MARK S.

BRASFIELD
575 Sierra St./P.O. Box 141, Moss Beach, CA 94038, [email protected], 650-728-0349H, 650-302-4884C

OBJECTIVE
To work with a dedicated team of audio industry professionals where my diverse background and many years of
experience in the Audio and Electronics Industries will help create new and exciting audio solutions.

WORK HISTORY
7/99 – present National Semiconductor, 2900 Semiconductor Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95052
As a Principal Applications Engineer in the Audio Group the following are a sampling of my responsibilities:

 Specified new audio parts based on customer inputs and my decades of experience in the Audio Industry.
 One of the founders of National’s New “LME” Line of Performance Audio IC’s.
 The following are some Parts I was responsible for as a Principal Applications Engineer in National’s Audio group:
LM4890 Cell Phone 1W audio Amp (micro-smd, 600 Million + parts sold), LM4921 stepped attenuator (I2C
controlled), new LME49726-5VDC R-R amplifier, LM4838 stereo 2W BTL amplifier with analog volume
control for handheld portable applications, LME49713 CFB audio opamp at .00008%THD, LME49811 Mono and
LM4702 Stereo +/-100VDC High Voltage/High Performance Power Amplifier Preamps, to name just a few.
 Set up National’s High End Audio Test Room for Customer, Press and in house Demos. (The National audio demo
Room employs Wilson Watt Puppy 7 and B&W 802D speakers for high quality listening evaluations).
 Made measurements of audio parts and equipment using the Audio Precision SYS-2722/192K measurement system.
 Handled a large portion of the client based inquires for National audio parts plus many other legacy audio products.
 Created data sheets for new National Audio Parts.
 Attended Trade Shows and Seminars and as both an exhibitor and visitor. (AES, CES, CEDIA, Stereophile, etc.)
 Taught Audio Training Classes for National’s in house and field personnel.

7/98- 6/99 Xicor Inc, 1511 Buckeye Drive., Milpitas, CA 95053

Senior Applications Engineer

 I created a new line of audio volume controls (DCP’s Digitally controlled Pots) for portable applications.

4/97-7/98 TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS, 189 North Bernardo Ave., Mt. View, CA 94043
As a Sr. Technical Marketing Engineer in the Multi-Media Marketing Group some of my duties were:
 Handled all clients based inquires that involved Technical PC Audio applications.
 Designed analog/audio and digital interface circuits for Tridents 4Dwave and 9753Wave PCI Audio cards.
 Interfaced with all external vendors and suppliers with regards to any matters relating to PC Audio and games.
 Performed all measurements of Trident Audio Products using the Audio Precision 2 measurement system.
 Set up validation system for PCI Audio compatibility with different game vendors.
 Acquired Sample parts (ex: CODECs) from other IC vendors and tested them in Tridents PCI Audio cards.
 Personally set up the test and QC Labs in the Multi-Media Marketing Group at Trident.
 Used Microsoft Project to schedule all my projects for the group.
 Evaluated Surround Sound algorithms for PC Based gaming applications (HRTF, AC-3, Q-Sound, A3D, VMAx)
 Certified MIDI sample sets for use in Tridents 4Dwave audio engine. (In process of FAT Labs certification).
 Attended PC, Computer Gaming, and Audio shows (COMDEX, CGDC) as an exhibitor.
 Laid out PCB artworks (with PADS) for customer evaluation boards with improved analog audio performance.
 Ordered, installed, and trained our group on Windows ORCAD schematic capture software.
 Managed contractors and game testers. Compiled the game test data for reports and publication.
WORK HISTORY-(continued)

4/95-2/97 EIGER SYSTEMS, 1400 Fashion Island Blvd. Suite 703, San Mateo, CA 94404
1
As the Chief Engineer I was directly responsible for the following projects:

DIGITAL AC-3\DTS Surround Sound Processor & Digital Audio Control Center
 Designed an Ultra High Quality 2 channel home audio system and 5.1 home theater audio system.
 Managed the design, documentation and production of the Eiger product line (D/A preamp, Control Center, Speakers)
 SPDIF and HDCD input boards interfaced through Burr-Brown ISO-150 high-speed isolators.
 Current to Voltage-D to A interface board, (100 MHz bandwidth, 3000 V/µsec, 18 ns settling to .1%).
 Evaluated all new circuits and final products on the new (at that time) Audio Precision 2 Measurement System.
 20 bit Digital to Analog converter circuits using Burr-Brown PCM-1702K D to A chips.
 Output line driver board using an AD9610 Transimpedance amp, (same specs. as Current to Voltage above).
 63dB computer controlled passive attenuator with 1dB steps with a constant 50 ohm impedance.
 Separate transformers and custom power supplies for every signal path chip, (140 MHz, 2500 V/µsec).
 Modular design that allows field replacement or upgrade of all parts and circuits in less than 3 minutes.
 Laid out the block diagrams for the signal path and user interface control options.
 Established licensing agreements with DTS and Dolby.

