Brian Corzilius
Electrical and Software Design and Consulting

 

Background Overview:

Software Development:

Real-time, low-level through Graphical User Interface (GUIs) programming.  Full user documentation.
Also Independent Software Design Review, Software Quality Control (QC).

Base:
Microsoft Windows Development – PC and PC104, Embedded processors (68HC11, etc.), MicroMint’s PicStik, Parallax’s Basic Stamp, Wilke’s Tiger series, Rabbit.

Languages:
C (dominant), C++, BASIC, FORTRAN, Assembly

Hardware Development:

Digital, analog (through low-MHz), sensors and interfaces, measurement, embedded systems design, networked controls, automated test beds, alternative energy.  Small run prototypes.  Full Engineering and User documentation.

 

Past Commercial Designs:

The following is a partial list of designs completed over the years.  Typically a project may involve mechanical, electrical and software design; with the delivery of both engineering documentation and preliminary user manuals.

Hardware:

CoziMan pocket guitar amplifier (1984); Full fidelity, 9-volt battery operated, cigarette-pack sized guitar and bass guitar amplifier.

STAudio for the Atari ST (1987); Digital audio interface, dual 16-bit channels (in/out) with sample rates to 400KHz.  Design targeted exceeding built-in audio capabilities of the Atari ST.  Primary software package provided audio record and playback.  Later permutations included dual channel, oscilloscope functions to >200KHz.

VideoKey for the Atari ST (1987); Developed for Practical Solutions (Tucson, AZ) to provide a high quality composite video output from the Atari ST.  Design used a unique continuous resynchronization approach for tracking the Atari non-standard h-sync.  Reviewed in December 1988 START magazine and acclaimed by Atari engineers as “amazing output quality”.

ACT-II Turnstile Interface (1988); Developed for CBORD, Inc. (Ithaca, NY) to provide a magnetic card interface to a pedestrian turnstile for use in college cafeterias, etc.  Employed a serial interface to communicate with a central database (via a CBORD ACT-II terminal), a magnetic card reader and a solenoid interface to control the turnstile.

MWL1000 (1992); ISA-based DMA data acquisition card developed for MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd (Ithaca, NY).  Used in the acquisition of XRAY crystallography back reflection data into an IBM PC-AT machine at rates exceeding 100K words/second. 

EMF Sensor (1993); PVDF piezo film based 50/60Hz EMF sensor for measurement of environmental levels of power line radiation.  Battery-operated, pocket-sized unit with meter readout.

MIDI Leveler (1994); MIDI-based audio mixer developed for Glyph Technologies (Ithaca, NY).  Compact unit providing MIDI-controlled volume of two-channel audio.

TacPur (1994); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); 100MHz circuit (digital & analog) redesign and layout for XRAY crystallography data acquisition interface.

MWL731 (1995); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); 6-channel motor controller redesign.

Tango, portable (1995); PC104-based portable medical device for Apollon’s Algebra (Gibraltar).  Battery powered, LCD touchscreen, graphical icon-driven medical device.  DOS-based software written in C-language.

Tango-PC (1996); PC-interfaced medical device for Apollon’s Algebra (Gibraltar).  ISA interface card and peripheral electronics (under-monitor main electronics, with mouse-like user input device).  Windows-based, icon-driven software interface, written in C-language.

MiniHydrophone (1996); Pocket hydrophone and amplifier unit (headphone output) developed for researchers at Cornell University’s BioAcoustics Research Program (Ithaca, NY).  Hydrophone mold fabrication & cast, electronic design.
[Documents & Designs for Bioacoustic Monitoring]

Popup (1997); Deep-water deployable acoustic data collection unit developed for Cornell University’s BioAcoustics Research Program.  Mechanical, electrical and software design.  Glass sphere based unit designed for deployment to > 1000 meters and for > 3 months.  Unit would collect acoustical data to hard drive at a programmable data rate and period.  Power conservation / shutdown circuitry, surface communications, releasable anchor. 

Balloon Controls (1998); Bill Evans (Ithaca, NY); Balloons used to record birds within remote, inaccessible areas.  Version 1: basic control with muscle-wire controlled polycarbonate gas valve using Wilke Tiny Tiger processor to accept desired flight time and to control gas release at termination. Version 2: GPS interface, altitude sensing, and water ballast (also muscle-wire actuated) added.  Operator can program flight time, GPS coordinates (outside of which the balloon comes down), as well as desired altitude to maintain balloon at.

SuperStat 4-20 Interface (2002); Refrigeration Technology, Inc (Clearlake, CA); 4-20mA instrumentation interface for the SuperStat wine process control modules

Delay Line Tester (2002); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); Delay line characterization unit.  Stimulates wire-wound analog delay lines and measures delay response to 10ns resolution.

Biometrics (2003/4); Apollon's Algebra (Geneva), wireless biometric sensor (acoustic), 948MHz, miniaturized (<25mm²). USB-based design version in development, 2004 [mechanical, electrical and firmware/software].

Software:

CheckMate (1991); HiSpeed CheckWeigher (Ithaca, NY).  Top of the line checkweigher control for factory floor product weighing and process statistics.  Intel 80186 processor, embedded DOS, C-language with minor Assembly language.

