Expert Firmware Engineer with Over 25 Years Experience
1. LEE M. SHANLEY * 1331 Cedarwood Drive, Longmont, CO.
C - 303.931.9278 * E - shanfam48@gmail.com
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Firmware / software developer engineer with expertise in solutions development and subsequent
design, architecture and implementation. Hard working, self-motivated individual accustomed to
demanding deadlines and workloads. Able to communicate effectively across diverse
organizational groups from developer to executive levels while ensuring team goals and
objectives are main priority.
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE
• Development Languages: National Instruments LabVIEW, C#, C++, C, Visual Basic,
IBM Machine, Python, Java and Pascal.
• Development Platforms: National Instruments LabVIEW, Microsoft .NET Framework
and Common Language Runtime classes (CLR), Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC),
Texas Instruments Digital Signal Processor (DSP), ARM Processor, NEC RISC
Processor.
• Software / Firmware Development Tools: Proficient in the use of software and firmware
compilers and linkers, debuggers, processor emulators (Lauterbach and Arium), Logic
Analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• File Archive Managers: Subversion, Perforce, Bit Keeper, PVCS, CVS and Microsoft
Visual Source Safe, and Code Collaborator.
• Software Editors: SlickEdit, CodeWright, CodeEdit, LabVIEW, and Microsoft Visual
Studio.
• Operating Systems: Microsoft, Linux, Macintosh and DOS.
• Windows Applications: Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio and Outlook.
• Security: Formerly held a Top Secret security clearance with the U.S.A.F.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION, Dallas, TX. 2008-Present
Firmware Engineer (FAE), Storage Products Group (2008-Present)
• Field Applications Engineer assigned to TI preamp integration team. The TI preamp is an
IC used to select the applicable hard disk drive head as well as apply the desired tunable
settings in order to achieve optimal read and write capabilities in HDDs.
• Dedicated resource to Western Digital Corporation 2008-2016 as a customer embedded
firmware and system integration engineer to insure new or changed preamp functions are
defined and implemented consistently with WD’s system requirements which greatly
improved Texas Instrument’s “first to market, first to integrate” strategy and improve TI’s
market position. Embedded firmware at Western Digital is designed for the ARM
processor using C and C++ programming languages.
• Continued responsibility was to support Western Digital in all areas of preamplifier
performance evaluation and embedded firmware drive integration as well as supporting
TI’s development team in the same manner. I was also responsible for diagnosing drive
level firmware issues, engineering viable system and preamp solutions, and optimizing
drive performance embedded firmware in order to secure design wins for TI. Team efforts
resulted in an overall market share peak of 80 percent of preamp sales to Western Digital
Corporation by 2015.
• Routinely travelled to customer sites (WD) to support multiple embedded firmware teams
with integration activities in Colorado and Northern and Southern California.
• Assisted in establishing preamp evaluation and testing methods that were standardized
where possible or prescribed for automated characterization implementation for WD
using embedded firmware, test scripts, MATLAB and C# applications.
2. LEE M. SHANLEY * 1331 Cedarwood Drive, Longmont, CO.
C - 303.931.9278 * E - shanfam48@gmail.com
• Assigned periodic special technical assignments to investigate, document, and present
with the objective of increasing the technical knowledge and capabilities of the
entire WD preamp engineering organization. Presentations were informal and formal and
included peer engineers as well as management up to and including VP level
participants.
• Other firmware activities included new feature development, feature enhancements and
bug fixes.
• Participant in weekly customer calls and meetings to discuss WD requirements, issues,
actions and status.
• Developed software tools in Visual Studio C# that were used team wide to assist in the
firmware integration process, test and evaluation.
• Supported existing LabVIEW projects at Texas Instruments for various IC development
teams used for in house IC test and evaluation.
EXCELSTOR CORPORATION, Longmont, CO. 2006-2008
Firmware Engineer, LG Disk Drive Development Team (2006-2008)
• Developed, designed and implemented the defect scratch pad and fill algorithm used in
the hard disk drive test process to eliminate potential future defects due to growing
defects and scratches on the disk surface. The algorithm produces improved post
process yields by anticipating future defective areas on the hard disk drive.
