Michael Surgeon

Savoy, IL 61874
Phone: 217-766-5662, E-Mail: [email protected]
FPGA Design Engineer / Embedded Hardware FPGA Design Engineer / Electrical Engineers
Hardware Developer / Digital Design Engineer / Digital Electrical Engineer
Versatile and highly competent electrical engineering professional offering extensive experience in working in multiple
industries. Demonstrated success in creating design specifications, detailed architecture & micro-architecture for datapath and control-path FPGAs, as well as implementing FPGA and microprocessor-based systems. Skilled at embedded
software/hardware along with analyzing and developing digital logic design. Expertise in preparing and maintaining
product documentation including specifications, design documentation, and simulation environment. Vital track record in
engineering processes including requirement definition, architecture, design, simulation & test benches, and
implementation as part of larger projects. Ability to analyze issues, devise continuous process improvements &
incorporate initiatives to increase efficiency, streamline operations & decrease overall expenses with minimal resources.
~ Helped the company in winning numerous industry awards for various products at Cobalt Digital ~
~ Became highly contributing member of a design team which completed three generations of flight simulator
image generators and one generation of a flight simulator projection system at Flight Safety International ~
~ Successfully developed hardware for the ARIGS Artificial Radar Image Generation System used in the F-14D
and A-6E/SWIP simulators at McDonnell Douglas ~
SKILL AREAS: FGPA & Digital Logic Design Graphic & Video Processors Hardware Designing Programming
Languages & Development Environment Synopsys ASIC Design Tools Software Development Methodologies
Boundary Scan Implementation & Test Development Scrum Agile Development JTAG (IEEE Standard 1149.1)
Altium Designer Schematic & PCB Linux Shell Scripting SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers)
Standards Video, Audio & Ancillary Data Processing & Transport Bug Tracking Revision Control Systems
Component Interfaces & Memory Interfaces Multitasking in Fast-paced Environments Highly Organized & Strong
Analytical Abilities Articulate Oral & Written Communication Quick Problem Resolution & Decision Making Client
Relationship Management Continuous Process Improvement & Innovation Team Building, Training & Development
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
COBALT DIGITAL, INC., URBANA, IL (Oct 2006 Nov 2014)
Senior Electrical Engineer
Cobalt is one of the world's leading developers and producers of signal conversion gear for the television broadcast market.

Responsible for FPGA and software development for television audio, video and ancillary data processing equipment
conforming to industry standards. Supported the processing cards through their functional lifetimes.
Effectively completed Xilinx and Altera FPGA designs for several generations of processing cards, a
control panel and the associated design documentation
Actively defined the interface between the processor and processing modules
Skillfully implemented Microblaze embedded soft processor and associated peripherals
Configured multi-port memory controller IP to provide DDR memory access for the processor, audio and video
processing modules
Efficiently developed display driver module to drive the displays of a control panel
Outlined modules to interface the processor to the rotary encoders and buttons of the control panel user interface
Productively created modules to interface to external audio components via I2S and TDM interfaces
Developed frame sync (genlock) IP to lock outgoing video to a reference source using a video frame buffer
implemented in DDR memory
Successfully implemented many FPGA audio, video and ancillary data processing modules, often with very
limited functional descriptions, from initial concept and description through architecture and coding, module
simulation and testing, and integration into a shipping product
Adopted new bug tracking, revision control systems and the Scrum development style to improve the
efficiency of completing tasks in a timely manner
Designed audio, video and ancillary data processing modules based on SMPTE standards which also incorporated
customer requested features
Involved in developing C++ software modules for control of the FPGA processing modules

Michael Surgeon
Phone: 217-766-5662, E-Mail: [email protected]
Drafted updates tracked via subversion and git revision control systems
Actively assisted with system hardware/software integration and the transition to production
Helped Cobalt in winning numerous industry awards for various products
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL, VISUAL SIMULATION SYSTEMS, SAINT LOUIS, MO (Feb 1993 Oct 2006)
Lead Electronics Engineer
FlightSafety International is a provider of professional aviation training, simulation equipment and software, operating as a
wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, who has owned the company since 1996.

Responsible for implementing image rendering algorithms in digital hardware for multiple generations of flight simulator
image generators. Worked as ASIC and FPGA designer for flight simulator image generators and projectors.
Managed projector geometry correction performed by digital logic driving digital to analog converters
Efficiently performed schematic entry, schematic symbol, simulation model creation, coding & verification of FPGAs
used for interface and functional logic, as well as created board and cable drawings in Autocad
Assisted with development of a Video Post Processor PCIe card used with off the shelf PC hardware
Provided prototype board testing and debugging; developed JTAG boundary scan tests
Developed ASIC design methodology for Synopsys synthesis, simulation & test development tools and
participated in evaluation of potential ASIC vendors
Effectively designed the boundary scan architecture embedded within the ASICs
Completed logic design, pre-layout simulation, synthesis, scan insertion, test vector generation, device pinout and
post-layout simulation of several ASIC designs and coordinated with the ASIC vendor during the layout process
Skillfully performed system simulation and design documentation
Developed C language programs for simulation data manipulation, results verification and diagnostic tests
to aid board-level troubleshooting
Involved in actively assisted with system hardware/software integration and the transition to production
Became highly contributing member of a design team which completed three generations of flight simulator
image generators and one generation of a flight simulator projection system
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS, SAINT LOUIS, MO (Sep 1986 Feb 1993)
Senior Electronics Engineer
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor formed by the
merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967.

Responsible for ASIC and programmable logic device development, schematic entry, schematic symbol creation,
system simulation and design documentation for a flight simulator image generator.
Initiated development of the VITAL 8 Image Generator - design in progress during divestiture to FlightSafety
Handled ASIC and programmable logic device development, schematic entry and schematic symbol creation,
system simulation and design documentation
Developed hardware for the ARIGS Artificial Radar Image Generation System used in the F-14D and A6E/SWIP simulators; this pipelined architecture was built with discrete logic components, programmable logic
devices and an embedded processor
Performed schematic entry, assembly language coding of the embedded processor, prototype testing, debug,
design documentation and assistanced with the transition to production
Skillfully assisted customers with application engineering support for the MIL-STD-1750A microprocessor program
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CREDENTIALS
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL

Jun 1986

Technical Skills: VHDL, Verilog, Xilinx ISE, Altera Quartus FPGA, Bugzilla, FogBugz, C, C++, Python, Eclipse,
Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzers, Viewlogic, Mentor Graphics ModelSim, Schematic Entry Tools, Synopsys VCS
Simulation Tools, Office Software Packages, Subversion & git, Asset Scanworks Boundary Scan Test Development
Software, SPI, I2C, I2S, TDM, Windows & UNIX Development Environments, and Embedded Linux Systems
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