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Umar Khan
Verified Expert in Engineering
Embedded Systems Developer
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Toptal member since May 5, 2022
Bio
Umar is a seasoned embedded systems developer with an outstanding track record of developing C and C++ firmware for atomic force microscopy, ultrasonic instrumentation, IoT, and automotive applications. He is skilled in PIC microcontroller units (MCUs), Texas Instruments DSP, RTOS, OpenWRT embedded Linux, and PCB development using Ultiboard and Proteus. Umar is keen on the entire development cycle, from the concept stage and circuit design to PCB testing and verification.
Portfolio
Med-Eng
PCB Layout, Circuit Design, Circuit Analysis, Engineering, Electronics...
Giatec Scientific
C, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), Firmware, Firmware over the Air (FOTA)...
BASE Engineering
C#, SQL, Embedded Linux, Yocto, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Experience
- Embedded Systems - 6 years
- C - 3 years
- Embedded C - 3 years
- Embedded Linux - 2 years
- Yocto - 1 year
- C# - 1 year
- Real-time Operating System (RTOS) - 1 year
- OrCAD - 1 year
Work Experience
Embedded Systems Consultant
2020 - PRESENT
Med-Eng
- Contributed as a team lead on a blast overpressure sensors project for law enforcement applications. These are robust military standard wearable sensors that measure blast exposure for the user.
- Developed test procedures for testing the complete blast overpressure sensors' functionality, including dynamic pressure calibration, power-saving modes, communication, and repository management for storage.
- Carried out extensive board fire-up, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and rapid feature addition.
- Wrote Python scripts for in-circuit testing and Matlab scripts for dynamic pressure calibration.
Technologies: PCB Layout, Circuit Design, Circuit Analysis, Engineering, Electronics, Embedded C, Hardware Troubleshooting, OrCAD, IAR Embedded Workbench, Repository Management
Embedded Firmware Developer
2019 - 2020
Giatec Scientific
- Developed embedded C firmware for a Bluetooth range extender using the Silicon Labs BGM13P22 module. The purpose of the repeater was to extend the range of the flagship concrete temperature sensors already developed by the company.
- Interacted with the app development team to develop a robust state machine for the repeater ensuring seamless integration, FOTA (BLE/USB), AES-128 encryption, bonding and protection against a man-in-the-middle attack, eavesdropping, and tracking.
- Developed a Python script for monitoring Bluetooth packets captured and recorded using the Silicon Labs Network analyzer and Packet Trace Interface.
- Set up version control using Bitbucket with Sourcetree, code documentation using Doxygen, and Docker to make the development environment platform-independent.
Technologies: C, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), Firmware, Firmware over the Air (FOTA), SourceTree, Version Control, Docker
Firmware Developer
2018 - 2019
BASE Engineering
- Developed an embedded Linux C# firmware—Yocto—on ARM Cortex-A7 for an electronic fuel register. The instrument was meant to measure the fuel flow, print fuel tickets, and maintain calibration as per Canadian weights and measures standards.
- Designed and implemented an extraction, transformation, and. loading (ETL) pipeline between an SQL database hosted on AWS cloud and US and Canadian QuickBooks. The objective was to transfer propane delivery data from trucks to propane suppliers.
- Defined CRUD test cases to test ETL pipelines. The pipelines were used to migrate propane transfer data to and from retail suppliers to the AWS cloud and fuel supply trucks.
- Implemented test procedures for fuel register interfaces controlled by custom handheld units and Android tablets. These interfaces were designed to be used with Total Control Systems 3000, MID:COM 8000, and Liquid Control fuel registers.
Technologies: C#, SQL, Embedded Linux, Yocto, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Senior Electronics Engineer
2016 - 2017
INNEXIV
- Designed and implemented a compact OBD unit that could measure automobile data in real time, including speed, GPS location, engine RPM, and engine coolant temperature, and convey it to a designated server using TCP/IP and a cellular network.
- Automated fuel sensor calibration. Devised an automated fuel sensor calibration system using National Instruments DAQ NI USB-6001, drastically reducing the testing time and minimizing the p-value.
- Conducted project negotiation with Telenor Pakistan.
Technologies: Lua, Proteus, PCB Layout, PCB Functional Testing, Circuit Design, Circuit Analysis
Electronics Engineer
2014 - 2016
Electron Dynamics
- Developed FreeRTOS C firmware for an Internet of Things (IoT) solution to remotely measure the fluid flow and temperature using the CC3200 microcontroller from Texas Instruments.
- Implemented an ultrasonic liquid level detection system using the PIC16F1824. Worked on the complete schematic and PCB design using Ultiboard, prototype testing, and verification.
- Developed an ultrasonic air-in-line detection embedded system using the PIC12F1822. Handled the schematic design, prototype testing, and verification, and the micro-controller interface with the piezo load.
Technologies: C, Real-time Operating System (RTOS), Ultiboard, PCB Layout, Circuit Design, Circuit Analysis, PCB Functional Testing
Project History
Blast Overpressure Sensor for Law Enforcement Applications
These are robust military standard wearable sensors that measure blast exposure for the user. This helps preemptive medical care for blast-related injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and internal bleeding. Additionally, these sensors help gather data to correlate the effects of blast exposure on the human body.
Customized ETL Pipelines
An extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) pipeline between an SQL database hosted on AWS cloud and QuickBooks. The primary objective was to automate fuel transfer transactions for propane suppliers.
Bluetooth Range Extender
Developed embedded C firmware for a Bluetooth range extender using the Silicon Labs BGM13P22 module. All version control was done using Bitbucket and Jira for agile workflow management. Implemented bootloaders for OTA using USB and Bluetooth.
On-board Diagnostics System (OBD) for Automobiles
A compact OBD unit that could measure automobile data in real time, including information on speed, GPS location, engine RPM, and engine coolant temperature. The unit conveys that data to a designated server using the TCP/IP protocol and a cellular network.
IoT Solution for Remote Measurement
Firmware development for an Internet of Things (IoT) solution targeting the remote measurement of fluid flow and temperature using the CC3200 from Texas Instruments. The solution provided the following key features—over-the-air (OTA) firmware update; app-based user ID and password entry with TI Smart Config; data communication using JSON format; internet access to measurements using the IBM Bluemix platform.
Education
2010 - 2014
PhD in Electronics Engineering
University of Southampton - Southampton, United Kingdom
2003 - 2006
Master of Science Degree in Robotics and Automation
TU Dortmund University - Dortmund, Germany
1998 - 2002
Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronics Engineering
GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology - Topi, Pakistan
Skills
Tools
MATLAB, PCB Layout, OrCAD, IAR Embedded Workbench, SourceTree, LabVIEW
Languages
C, C#, Lua, Embedded C, SQL, C++
Paradigms
Automation
Platforms
Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), Docker, Embedded Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), OpenWRT
Other
Embedded Systems, Control Systems, Engineering, Circuit Design, Electronics, Windows 10, Robotics, Circuit Analysis, Firmware, Firmware over the Air (FOTA), Hardware Troubleshooting, Version Control, Yocto, Proteus, PCB Functional Testing, Real-time Operating System (RTOS), Ultiboard, Repository Management
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