Back in November, our very own Mike Mendoza earned the title of Certified IPC Specialist by completing the Application Specialist course on IPC J-STD-001: Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies.
An impressive achievement in its own right, Mike has built on this by completing the Space Applications Electronic Hardware Addendum to IPC J-STD-001. Mike’s new certification, coupled with our upcoming AS9100D certification, gives our facility the power to produce hardware for space applications, which we are currently designing in support of an upcoming NASA program.
“Mike’s one of our best employees, but he’s an even better guy,” noted Anthony Picone, our Production Manager. “He really went above and beyond to support this program, and I’m really excited to see the cool stuff that we’re going to work on in the next few years.”
Our team is honored to work on the space program. For more information about this announcement, or to speak with someone about your engineering requirements on or off Earth, Contact Us or call (860) 282-2900 today.
Introducing: General Digital’s Embedded Systems Engineering Team
In 1973, our company was founded by Len Lazar, a Software Engineer, and Russ Reiss, an Electrical Engineer. As the business grew, the two divisions found success in different markets (avionics for software, defense for hardware), though occasionally collaborated on projects as necessary (e.g., our GenStar). In recent years, as technology continues to advance, we’ve seen increased demand for products requiring customization in hardware as well as embedded firmware.
To best manage these exciting new projects, we’ve organized a team of Embedded Systems Engineers. Our Embedded Systems Engineering team is a diverse group of focused, experienced electrical, software development, and IV&V test engineers who possess the flexibility to tackle almost any engineering project—from product conceptualization to production delivery, and anywhere in between.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the future of our organization,” remarked General Digital President Bryan Gudrian. “Although our hardware and software teams have collaborated on a number of projects in the past, the formation of this group will break down some internal barriers and allow for better cross-departmental collaboration to improve speed and quality.”
What is ESE?
Our Embedded Systems Engineering function consists of the following elements:
- Software Development including requirements development, retrofitting tools into legacy systems, project coordination, updating software to be agency compatible, reverse engineering software to existing hardware, and documentation
- Electrical Engineering including circuit design and analysis, PCB layout, fabrication, and assembly, and EMI design and confidence testing
- Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) Services including tool validation and qualification, test planning and execution (code reviews, unit/module testing, regression testing, systems testing, and integration testing), discrepancy reporting and resolution, and results reporting
Combined with the robust mechanical, optical, and production engineering expertise of our Display Systems group, the creation of ESE furthers our ability to become a true one-stop shop for any engineering requirement.
Along with the formation of this group, we are also in the process of pursuing AS9100 and ISO 13485 certifications to complement our existing ISO 9001:2015 certification. This effort, on track for completion later this year, will expand our capabilities in the design, development, prototyping, independent verification and validation, and serial production of aerospace, avionic, and medical devices.
Some recent examples of products developed by our Embedded Systems Engineering team include:
- Alta™ Series SUDS™ Mobile 10.4″ Secure Upload/Download System, a highly-configurable intelligent computer embedded in a Pelican™ case with a 10.4” sunlight readable smart display, with custom firmware developed and independently verified and validated by our in-house software engineers.
- VuePoint III, a ruggedized touch-interactive serial terminal emulator with custom firmware specific to the application (U.S. Navy’s Central Atmospheric Monitoring System). Our team is currently redesigning the hardware with contemporary electronics and redeveloping GDC’s original MS DOS code to ensure a form, fit, and functional replacement.
- Tactical TwoView (as seen at AUSA 2021), a revolutionary MIL-Certified dual-head display workstation with an integrated COM Express processing module and video controller designed and customized by GDC’s engineers to meet specific customer and military requirements.
- Nociometer, a turnkey medical device (hardware + embedded firmware) capable of objectively measuring pain. The device utilizes sensors to scan a patient’s retina, while the firmware analyzes the data to determine pain level. This was developed in collaboration with our partners at AlgometRx and certified by GDC’s IV&V team.
We’re thrilled to share this news with you, and believe that the formation of this group alongside our new certifications will continue to allow our organization to reach new heights by continuing to do what we do best—turn problems into solutions.
For more information about our new capabilities, or to speak with someone regarding an engineering requirement, Contact Us or call (860) 282-2900 today.