EZWay (1992); HiSpeed CheckWeigher (Ithaca, NY); Centralized Statistical Process Control (SPC) monitoring system.  Written for MS-DOS based IBM PC-AT systems using DigiBoard 16/32 channel interface cards.  Language was C and Assembly.  Provided monitoring of up to 16 checkweigher or similar weighing devices, plotting weight data in histograms, Xbar charts, floating zone, etc; while providing remote control and configuration of same.

EZOrient (1992); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); Ultrasonic digitizer based XRAY crystallography orientation software.  Written for Windows 3.0+ (16-bit).

NorthStar (1993); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); Real-time XRAY crystallography software.  Written for Windows 3.1 (upgraded in 2002/3 to 32-bit, Windows 2000) in C-language.

HCAL (1996); Cornell BioAcoustics Research Program (Ithaca, NY); Windows-based hydrophone calibration software, written in C.  Software generated calibration waveforms and monitored hydrophone response, generating calibration curves for storage on disk or printouts.

ATOC (1996); Cornell BioAcoustics Research Program (Ithaca, NY); Windows-based acoustic sequencing and generation software written in C.  Developed for use under the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate program (ATOC) in conjunction with SCRIPPS.

ScanOrient (1997); MultiWire Laboratories, Ltd. (Ithaca, NY); Flatbed scanner based XRAY crystallography software.  Written for Windows 95 (upgraded in 2002/3 to 32-bit, Windows2000) in C-Language.

ATD (1999); Wescam (Healdsburg, CA); Automated test and diagnosis stand for post-production testing of circuit assemblies.  Employed National Instrument’s (NI) PC-based instrumentation interface cards, using C-language to write the low-level test functions, with NI’s TestExec as the high level sequencer.

CDU (2000); Wescam (Healdsburg, CA); Control and Display Unit.  FireWire/IEEE1394-based digital video acquisition, control and display for new gyro-stabilized gimbal.  Written in C/C++ for Windows 2000.

SuperStat (2001); Refrigeration Technology, Inc. (Clearlake, CA); Embedded winery process controller based on 68HC711.  Written in C with minor Assembly language.

RTI2000 (2002); Refrigeration Technology, Inc (Clearlake, CA); Centralized Modbus data acquisition, display and control software for RTI SuperStat wine process control modules.  Written for Windows 98+ in C and C++ (MFC).

 

Published Papers and Media References:

1994, Aug. 3    Ithaca Journal, “CU engineer will Help Unlock Whale’s Secrets”.  Article on work to develop an acoustic sensor for a satellite tracking tag for cetaceans.

1994, Sept.       BirdScope (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology), “Space-Age Whale Monitoring”. Article on my work to develop an acoustic sensor for a satellite tracking tag for cetaceans.

1995, April 5    The Cornell Daily Sun, “CU Scientist Studies Whale Communications”. Mentions satellite tag work.

1996, March     Report on Playback of ATOC-like Sounds to Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off the Azores. Acknowledgement; prepared and provided playback equipment as well as support during project.

1996, July         Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate: MMRP/ATOC Bi-Monthly Report #4 : “AST Quick-Look Bioacoustic Field Report”

1996, Sept.       Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate: MMRP/ATOC Bi-Monthly Report #5: “Summary of Acoustic Behavioral Monitoring During AST. 

1997, Jan. 28    The Cornell Daily Sun, “CU Scientists Help Whales Avoid Harm”. Discusses work off the Florida coast in conjunction with the Navy using instruments co-developed to monitor cetacean response to different sounds.

1998                  Autonomous Seafloor Acoustic Recording Systems for Whale Research: Application to the Census of Bowhead Whales during the Spring Migration off Point Barrow, Alaska; Clark, Calupca, Charif, Corzilius and Fristrup.

2000, July         Digital Video in the TUAV System.  Paper written and presented at the July 2000 AUVSI (autonomous vehicle) conference in Orlando Florida regarding development work being performed under Wescam (Healdsburg, CA).

 

Patents:

Inquiries regarding possible licensing of those patents not designated with '(*)' will be considered. For patent details, go to the Patent office web site: [http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html]

5,744,715(*)          Tactile-Acoustic Information Detecting and Measuring Apparatus and Method.  1998.  Developed RF electronics, digital interface and PC software behind patent for Apollon’s Algebra (Gibraltar) and worked with patent attorney out of Geneva, Switzerland on proper technical language and representation  (see Tango listing under Commercial project section).

6,249,219           Severe Braking Warning System for Vehicles.  2001.  Designed and developed circuitry, firmware and prototypes.  Accelerometer-based microprocessor design.

6,598,492(*)            Pneumatic Caging System for Gyro-Stabilized Sensor Platforms.  2003.  Designed and developed for Wescam (Healdsburg, CA).  Mechanical damping mechanism for power-off state to address rough handling by Navy SEALS as well as shipping and other transit concerns.

6,714,127            Emergency Warning System for Vehicles.  2004. Designed and developed circuitry, firmware and prototypes.  Extension of Severe Braking Warning System patent (above), adding intra-vehicular interaction and (travel) direction cognizance.

6,884,180            Self-Recording Golf Ball, Golf Ball Cup, and Reading Device System.  2005. Designed and developed circuitry, firmware and prototypes.

 

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Copyright © 2002-2020 Brian Corzilius.  All rights reserved.  Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Last modified: October 19, 2020

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