James Boyd Life Senior

Tagline
Microcontroller-based Designs for Consumer And Industrial Products
Contact
Biography
I am an independent consultant with more than 40 years of consulting experience, spanning a variety of design disciplines. A brief outline of my services given below. I perform design projects on a Time & Materials or Fixed-Fee basis involving hardware and/or firmware design in the following areas: [] Real-Time Microcontroller Firmware Design ( in C and ASM ) [] Single-Chip Microcontroller Hardware Design ( PIC, dsPIC, others ) [] Wireless data transmission (RF, IR, AC Power-Line) [] RS-485, USB, Ethernet & CAN-Bus Networks [] Telephony, Motion and Lighting Applications [] Analog / Digital Design [] PCB Design (Altium Designer). I am an Authorized Microchip Design Partner (PREFERRED-Level). Complete in-house development support is available for the full line of Microchip (PIC) microcontrollers. I also held the position of Consulting Editor of the popular Ideas for Design section of ELECTRONIC DESIGN magazine from 1995 to 2001.
Technical Expertise
Consumer Electronics
Instrumentation and Controls
Embedded Systems, Hardware, Software and Controls
New Product Development
Microprocessors
Circuits and Printed Circuit Design
Troubleshooting
Expert Witness
Special Skills
Technical Specialties
Microcontroller-based consumer product and industrial control design since 1978. Microchip PIC microcontrollers and microprocessors. Authorized Microchip Design Partner (GOLD-Level); Authorized Altium Service Bureau; Certified Hi-Tech C Expert. Hardware Design - Analog and Digital. Real-Time embedded firmware in Assembly and C (CCS, HiTech C, XC8, XC16, XC32, MPLAB Harmony). Altium PCB design, schematic capture and documentation. USB, Ethernet, RS-485, SPI, I2C, CAN-Bus interfaces. Wireless communications � ISM, cordless telephony (custom protocols), Bluetooth, Wifi, Zigbee, MiFi. Battery-powered systems. Troubleshooting. Design Reviews. Expert Witness. Patent Evaluation and Infringement Testimony. Technical Writing. Consulting Editor, Ideas For Design section of ELECTRONIC DESIGN from 1995-2001. Full Microchip� Support - PIC10, PIC12, PIC16, PIC18, dsPIC, PIC24, PIC32; MPLAB; MPLABX. Cypress pSoC, Atmel AVR, ATTiny, ARM Cortex, 8051 Series. Wireless Data Transmission (RF, IR, AC Power-Line). Data Acquisition, ADC, Low-noise circuits for thermocouples, strain gauge and vacuum sensors. LED Lighting and Motion Controls and PWM control. FreeRTOS. Industrial Controls and Smart Sensors. Windows-based development environment: Word, Excel, Access, Visio.
Additional Specialties
Authorized Microchip Design Partner (PREFERRED-Level); Authorized Altium Service Bureau; Certified Hi-Tech C Expert. Assembly and C (CCS, HiTech C, XC8, XC16, XC32, MPLAB Harmony). Altium Designer PCB. Full Microchip� Support - PIC10, PIC12, PIC16, PIC18, dsPIC, PIC24, PIC32; MPLAB; MPLABX. Cypress pSoC Designer, Atmel AVR Studio, Windows-based development environment: Word, Excel, Access, Visio.
Experience
V.P. Engineering/Director Engineering
XL Research Inc.
Employment Settings
Employment Preferences
  • Employment Type
    Consultant, Contract Employee
  • Desired Salary
    Not Applicable
  • Travel
    None
  • Available for International Assignments
    No
  • Commute
    Not Applicable
Education
Cooper Union
Bachelor of Engineering
Engineering , 1975