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Ralph Holland: Development Experience
Period | Role | Technology/Application |
---|---|---|
Nov 97 to present | Managing Director Arising Technology Systems Pty Limited ACN 079 817 342 | Information Technology Consultancy. (Enterprise Application Development, C++, Forte, C#, Perl and Java.) GIS development, antenna simulation and firmware design. |
Apr 2015 – present | Chief Technology Officer, founding director, N4RC Pty Ltd | Hardware and Software ideas shop. |
Nov 2018 - present | High Performance Computer Security Specialist Engineer |
Defence Science and Technology. Perl, C++, scripting and all sorts of stuff to implements jails and chroot type compartmentalisation: Redhat Linux. |
2018 | systems engineer | Developed an NTP server using chrony and GPS derived 1PPS and two of my raspberry pi that are feeding flightaware data. I did this because I want more accurate time to improve the precision of multilateration for my own experiments, and for my mobile piaware. My network time on my two 1PPS receivers is more accurate than the local university ntp pool, and I have purchased more GPS boards and need to purchase some more pis! The only improvement I could realise is to use dedicated hardware that has hardware timestamps in the Network Interface Controller chip. |
2016 | System Engineer | Deployed a few flightaware transceivers for contribution to aircraft multi-lateralisation. Raspberry Pi and UHF antenna and Software Defined Radio installation. Oh - one installation also contains web-cam snap-shot and labelling (all done via bash-scripting and linux commands) http://www.flyoz.com.au/n4rc, note the weather overlay - I did that too. (Sorry about the cob-webs reflecting in the IR; the flying school instructor always somehow forget to clean the camera lenses, so I have to fly up to do maintenance - lol). That is a link to a test page that nobody is supposed to look at - I must remove the extra image links - I deleted the delivery of high res images because their new website FTP server was too slow and ruining the upload timings resulting in delayed-time stamps on the images. These images are fed into OzRunways and AvPlan Electronic Flight Book systems for other pilots consumption (hence the advertising). |
2016 | Developer | Fixed faults in SDR software for piAware. piAware C code. |
2015 | Developer | Developed fixed-point DSP SELCAL encode and decode logic for pic DSP. Aviation and Amateur Radio |
2014 | RF Engineer | Designed the HF transceiver installation in my aircraft: developed the audio interface circuitry, which included the impedance matching for the microphone input, and its frequency tailoring to eliminate the “boxy” noise caused by the aircraft engine, and designed the audio output impedance matching all with passive components to avoid failure modes.)
Designed the placement of the antenna and antenna-tuner and the routing of all cables, and the transceiver grounding to minimize interference by and to/with the aircraft avionics. I even designed the antenna shackle mounting arrangement and the stringer-doubler plate with a strain relief rivet to avoid aircraft skin cracking around the feed-through insulator. Radio communications and electronics. |
2011 | Engineer | Designer of Seven-of-nine, a Covert Passive Collector for aircraft multi-lateralisation position reporting. (This was designed before the mandate for mode-ES - aircraft extended squitters and before I adopted flightaware.) Hardware UHF Analogue to Digital (direct) receiver and associated digital processing. No local oscillators – to keep it covert. |
2011 - ongoing | Software Architect | Designed and developed IR-GIS ® MapView for displaying vehicle positions, and IR-GIS ® Historical Pullback Server for recording position reports and attributed text in real-time for historical recall and display in MapView. All developed in Java (highly concurrent and performant). |
Nov 2009 – 2010 | Product Owner | Product Owner (Business Analyst and Customer Representative) for a team of 5 using Agile Scrum development. Defence. |
2011 | Architect/Senior Developer | Developed maritime trackers in Java (after having developed Aviation trackers to cope with 20 seconds of jitter using Kalman filters). |
Nov 2006 - Jul 2017 | Senior Developer for Production Systems Defence | Signal processing (C++), Protocol extraction (C++), Estimation and Correlation (Java), Regression Test-bed development (Java, Ant, Junt, Sql-unit, Cobertura, eclipse RCP and Cruise Control), World Projections (C++). GIS (ESRI), Google KML, and then http://ir-gis. Air Traffic Network decoding of position reports and telex, multi-headed radar fusion and dynamic earth model adjustments. |
2013 - 2017 | Senior Security Developer | Attribute Based Access Control systems Java. ASD |
2010 | Senior Developer | Regression Test Bed design and implementation (Java.) |
2009 | Senior Developer | Developed Kalman filters for tracking aircraft with up to 20 seconds of jitter (Java real-time processing). |
Oct 2005 to Nov 2006 | Support specialist | ASD Defence, metadata (SQL) and application dev. (C) |
Nov 2002 to Oct 2005 | Senior Developer/Architect | Centrelink, Canberra. JavaScript, Forte, DHTLM, XSLT, Java, Enterprise web applications. |
Nov 2001 - Nov 2002 | Senior Developer | DFAT, Forte 4GL (3.0N.9) migration from Unix to Windows 2000/NT and some C++ support. |
Mar 2001 – Nov 2001 | Forte Mentor and Senior Developer | Framework Architect, Performance Analyst - Technology Partners Group.Forte Web Enterprise, Forte 4GL/UDS, XML, DOM, Forte/UDS, some html and Java script. |
Jan 2000 – Mar 2000 | Architect and Senior Developer | for Thelma, a health-based Java E-commerce project deployed at ICS global (Sydney), whilst consulting to Technology Partners Group, Newcastle. Java B2B E-commerce development with JRun application server, Oracle JBuilder and Oracle 8i. |
Nov 2000 - Dec 2000 | Performance Consultant | CSC Australia Melbourne E-tag tollway project. Forte 4GL middleware on a Sun Cluster (using Oracle 8i) |
May 1998 – Oct 2000 | Senior Developer and OOD mentor | deployed at DFAT by BHP-IT. Rational Rose UML/RUP, Forte 4GL middleware, C++, C and scripting languages. |
Sep 1997 – Mar 1998 | Senior Developer/Team Leader | Network Protocol and Framework Architect, Air Data Technologies. Embedded Radio Network for remote power metering. |
Sep 1997 – 1998 | Embedded Communication System designer | developed portable communication protocols for support over MOBITEX and TETRA radio protocols, Air Data Technologies. Embedded processors and radio networking. |
1997 | Systems Engineer/RF Engineer | Contributed to a small part of the design of Anzac phased-array radar system (while at CEA) by suggesting that mixed-polarisation was required, because circularly polarized signals are reflected back at the opposite polarisation due to the reflection boundary.