• Developed, designed and implemented the defect imager in the ExcelTest self-test tool
created using the .Net framework in Windows. The defect imager displays all defects per
surface as a jpeg image in Cartesian and polar coordinates facilitating faster failure
analysis and disk drive development.
• Implemented, designed and supported required software updates and changes for the
ExcelTest diagnostic tool using C# and C++ in C# and MFC projects. The ExcelTest tool
was used to in all phases of test, diagnosis and development of hard disk drives.
MAXTOR CORPORATION, Longmont, CO. 1997-2006
Staff Engineer, Advanced Read / Write Desktop Products Group (2004-2006)
• Served as lead for the Read / Write firmware functional group. Responsibilities included
architecture, development, design and implementation of firmware used in support of disk
drive self-test diagnostics and optimization. Improved production yield with fewer product
returns as a result of group’s efforts.
• Controlled functional group code releases and maintained a web based release notes
page, ensuring consistent output and quality.
• Designed / implemented firmware for the Fly Height Adjust and Fly Height Monitor
systems to provide consistent reliable reading and writing of hard disk drive data under
diverse environmental conditions.
• Developed software tools and macros used for data gathering and analysis to expedite
failure analysis and optimization of disk drives.
• Modified firmware code set as required for various channels, preamps, processors and
formats, providing operational code under a variety of configurations.
Staff Engineer, Advanced Technology Desktop Products Group (2002-2004)
• Developed, designed and implemented software tool solutions for the Read / Write
channel group using the Microsoft .NET framework in the C# and Visual Basic and
languages. Facilitated faster and more reliable disk drive failure analysis and test.
• Developed tools to create, compile and execute test scripts with additional ability to
serve as script file archive manager to ensure strict control over use, editing and storage
of test scripts / files on a user-shared server.
3. LEE M. SHANLEY * 1331 Cedarwood Drive, Longmont, CO.
C - 303.931.9278 * E - shanfam48@gmail.com
• Tool applications extensively utilized .NET features such as remoting, marshaling and
developer implemented controls, resulting in easily maintained and modifiable code.
Staff Engineer, Enterprise (SCSI) Development Group (2001-2002)
• Developed and implemented Interactive Diagnostic Commands used in the self-test
process of hard disk drive manufacture at the firmware level using C++. Command
algorithms were used to improve hard disk drive yield and performance.
• Served as contributing consultant to Enterprise software tools group during development
of Windows based applications to expedite the development and troubleshooting abilities
of team members.
Senior Engineer, Desktop Optimization Group (1997–2001)
• Designed and implemented firmware diagnostic routines used in the self-test of hard disk
drive products using the C programming language. Provided improved product yields and
fewer customer returns.
• Modified the firmware optimization code set for various channels, preamps and
processors to quickly provide ability to test, using various hardware configurations.
IOMEGA CORPORATION Longmont, CO. 1994-1997
Engineer II, Jaz Development Group
• Co-developed and maintained the serial port interface used on Iomega’s first removable
media disk drive. The serial port provided data to allow for expeditious firmware debug.
• Developed Windows interface programs with MFC Visual C++ used to automatically
generate the processor firmware significantly decreasing development time.
• As administrator for both internal network and firmware archives ensured consistent
network availability and team / code resources.
MAXTOR CORPORATION, Longmont, CO. 1992–1994
Associate Engineer, Advanced Technology Group
• Designed and implemented software for proprietary test equipment in Windows MFC
Visual C++. Software was used to evaluate disk drive heads, media, data fields, servo
fields, channels and preamps for potential future use in disk drive manufacture.
• Software maintenance responsibilities included writing test procedures, integrating all test
stand IEEE test instruments, utilization of constantly changing read / write channel and
preamp hardware, de-bug and optimization of existing software systems. Test software
produced improved time to manufacturing and process yields.
EDUCATION
• Attended University of Northern Colorado and Front Range Community College pursuing
a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.
• Completed National Instruments LabVIEW Core 1 and Core 2 classes.
• Completed the official Microsoft “Intro to Programming with C# in the .Net Framework”
and “Programming with C# in the .Net Framework” courses.
• Completed Computerized Test Station and components Specialist Technical School
U.S.A.F.