules
     - RF COMMS modules integration
     - Wire harness design and fabrication

I was the lead EE for designing a low cost drive-by-wire system for the HMMWV vehicle. The goal was to design a single electronics chassis that contained the compute and drive-by-wire electronics to easily retrofit vehicles to make them robotic. The steering, brake, throttle and transmission actuators were also designed to be easily retrofittable.

I was also the lead EE for integrating Crew Stations into the back of the 8 wheeled armored Stryker vehicles made by General Dynamics. These crew stations allowed for the vehicle to be driven by soldiers using an indirect video system consisting of cameras mounted to the outside of the vehicle and with low latency video shown on the Crew Station monitors. The soldiers could steer the vehicle using a yoke steering system that was CAN based and completley drive-by-wire.

I got to drive some bad-ass vehicles. The M113 tank was smooth as butter when driven over the grass fields.

For the Styrker vehicle, I wasn't trained to drive the stock controls but because of the Crew Station cameras and yoke, I could drive the vehicle using the indirect driving system. The key to not feeling sick when driving by a video camera was the low latency video feeds to the Crew Station monitors and the fast response of the yoke drive-by-wire steering.

I entered a NASA Competition for 3D Printing
Habitat on Mars

I entered the Instructable's ShopBot contest and won
1st Place with my Storagebot project.

Instructable.com Project Link:

StorageBot

I entered the Irobot Create contest and won 1st
place for my Home Robot project.

Instructables.com Project Link:

Personal Home Robot