Passions

Embedded Hardware & Software Systems

During my time as a professional engineer I have been expanding my skill set to continually learn and use new tools. A lot of these skill sets have fueled new passions in my personal life and found their way into my personal time. I have also managed to share this knowledge through various social platforms and events.

Hardware and software programming languages have become nearly day to day for me in both designing of professional manufacturing grade support equipment as well as home projects. I have also created various blogs, YouTube tutorials, and am active on forums and other various platforms to help, create, and learn more about embedded hardware circuitry. In line with this, I have designed and built custom PCB designs. I have also pushed this into full hardware/software embedded systems with .NET front end applications and SQL back end databases. Some of my projects are located below along with a link to my YouTube channel and Instructables.com profile where applicable.

A custom built Nixie Clock. The case and front are custom build. The clock has designed and manufactured PCB boards and runs off a microcontroller. It has an estimated 7 year span of keeping time while unplugged.	A completley custom built monopoly board based on a triple AAA video game. This project was submitted and placed in a game themed competition. The link below goes to the Instructables blog. The board was designed in SolidWorks and etched on a fiber-optic laser.	The touch screen interface for a robot bar tender. The user interface allows for drink selection, cleaning operations, purging operations, and is keypad locked for some processes. Runs with 12 peristaltic pumps and a micro controller.
This is a custom built electric safety and audit board. It acts as a safe demonstration to remove and cut off power sources to safely work on them. The board uses voltage dividers, switches, and displays to allow for auditing of safely isolating and removing energy from a system. There is a start button that will turn the border yellow and if all tasks are completed correctly then the border turns green, or red if a mistake is made. The display board then displays the reason for failure.	This is a disco style table built as a Christmas present. It has a lattice structure between the LEDs and lower table top. The LED patterns were designed by myself and run on a microcontroller. YouTube link below.	Resin poured picture frames with coloring powder or coloring alcohol. The middle frame has LEDs embedded into the frame ran by 3 AA batteries.
Custom PCB created as a module based Arduino shield to attach an NRF240L01 to. Shield also has the ability to handle other common components such as relays, various sensors, and I2C components. This shield also communicated with a computer application to transmit data based on a SQL database.	Smart snowboard box. This box can drive LEDs, detect speed, track elevation, and do other tracking functions. All recorded data could be saved into a storage device.	A maple and oak Irish flag built as a Christmas gift with in lay lights.
LED Halloween Costume, composed of a jacket and hat. Costume was redesigned in 2021 to expand from about 400 to 600 LEDs to about 2000 LEDs. Runs on LiPO batteries.	An NRF240L01 paired with 2 hypersonic sensor to detect room entry and exit. Depending on entry or exit systems are turned on or off and time stamps are recorded.	An RC522 RFID scanner paired with an NRF240L01 RF antenna. A ring with an RFID chip inside it can be placed against the RFID scanner and then the RF antenna will switch systems on or off depending on the current state. Time stamps are also taken.
This is an LED strip with a diffuser that is controlled by an Arduino. It has various programmable options.	A wooden hand made and hand painted NC State logo with inlaid lights that can be color changed with an IR remote.	Christmas Gift 2022: This is a resin poured and wooden made chess board that has reactive LEDs underneath the board. The lights are controlled with reed switches and magnets installed to the bottom of the pieces.
Christmas Gift 2022: A hand made mirror with in laid LED strips that can be controlled with a cell phone application. There is a spot light that can add color intensity for picture and color review.	Christmas Gift 2022: This is a 3d printed and painted NC State logo that is encased in a resin poured cube with red leaf paper inside it. The stand is 3d printed and contains an LED panel that is controlled with an Arduino Micro.

Passions

Embedded Hardware & Software Systems

A custom built Nixie Clock. The case and front are custom build. The clock has designed and manufactured PCB boards and runs off a microcontroller. It has an estimated 7 year span of keeping time while unplugged.

A completley custom built monopoly board based on a triple AAA video game. This project was submitted and placed in a game themed competition. The link below goes to the Instructables blog. The board was designed in SolidWorks and etched on a fiber-optic laser.

The touch screen interface for a robot bar tender. The user interface allows for drink selection, cleaning operations, purging operations, and is keypad locked for some processes. Runs with 12 peristaltic pumps and a micro controller.

This is a disco style table built as a Christmas present. It has a lattice structure between the LEDs and lower table top. The LED patterns were designed by myself and run on a microcontroller. YouTube link below.

Resin poured picture frames with coloring powder or coloring alcohol. The middle frame has LEDs embedded into the frame ran by 3 AA batteries.

Custom PCB created as a module based Arduino shield to attach an NRF240L01 to. Shield also has the ability to handle other common components such as relays, various sensors, and I2C components. This shield also communicated with a computer application to transmit data based on a SQL database.

Smart snowboard box. This box can drive LEDs, detect speed, track elevation, and do other tracking functions. All recorded data could be saved into a storage device.

A maple and oak Irish flag built as a Christmas gift with in lay lights.

LED Halloween Costume, composed of a jacket and hat. Costume was redesigned in 2021 to expand from about 400 to 600 LEDs to about 2000 LEDs. Runs on LiPO batteries.

An NRF240L01 paired with 2 hypersonic sensor to detect room entry and exit. Depending on entry or exit systems are turned on or off and time stamps are recorded.

An RC522 RFID scanner paired with an NRF240L01 RF antenna. A ring with an RFID chip inside it can be placed against the RFID scanner and then the RF antenna will switch systems on or off depending on the current state. Time stamps are also taken.

This is an LED strip with a diffuser that is controlled by an Arduino. It has various programmable options.

A wooden hand made and hand painted NC State logo with inlaid lights that can be color changed with an IR remote.

Christmas Gift 2022: This is a resin poured and wooden made chess board that has reactive LEDs underneath the board. The lights are controlled with reed switches and magnets installed to the bottom of the pieces.

Christmas Gift 2022: A hand made mirror with in laid LED strips that can be controlled with a cell phone application. There is a spot light that can add color intensity for picture and color review.

Christmas Gift 2022: This is a 3d printed and painted NC State logo that is encased in a resin poured cube with red leaf paper inside it. The stand is 3d printed and contains an LED panel that is controlled with an Arduino Micro.