EIGER Chief Engineer-Duties and Responsibilities:

 Supervise the Engineering Department Personnel.
 Manage outside contractors and qualify vendors.
 Set up documentation system. (Pads, Microsim, Lotus Notes)
 Schedule all projects using Microsoft Project to allocate resources and manage outside contractors.
 Evaluate competitor’s equipment to increase our understanding of the market.
 Write White Papers about Eiger technology.
 Set up inventory control system for the Engineering Stock and the Production Stock.
 Oversee the creation of BOM’s for all Eiger products.
 Organize and present product demonstrations for distributors and retailers.
 Keep abreast of the latest advances in technology, (Electronic Parts-Circuits, Equipment, Competitors,
Source Material-DVD, etc.), especially as they relate to the High End Audio and Home Theater Markets.

11/93-1/95 YES! Entertainment Corporation, 3875 Hopyard Road, Suite 375, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Project Manager & Senior EE
 Responsible for all Electronic Engineering aspects of International projects relating to a Video\RF toy
known as TV Teddy (TVT).
 Managed contract Engineers to design a video tape test box that verified both the quality and timing of
the special TVT signal encoded on to Master Video Tapes.
 Evaluated the original NTSC RF transmitter box for TVT. I then redesigned the basic analog decoding
circuit so that it could be used with both PAL and SECAM encoded videotapes and equipment. This
allowed the product to make it to the 1994 International market instead of having to wait another year.
 Oversaw creation of all Master Beta Cam and D-2 Master Tapes in PAL, NTSC, SECAM, and PAL-M
 Established encoding procedures and specifications for the TVT videotapes.
 Interfaced with all vendors and Foreign Customers.
 Oversaw foreign RF approvals for TVT.
 Completed on time all of the Master tapes, product specific test equipment, and procedures for 1994.
 Trained the technical staff on the use of the PADS circuit board design system.
 Built and tested all prototype PC boards which included analog, digital, RF and Micro Controller circuits.
 Scheduled project tasks, time, and labor using Mac Project.

WORK HISTORY-(continued)

(1/87-8/94) MSB Technology Corporation, 575 Sierra St., Moss Beach, CA 94038
As Sr.EE, Chief Engineer and Founder the following are a sampling of my accomplishments:
2
  The RUNCO LJR-1 Video Laser Disk player for which I designed the digital audio interface board
(AESEBU-SPDIF), New D to A stage, Patented electromagnetic shielding techniques, Digital Master
Clock circuit, HF-Low Z power supplies, HF-High Quality Video output stage and line drivers.
 MSB CD Players, D to A Converters, and Transports-Digital Master Clock circuit, High frequency-Low
Z independent power supplies, patented electromagnetic shielding techniques, EMA isolation\vibration
absorbing system/layered damping plates, Servo Controls, and advanced wiring techniques.
 Control Centers, Power Amplifiers, and Line Stages incorporating the above mentioned electronics.
 Developed a new type of nearly zero Z (impedance), cable for audio and video.
 Adapted an Uninterruptible AC Power Supply to power High End audio systems.
 Speaker systems employing both active and passive crossover controls.
 Acoustically tunable, freestanding, damping panels for non-symmetrical/real world room configurations.
 Designed and laid out all the Circuit Board Artworks using PADS PCB.
 My equipment designs have been reviewed in Audio Video Interiors, Stereophile, Audio Critic,
Bound for Sound, The Perfect Vision, Audiophile Audition on NPR, The Stereophile Guide to Home
Theater, and others.

12/90-10/93 The Bear Group, 951 Mariner's Island Blvd., San Mateo, CA 944004

Project Manager/Senior. EE -Biometrics and High Security PC Access Control Systems.

