John R. Carlsen

Sunnyvale, CA

Highly educated and experienced lead developer of innovative systems, circuits, and software. Consistently creates high ROI by analytically adapting to new technologies, finding and fixing defects, and developing budgets, products, junior staff, workflows, and tools. Introduced major new technologies, cut R&D costs 90%+, and reached 70%+ market share. Seeking other intelligent, professional, ambitious, and efficient team players with can-do attitude.

Core Competencies

Artificial Intelligence (AI): From chess, game theory, adaptive control systems, robots
Software/Firmware: C, C++, Linux, FOSS, RTOS, GNU, embedded, bash, grep, git, vi
Hardware: Schematics, mixed signal, PI/SI, FPGA (Verilog/VHDL), PCB & IC EDA
Tools: CAD (Altium Designer, SolidWorks, KiCad), DMMs, oscilloscopes, ssh, sftp
Methodologies: Requirements/MVP, DFM/DFT/DFx, FMEA, CI/CD, OOP, GUI/CLI
Leadership: Contracts, managing global teams; public speaking; IEEE officer

Career Impact

Independent Contractor/Consultant, dba Syncopated Systems 2003-2010, 2011-present

Operated business integrating modern technologies in systems, circuits, and software for client products (consumer/computer, medical/cosmetic, transportation/aviation/aerospace)
Created safety-critical industry-leading automated railway ballast placement system
Integrated commercial/military ADS-B transceiver with GPS for large UAV
Created flight profile, GPS-based tracking system for high-power experimental rocket
Created dermabrasion embedded control system w/touchscreen (Yocto Linux, Qt, PIC)
Configured embedded Linux in surgical equipment
Formally verified blu-ray disc API for Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Windows
Added functionality to and resolved manufacturing challenges for Apple CPU upgrades
Made and sold leading video DAC for retrocomputing
Developed hardware and firmware for humanoid/mobile robots
Reverse engineered security device (PIC firmware), winning $25MM IP litigation

Senior Staff Hardware Engineer, Sony (PlayStation Americas) – Foster City, CA 2010–2011

Principal hardware engineer of a PlayStation video game for South America with projected retail sales of $1-billion
Directed a 4-continent global partner network to develop all system hardware
Defined requirements/architecture, sourced/qualified components, managed BOM costs
Demonstrated working prototype to top leadership at corporate HQ in Tokyo

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Austin Community College – Austin, TX 2009

As adjunct faculty, taught computer game development (game scripting, 2 semesters)

Engineer, Newisys – Austin, TX 2001

First 64-bit PC and reference design used to create most modern microcomputers (Newisys 2100 1U server, introducing AMD K8 Opteron, x86-64/AMD64 architecture): working with AMD (and future AMD CTO Phil Hester), defined power subsystem requirements, budget, state changes, power on/off sequencing, novel voltage-scaling mechanism; coded logic in VHDL and Verilog; outsourced development of CPU VRMs
Created and documented pre-PMBus interface to service processor, assisted bring-up

PCB Designer, SigmaTel – Austin, TX 2000–2001

Reference design PCBs used to create most (70%+) flash-based MP3 players (including Apple iPod Shuffle 1G): Conceived new UI, designed PCB, supervised FCC compliance testing for battery-operated portable digital audio players with new SoC ICs

Layout Engineer, Advanced Layout Designer, Altera – San José, CA 1996–1999

FPGA and CPLD semiconductors: Designed and verified (DRC, LVS, LPE) IC layout
Created new TDR sets and training program for recent engineering graduates

Senior Hardware Engineer, Iguana Entertainment – CA & Austin, TX 1993–1996

Principal hardware & tool engineer for a developer of video games sold for $25MM: Enabled startup company’s core business by creating efficient (90%+ less costly) system hardware (interfaces, media emulation, debugging controls, extensive PLDs, early DC-DC switching/battery power) for cross-platform software development on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, and Sony PlayStation, reverse-engineering those systems and other hardware
Created software tools, including the company’s first Windows-based software
Managed operations through rapid growth, supporting 170+ employees on 2 continents

Engineering Technician, Associate Engineer, Media Vision – Fremont, CA 1991–1992

First CD-ROM pressing of Microsoft Windows: Supervised as person in plant
PC audio cards: Developed circuits and programmable logic, including for a novel PLL circuit prior to its implementation in a standard-cell ASIC; wrote disassembler for MCU ROM; designed variant cards with non-SCSI interfaces to CD-ROM drives; rapidly analyzed and resolved problems to enable extraordinary manufacturing ramp-ups
Supervised EMI/EMC testing and FCC certification of all products

Early employers: Atari, IBM (Almaden Research Center), Mediagenic (Activision/Infocom)

Additional Leadership & Community Involvement

IEEE Senior Member: current director and 2023–2024 chair of its largest consultants’ network, current chair of Silicon Valley Technology History Committee
USAF Auxiliary CAP (2015–present): radio operator, trained in FEMA incident command system (ICS); 2018 Pacific Region Communicator of the Year
Managed a nonprofit’s office staff, operations, payroll, cash deposits (nearly $1‑MM annually); updated technology, documents, and web site (2017–2019)
Presenter: SNIA Developer Conf., 2025 & 2019; Future of Memory and Storage, 2017; panelist at game conventions in 2015 & 2013
Palo Alto Airport Association webmaster (HTML, CSS, JS, WordPress)

Basic Qualifications/Education

BS Computer Science & BBA Management (GPA 3.2+) – St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX

Double major; senior research projects: constraint-driven feature movement for PCB and IC layout, conflicts of interests caused by schools’ ownership of student-created IP

AA×5: Tech. Communication, Bus. Admin., Accounting, etc. – De Anza College, Cupertino, CA

Studied engineering at San José State University, San José, CA

Advanced training in Altium Designer; licensed pilot

US & EU citizen, work authorization, passports; eligible for US security clearance; multilingual