Summary

I am an experienced programmer and toolsmith, with particular skills in C, Python and (embedded) Linux. I write clear, easy to maintain code. I am adaptable, interested in and able to take on new fields and skills as necessary. I am self motivated, enthusiastic, able to work independently or as part of a team, and have good communication skills.

I have active skills in:

C, Python, Pyrex, cross-compilation toolchains, embedded Linux on MIPS and ARM, shell scripting (Unix and Windows), HTML, XHTML, cvs, svn and bzr, Busybox, Vim and [X]Emacs.

and significant past experience with:

Java (including JNI), Lull, TeX/LaTeX, XML and XML-Schema, object-oriented database design and implementation.

I have experience with national and international standards, both in creating and using them. I have experience working within a successful ISO 9001 (TickIt) accredited system.

Experience

From 1980 to 2003 I worked in the field of digital cartography, or GIS (geographical information systems) as it became, for Laser-Scan (some of the time on secondment to Glasgow University).

I was a core developer of their digital cartographic tools, and acted as technical liaison to OS(GB) and MCE(RE). I was also one of the original three developers of their GIS, introducing and supporting the company's use of C, Emacs and LaTeX, and developing the original storage/persistence modules and many of the core utility modules. I had a particular responsibility for transfer formats, writing support software for many formats, providing general in-house expertise, and acting on several related standards committees. I also consistently acted as a toolsmith, gathering common code into libraries, maintaining documentation and testing systems, generating useful tools, etc.

From 2004 to the present, I have been working in set-top box (STB) development, for SJ Consulting, Amino Communications Ltd. and (currently) Kynesim Ltd.

Here, I have worked on integration of Linux on embedded systems, specifically variants of TI AR7 (MIPS) and TI DaVinci (ARM), written tools to manipulate, diagnose and stream MPEG TS, PS and ES data and worked at all levels of the software stack, including browser support. On the DaVinci variant, I determined the initial cross-compilation toolchain, developed a serial bootloader and UBL (user bootloader), developed the filesystems to be used, worked on initial graphics driver support, etc.

I am also involved in the local Python user group (CamPUG), currently acting as Secretary, and administrate the open-source tstools package, a set of cross-platform command line tools for working with MPEG data, and kbus, a lightweight messaging system for embedded Linux platforms.