 Designed analog, digital, interface and control circuits for a Biometric Computer Access Pen. The pen
uses tactile FSR sensors, like those used in electronic drum sets, to read the force of a person’s signature
on the surface of a pen. The pen also employs a PZT sensor inside the barrel to read the Z-axis forces.
 The PZT interface circuit I designed used super high Z input opamps mounted inside the pen. This small
circuit interfaced with the Pen Box A to D circuits, which I also designed.
 Designed, laid out, built and tested all the prototype circuit boards and systems.
 Set up a document control system using PADS schematic capture.
 The Pen Box used a Maxim 12 Bit Multiplexed A to D converter to feed four channels of biometric
pen force information back to the host PC through a standard serial interface.

1/87-12/90 SRI INTERNATIONAL, 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025

Development Engineer in the Mechanical Research Laboratory within the Advanced Technology Division.
This group specialized in commercial Research and Development projects, which included:

 Evaluated patent positions for banks that had acquired patents in the Audio field from DBX concerning
noise reduction and laser turntables.
 I was responsible for an in house development project, IR&D, of a biometric sensor pen for use in
signature verification systems. I chose the sensors, which started out as strain gauges and ended up as
FSRs, (force sensitive resistors from Interlink). I also designed all the analog and digital interface
circuits, laid out the circuit artworks, and specified all the parts and connectors used in the system.
 Worked on a team that devised a new way to dispense medical fluids in pico-liter quantities for
automated blood testing machines. This involved designing driver circuits, connector systems, and
subassemblies to run the dispensing units, which used HP Ink Jet Printer Heads.
 Designed and built high frequency, low noise video input circuits for an optical character recognition
system. The system was being built as a prototype for the United States Postal Service.

WORK HISTORY SRI International -(continued)

 I was the Lead Electronic Engineer on an SRI Team that evaluated a Customer Sales Project for AMP
regarding the feasibility of their EADS CD ROM based connector catalogues. I took the product idea to
several vendors in the San Jose, Santa Clara area and co-authored a report that was presented to AMP.
 Provided electronic design help with the drive controls, (motor speed controllers), that operated the
various prototype robotic systems. This involved setting up voltage and current feedback loops, current
limit levels and various ways of reading current, i.e. low ohmic sensing resistors and inductively coupled
sensors. I tuned the systems for stability, set up sensor arrays to gather data on the performance of the
systems and evaluated the data using various spreadsheet programs. These sensors could be optical,
3
 mechanical, magnetic, hydraulic, or even RF.
 Setup Environmental testing plan and fixtures to evaluate non-invasive blood pressure measurement
sensors and connectors under various temperatures and humidities. An IBM AT with a Metrabyte 16
channel IO board was used to collect the data. The goal was to observe drift and offset in the sensors.

1/86-12/86 AMBROSINI and CHALMERS, 2075 Pioneer Court, San Mateo, CA 94403
Sr. Field Service Engineer-installing and maintaining automated fresh and wastewater control systems.
My territory covered Northern California. The largest job I was responsible for was the startup of the
Chlorination-Dechlorination Facility at the Carmel, California Treatment Plant.

1985-1/86 DOLBY LABORATORIES, 100 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94111

Engineering-Assistant to Senior Staff Engineer Ken Gundry-Built and debugged prototype noise reduction circuits.

HARDWARE, SOFTWARE and ENGINEERING TOOLS EXPERIENCE

Audio Precision SYS-2722/192K Measurement System, HP Power Supplies, Oscilloscopes-TEK TDS3014B,
DPO7000, TDS 524A, 2245\46, 465B, HP Spectrum Analyzers, HPIB, Fluke meters-87, 8060,45, LZR Meter,
Microsoft Project, Excel, Power Point, Lotus\Notes, Word, Quicken, PADS PCB\Schematic Capture, Pro Logic, Wave,
Auto Cad, etc.

EDUCATION
DeVry Institute of Technology Degree: Electronic Engineering Technology
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

National Radio Institute Degree: Complete Amateur Radio

Washington DC

Arroyo High School GED

San Lorenzo, CA

ACHIEVEMENTS, HOBBIES and ACTIVITIES

Issued US patent #5258972 that pertains to electromagnetic shielding techniques for Audio Compact Disk and Video
Laser Disk Players. Attained the rank of Eagle while in scouting and I have served as the Cub Master for Pack 144 and
also Scoutmaster for Troop 144 in Moss Beach. I enjoy ice hockey and attending the San Jose Sharks games, working
on my GT500, ham radio-WA6PCP, mountain biking, chess, weight lifting and walking the dog. I am constantly
involved with the design and construction of audio equipment for the consumer, home theater and professional audio
markets as my chosen profession…and as a hobby/obsession!

----References-Available upon request----