What is your background?
I graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and have been working with Nuvation as a design engineer since 2008. Lately I’ve been designing circuit boards and large systems, but I got started in electronics by building BEAM robots when I was young, and eventually BASIC Stamp robots a few years later. Today I design much more advanced electronics at Nuvation.
What started your interest in Gumstix technology?
A recent project required an OMAP 3530 processor in a very small form factor for a portable device. Time to market was also a big concern, so having the OMAP and all its support circuits pre-fabricated sped up the hardware design. Similarly, having access to expansion boards for the Gumstix meant the software team could get started right away, without having to wait for the hardware I was designing.
What current projects are you working on?
I’m currently wrapping up work on a portable medical imaging device. This was a complex system involving four custom circuit boards (plus the Overo Fire COM).
What Gumstix products are you using in the project?
An Overo Fire COM is used in the final product’s hardware. The software team is currently developing software using Overo Fire COMs plugged into Tobi expansion boards.
Why is Gumstix technology the best solution for the project?
A key reason for using Gumstix COMs was to accelerate the project schedule. Using the COMs shaved weeks off the design and debug efforts.
What projects do you have planned for the future?
Nuvation is an Engineering Design Services provider so we’re constantly starting and finishing a diverse set of projects. We’ve been looking at Gumstix modules for a variety of projects, ranging from medical devices through to consumer products.
Will Gumstix technology be part of your future plans? If so, why?
Certainly! The Gumstix Overo COMs are a great fit with Nuvation’s OMAP expertise and allow us to shave weeks off our project schedules – which makes our customers quite happy!