Antenna theory |
1996 – 1997 | Amateur Radio/Engineer | Numerous HF antenna designs and installations that have been published and in use world-wide Amateur Radio. |
Oct 1995 – Sep 1997 | Senior Systems Engineer | CEA Technologies. Mine Hunter communication’s system (hardware). |
1995 - 1997 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Designed and built axial mode helical antennas for NVIS. (Research project at CEA Technologies.) Amateur Radio. |
1997 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Built and designed common-mode rejection baluns and filters for LF through to HF. Amateur Radio |
1996 | Sys Eng | Developed FPLA generated RFDS SELCAL. Electronics. |
1996 | System Engineer (rf) | Proposed the broad-band RX antenna design for the Mine Hunter. |
1996 | System Engineer (rf) | Proposed the broad-band VHF-UHF TX antenna design for the Mine hunter. |
1996 | System Engineer (rf) | Proposed the omni-directional SATCOM antenna design for the Minehunter. |
1996 | System Engineer (rf) | Contributed to the design of the hi-dynamic range common-mode-rejection differential amplifiers for the Mine Hunter broad-band receive antenna. |
Jan 1996 | System Engineer (software) | Debugged the firmware for one of the CEA Technology Software Defined radios (it took me 10 minutes to read the instruction set and 15 minutes to fix it) – the engineer trying to get this to work was causing a floating-point overflow which was causing the DSP to reset and the I/Q audio recovery to have clicks (each time the processor reset). DSP assembly language |
Nov 1996 | Project Manager | Integration of Compucat Maritime Message Switch into the Mine Hunter Communication’s system |
1996 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Sailor ATU 1500 modifications, Amateur Radio magazine, 1996. |
1995 | Amateur Radio Engineer | ATU Modification for the Kenwood TS440-S/AT, Amateur Radio magazine, November 1995. |
Nov 1995 – Sep 2007 | Systems Engineer | Developed code that performed cable sizing and least-path placement for the Mine Hunter power and signal buses. |
Nov 1995 – Sep 2007 | Systems Engineer | Sourced components and designed the Mine Hunter telephone hybrid circuit for land-line to ships coms connection. Mine Hunter communication bus telephone interface. CEA Technologies |
Nov 1995 – Sep 1997 | System Engineer (rf) | Simulated the HF antenna on the Mine Hunter for near-field verification that common-mode choke placements were required on Mine Hunter communication bus and wiring. Antenna Simulation (Java and FORTRAN) Mine Hunter Systems Engineering. |
Nov 1994 – Oct 1995 | Flix Group Manager, Designer and Developer | Proprietary 5GL database project (implemented in Pascal). |
Nov 1993 - 1994 | Developed the replacement (portable) Compucat Maritime Message Switch, thus familiar with defence messaging, C++ et al. ACP-127, Link-11 and Link-16 etc. | |
1994 | Architect | Proprietary Exception replacement mechanism (C++). Architect proprietary memory allocation routines (Pascal) and Memory allocation for microprocessors and IBM/PCs (C++) Compucat Pt Ltd. |
Nov 1993 – Nov 1994 | Project Manager | Compucat Pty Limited. Protocol, Storage and Interface Architect. Compucat’s first C++ and Object Oriented Development. Also first project certified under AS3901. |
Oct 1989 – Nov 1993 | Research Engineer / Senior Analyst Programmer | Compucat Pty Limited. C, Pascal, C++ on Windows, Solaris and Unix platforms. |
Aug 1993 – Nov 1993 | Research Engineer / Senior Analyst Programmer | Developed Fixed and Floating point to integer processor libraries and Z-buffering graphics rendering. Compucat Fleetwork Trainer. |
1993 | Architect | Event-driven Multitasking environment for Borland Pascal DOS applications - used as a basis for Fleet Work Trainer program Compucat
Pascal/Assembly language |
1993 | Architect | micro-second precision Event Monitor and program performance metering for PC compatibles). Compucat. Pascal and IBM pc Assembly language |
Aug 1993 – Nov 1993 | Project Controller/Team Leader/Architect | Fleetwork Trainer (used by the RAN and NZ Navy), Compucat. Pascal and Proprietary motion engine. Assembly language. |
1990 – 2000 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Implemented various antenna tuning techniques, including modification to military and ships surplice equipment.
