Discipline

Over thirty years of engineering experience in electrical and electronic engineering investigations, including all aspects of the design, fabrication, production, and operation, patent infringement analysis, reverse engineering, product teardowns and failure analysis of electrical and electronic devices and products as well as computer systems, hardware and software. 

He has extensive experience in consulting and forensic engineering services for attorneys and insurance companies regarding fire origin and cause (O&C) investigations, lightning investigations, telecommunication/data network engineering, industrial automation and control products/applications and electrical product testing and compliance (UL, CE and FCC) in the design phase, and in post-design product failure analysis, including power and signal line surge analysis.

Has also served as an expert witness and forensic engineer on many cases involving a wide variety of electrical and electronic devices and applications. Some projects have focused on fire hazards, and others dealt with shock and operator safety. He has also analyzed designs in reference to user abuse and unintended operation, which is often an overlooked aspect in most product safety reviews.

Academic Background

  • Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1993
  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 1980

 

Continuing Education and Additional Academic Achievements

  • Professional Energy Manager (PEM) certification from the North Carolina State University and Schneider Electric SA’s Energy University
  • Currently preparing for the Certified Energy Auditor (CEATM) certification from the Association of Energy Engineers
  • Power Quality Professional (CPQ) Certification, September 2013
  • National Electric Code Training – 2013 (Three day course), Keith Educational Seminars, Wilmington, NC
  • NAFI CFEI (Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator), 2013
  • Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering, 2012, (Three-day course), Henry Ott Consultants
  • NEBS Conference, 2010, Verizon and UL (Compliance for Wireless and Broadband Networks)
  • North Carolina State University – Post Masters Degree
  • ASIC Design (ECE520), 2008
  • National Electrical Code Seminar, Oct. 2002
  • High Speed Networks (ECE570), 1997
  • Computer Communications (ECE571), 1996
  • Electromagnetic Fields and Systems (ECE540 ), 1995
  • Fire Detection and Investigation, 2005, Durham Tech, Course # FIP 128, Durham, NC
  • Product Liability: Understanding the design Process, 2004. The Warren Group
  • Residential Home Inspector, April 2004. Wake Tech Community College, NC
  • National Electrical Code Seminar, October 2002, North Carolina State University
  • C Programming for Engineers, 1994, University of Massachusetts
  • Electromagnetic Interference and Compliance Seminar, 1993, Interference Control Technology Inc.
  • Industrial Computers and Programmable Logic Controllers, 1993,  Square D Company
  • Quality Engineering Theory, Practices and Principles, 1988, Stat-A-Matrix Institute

Professional Credentials

  • Professional Engineer
  • North Carolina License PE # 021552
  • South Carolina License PE # 30445
  • Virginia License PE # 0402-051757
  • Georgia PE # 038712
  • Tennessee PE # 117314
  • West Virginia PE # 20720
  • CFEI – Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (# 10672-10121)
  • CPQ – Certified Power Quality Professional
  • US Security Clearance (Inactive)

 

Professional Experience

RTI Group, LLC, Stevensville, MD, Electrical and Electronic Engineer Consultant,  2014 – present

 

ESP SurgeX, Knightdale, NC, Compliance and Safety Engineer, 2013 – present

  • Project engineer for safety and agency compliance. Responsible for compliance and safety testing on all new and existing products, EMC/EMI/RFI requirements and standards, and design reviews. Also responsible for failure analysis and forensic investigations.

 

Overture Networks, Morrisville, NC, Senior Hardware Design Engineer, 2008 – 2012

  • Project engineer for UL and NEBS compliance. Also responsible for EMC/EMI/RFI design reviews, safety standards, compliance, and testing on all new and existing products.
  • Design Engineer for next generation Gigabit Ethernet and OC3/DS3 data aggregation products. Responsibilities include high-speed signal integrity analysis, hardware design, JTAG test generation and implementation, PCB debug, PCB test procedures and environmental testing. Corelis JTAG software tools were used in the projects. Environmental analysis and test verification of new and existing products. Interim hardware manager for 4 months (2010) while manager was on sick leave. Responsible for 5 engineers and new product introduction. Manufacturing and test engineering liaison for new product introduction.

Safenet, Inc., Morrisville, NC, Senior Hardware Engineer, 2005 – 2007

  • Design Engineer for data encryption hardware projects for Safenet’s next generation OC192, SONET and Gigabit Ethernet Encryption products. Responsibilities included hardware design, High Speed Signal Integrity Analysis, ROHS Compliance, JTAG test generation and implementation, PCB debug, and PCB Test Procedures.
  • Agency Compliance and Environmental testing and contract manufacturing liaison.
  • Mentor Graphics and JTAG Technology – JTAG software tools were used in these projects (classified).

 

CipherOptics, Raleigh, NC, Senior Hardware Design Engineer, 2002 – 2005

  • Co-Project/Design Engineer for three projects for CipherOptics next generation Internet security product offering.
  • Responsibilities include hardware design/debug, printed circuit board signal integrity analysis, and product verification and test. Cadence Concept 15.2 CAD or OrCad 10.0i was used for the designs.
  • Additional responsibilities included: JTAG test development and generation of manufacturing test sets using Corelis JTA software tools, and thermal analysis and test verification.

Inovia Telecom, Centennial Campus, Raleigh, NC, Principal Engineer, 1998 – 2002

  • Provided technical hardware solutions for Video over VDSL technology for new product line offering.
  • Designed and implemented universal high speed Gigabit ATM switch fabrics for Inovia’s DSLAM product line.  Responsibilities included hardware design/debug, printed circuit board design, and product verification.  Motorola MPC8260 and MPC860 microprocessors were used in all hardware designs.
  • Designed and implemented ATM test and interface boards for hardware verification.
  • Lead hardware engineering interface for sister design team in Israel.
  • Product support for current DSL access products in the field.
  • Responsible for IEC 61000-4/IEC 801 EMC/EMI/RFI standards, compliance, and testing.
  • Technical advisor/mentor to NC State Electrical Engineering Intern students.

 

IBM Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC, Staff Engineer, 1997

  • Design Engineer for a PCMCIA 25 Mbit ATM adapter card.  Responsibilities included hardware design of a XILINX FPGA PCMCIA/ISA arbitration controller.  The design was VHDL based.
  • Responsible for IEC 61000-4/IEC 801 EMC/EMI/RFI standards, compliance, and testing.
  • Connectware, Inc., Morrisville, NC, Senior Design/Development Engineer, 1995 – 1997
  • Project/Design Engineer for an ATM-LAN (OC3, Ethernet and Token Ring) Bridge/Router device. The product was an Intel I960 33MHz microprocessor-based design.  Responsibilities included hardware design/debug, PCB design, and product verification.
  • Lead hardware engineering interface for a remote design team India.
  • Responsible for IEC 61000-4/IEC 801 EMC/EMI/RFI standards, compliance, and testing.
  • Square D Company, Knightdale, NC, Senior Design/Development Engineer, 1989 – 1995

Industrial Computer-Programmable Logic Controllers Division, 1992 – 1995

  • Designed and implemented a XILINX EPLD chip for a Programmable Logic Controller.  Design provided backplane bus arbitration between an Intel 80C186 and a Motorola 68000 microprocessor, additional control functions and various I/O interfaces.
  • Designed an AC/DC (120 VAC/24V DC) 10 Watt switch mode (Buck converter) power supply.
  • Responsible for hardware design of an Intel 80C152 microprocessor based remote Programmable Logic Controller.  Responsibilities included all phases of hardware design, test, and PCB design.  This product received Control Engineering magazine’s 1993 Editor’s Choice Award for best distributed I/O product.
  • Responsible for IEC 1000-4/IEC 801 EMC/EMI/RFI standards, compliance, and testing on newly developed Industrial Programmable Logic Controller Products.
  • Team member of the Square D EMC/EMI/RFI Standards Committee.
  • Team member of the Square D Component/Supplier Qualification Committee.

 

Photoelectric Sensors Division,  1989 – 1991

  • Project/Design Engineer for analog/digital ASIC design and implementation for Industrial photoelectric proximity sensors.  Designed and developed three high performance photoelectric ASICs.  Responsibilities included all phases of design, test and final product manufacturing.
  • Team member of the Square D Corporate ASIC Strategic Implementation Group.

Avnet International Corporation, Smithfield, NC, Senior Microelectronic Design Engineer, 1988 – 1989

  • Project/Design Engineer for digital system design for commercial satellite television receivers.  Responsibilities included ASIC chip set re-design and verification.

 

Exide Electronics Corporation, Raleigh, NC, Senior Product/Quality Engineer, 1987 – 1988

  • Provided Product/Quality Engineering for Uninterruptable Power Source Systems (UPS), Emergency Lighting Systems, and Motive Power Battery Charger Products.
  • Responsibilities included system design modifications, PCB redesign and resolution of field failures and reliability issues.

GE Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC, Senior Integrated Circuit Design Engineer, 1980 – 1986

  • Team member of the Microprocessor and ASIC Design and Development Group.  Designed various Integrated circuits including an Arithmetic Logic Unit, Dual Port RAM ASIC, Medical Data Processing ASIC and a Control ASIC for a 120 Volt experimental light bulb.  Responsibilities included all phases of Integrated Circuit design and fabrication.
  • Provided technical support and design assistance for strategic customer accounts (domestic and foreign) and internal tactical application engineers.