Amateur Radio |
1990 – 1995 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Simulated antennas and verified them by building; my specialty was compact and elevated HF ground-plane antennas and NVIS. I have several publications in this regard, and one publication in a per-reviewed paper validating NEC-2D (which was reviewed by the NEC-2D author as it turns out). Amateur Radio |
1991 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Designed and developed un-powered Voice Activated switches for transceivers, and transceiver links using transformers and MOSFETs that operated without external power supplies. Amateur Radio |
1990 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Designed and developed compact 160 m HF antennas for mobile use. Amateur Radio |
1990 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Obtained unrestricted (full call advanced) Amateur Licence VK1BRH. Morse Code and advanced Radio theory. |
Jan 1986 – Oct 1986 | Technical Liaison Officer | deployed at Prime R&D Boston MA, by Prime R&D Australia. Proprietary operating system (PRIMOS). Development languages: FORTRAN, PL1/G, SPL, Assembly language and INFO/BASIC. |
1986 | Architect | Designed and developed a new Database interpreter for Prime INFORMATION (PMA) which achieved up to 6 times performance improvement. Prime R&D. Prime 32R Assembly Language |
1984 – Oct 1989 | Senior Software Engineer | Team Leader, Performance Analyst, Prime R&D Australia. Proprietary operating system (PRIMOS) (based on Multix – the precursor of Unix.) Development languages: FORTRAN, PL1/G, SPL, Assembly language and INFO/BASIC. Proprietary INFORMATION 4GL database. |
1982 | Software Engineer | Developed their BASIC interpreter (C), a PDP-11 emulator (PMA), a Z80 emulator (PMA) - using Prime Assembly Language and
C language. |
1980 | Architect | Architected a Semaphore-based operating system for PRIMOS subsequently used for teaching at the NSWIT. FORTRAN IV and PLP |
1980 – 1984 | Tutor | NSWIT (now University of Technology), Broadway Sydney. Mini Pascal compiler (Pascal), BNF table driven parser (C), Table-driven diss-assembler (PLP), Ada subset compiler (PL1/G), Academic environment tutoring for wide range of subjects including, Mathematics, Assembly languages, Languages and Processors (compiler theory), Network Analysis, Micro-controller laboratory etc. |
1980 | Teacher | Qualified NSW Science and Mathematics teacher, Department of Education. Physics, Chemistry, Computing. |
1980 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Built a frequency counter coupled with the high-impedance buffer amplifier to repair HF transceivers. Amateur Radio and Electronics |
1980 | Amatuer Radio Engineer | Designed and published high-impedance RF buffer amplifiers circuit so I could signal-trace and tune all the oscillators in a HF transceiver that I repaired – without loading the oscillators. Amateur Radio and Electronics |
1970 - 2000 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Developed RF power amplifiers class: A, A/B, C and D spanning from LF to UHF Hardware developed under amateur radio licence VK2ZZB and later VK1BRH. |
1975 | Amateur Engineer | Developed V.21 frequency shift-keying 600 baud phone modem, plus V.22 1200 baud tape modem. Electronics and Computing |
1972 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Rewound a 250 volt laboratory variac that had some burnt-out turns on the later half of the winding. Electronics |
1970 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Designed switch-mode Triac power-supplies (regulating the primary main-supply side of the transformer). Electronics |
1970 | Amateur Astronomer | Designed and developed a variable frequency inverter drive for synchronous motors used for astronomical telescope tracking. Electronics. |
1970 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Developed Buck and Boost switch-mode power-supplies before the advent of “jungle” chips. Electronics. |
1970 | Amateur Radio Engineer | Obtained Amateur Call sign VK2ZZB. Built amplifiers, transmitters and some transceivers. Electronics and Radio theory. |
1969 | Electronics Hobbyist | Rewound power a drill armature – because my father's drill blew-up and he said I can have it if I fixed it, and then he showed me how to fix it (my dad was an electrical turner and fitter by trade). Electromechanical. |
1967 | Electronics Hobbyist | Designed 400 Watt adjustable linear power supply for my father using a large TV transformer and my own-regulator design. Voltage would only boost up by a faction of a volt under a 30 amp load due to the compensation and voltage sense in my regulator design. Electronics, |
1966 | Electronics Hobbyist | Rewinding valve TV mains transformers for power supplies that I designed. Electronics. |
1961 | Show-off at 4 | Light and Morse Key circuit soldered at home direct to batteries and switches etc and taken to school (at age 4).
My father made me a soldering iron and taught me to solder at age 4 and I started school a year earlier than most. Electronics. |