 

Professional Organizations and Memberships

  • Association of Energy Engineers
  • ASTM International
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
  • National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
  • North Carolina Adjusters Association
  • Product Safety Engineering Society (PSES)

Investigative and Engineering Experience

-        electrical and electronic safety issues in a forklift

-        electrical failures and safety issues in a heating pad

-        electrical shock incident related to an extension cord

-        electrical-wiring-related fire origin and cause cases

-        electronic failures and a fire in an electrical-power-conditioning device that resided in a medical facility

-        electronic failures in computers

-        electronic failures in industrial automation equipment

-        electronic reliability issues in a computer monitor

-        fire and product liability cases

-        fire origin and cause case involving a battery charger

-        fire origin and cause case involving a convenience store

-        fire origin and cause case involving a toaster

-        fire origin and cause case involving a washing machine

-        fire origin and cause case involving electrical failures in a portable space heater

-        fire origin and cause case involving telephone equipment

-        fluorescent lighting fixture fire

-        laptop computer overheating incident which resulted in severe burns to the client

-        lemon law motor vehicle case

-        lightning strike incident at an airport

-        lightning strike incident at an asphalt plant

-        lightning strike incidents

-        personal injury case involving a seat heater

-        power utility surge event and fire damage to a home

-        utility surge and loss incident at a local golf course

-        expert witness (through deposition) in lemon law motor vehicle case

-        expert witness in a case regarding malfunction of medical implantable device

-        heavy equipment excavator fire

-        lightning/surge analysis (potential insurance fraud)

-        power utility surge event involving a multi-million dollar residential structure (potential insurance fraud)

-        residential fire incident and suspected damage to high end video and audio home theater electronics

-        suspected electronic failures in a motorcycle accident case

-        suspected electronic failures in a residential HVAC system

-        water contamination loss in electronics at a data server center

-        electronic failures in Microwave fire

-        electronic failures in residential HVAC system

-        expert witness regarding failure analysis in laundry appliance electronics

-        failure analysis of video electronic

-        origin and cause investigation involving a Veterinary CBC machine

-        origin and cause investigation involving an apartment fire

-        origin and cause investigation involving a television set fire

-        electronic failures in an emergency backup electrical power system

-        power utility surge event involving a residential structure and suspect electrical and electronic failures

-        electronic design dispute between a major appliance manufacturer and a sub-contract manufacturer

-        electronic failures in a laptop computer

-        electronic failures in a mobile phone

-        expert witness involving computer software/systems, financial records and information

-        expert witness involving laptop computer fire

-        origin and cause investigation of a cook top fire involving a solid surface range appliance

-        expert witness in a legal case involving a defective electrical home appliance

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving a cash register

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving a large manufacturing facility

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving residential wiring

-        lightning and surge analysis

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving a floor model water cooler

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving a rear projection TV

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving a manufactured home

-        fire origin and cause investigations involving television sets

-        fire origin and cause investigation involving emergency backup electrical power equipment

-        power surge investigation on an industrial electrical generator

 

Expertise and Services

- Energy Audits                                                                                    - Patent Infringement Analysis
- Failure Analysis & Reverse Engineering                                     - Power Line and Signal Surge Analysis
- Fire Origin and Cause                                                                      - Power Quality
- Forensic & Investigative Electrical Electronic Engineering       - Safety & EMC Compliance
- Industrial Automation & Controls                                                   - Telecommunication and Data Network
- Lightning Investigations                                                                     Engineering

 

Principal Industries Served

- Computer                                                                                              -Medical
- Data Communications                                                                       - Mobile Communications
- Electrical                                                                                              - Patent Infringement
- Electrical/Electronic Design Services                                            - Power Electronics
- Industrial Automation & Controls                                                     -Telecom
- Legal & Insurance Industries  

Areas of Concentration

- Agency standards – UL, CE, CSA, FCC & IEC                          - HALT/HASS Testing
- Computer engineering & applications                                         - High-speed data and telecom networks
- Electrical & electronic devices/equipment                                  - Industrial automation & controls
- Electrical & electronic engineering                                               - Lightning/surge protection and analysis
- Electrical safety                                                                                - National Electrical Code
- Electrical systems                                                                            - Patent Infringement
- Electronic design and failure analysis                                         - Power quality
- Electronic manufacturing                                                                - Product liability
- EMC design & compliance testing                                                - Product testing and safety evaluation
- Energy audits                                                                                    - Quality and Reliability
- ESD – Electrostatic Discharge                                                      - Residential and Commercial Wiring
- Failure Analysis                                                                               - Semiconductors
- Fire origin & cause                                                                          - Telecommunications
- Grounding                                                                                         - Thermal analysis, evaluation & testing

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