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    Capabilities

    Solving technical problems with precision.

    Technical challenges are boundlessly diverse,
    but their solutions have a lot in common.
    Here are some of the ways that I can help you,
    regardless of the nature of your challenge.

    Project management

    It's common wisdom that schedule overruns are unavoidable, but I don't agree. Schedules can be achieved if they start with realistic estimates, and more importantly, due respect for uncertainty.

    Projects are a lot like fractals: it's impossible to see all the details from a high-level view. I can help you account for that.

    • Planning, estimation, and scheduling

    • Risk management

    • Breaking down complex goals into modules and tasks

    • Planning for iteration

    • Cost analysis & NPV estimation

    • Bayesian probabilistic forecasting and decisionmaking

    • PERT & GERT methods

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    Software, automation, & data analysis

    Python is my preferred tool for handling most tasks and calculations.

    A Python script distills one's thought process into a explicit and reproducible form.

    • Python / Conda, C++

    • Project organization: version control, etc

    • Testing

    • Documentation

    • numpy, sympy, pandas, matplotlib, networkx, pytest, sphinx, etc

    • Scripting

    • Numerical & symbolic optimization

    • Modeling, simulation, and system identification

      • Bode plots, Nyquist plots, etc

      • Step & impulse response

      • Sensitivity analysis

      • Signal flow graph & network analysis

      • Laplace domain and Z-domain analysis

      • Automatic controller tuning

      • Plotting & data visualization

    Firmware

    I can help you implement or improve your process with high-performance digital control.

    • Embedded C & C++ programming

    • MISRA compliance

    • Project documentation & organization

    • ARM, MSP430, C2000, etc

    • ADC, DAC, PWM peripheral configuration

    • Data IO: SPI, I2C, UART serial, RS-232, etc

    • DSP programming

      • Real-time digital control loops

      • PI, PD, PID, feedforward, etc

      • Fast, accurate IIR & FIR filter implementation

      • Anti-aliasing filters

      • Fixed point and floating point optimization

      • Numerical error minimization & robustness

      • Mixed sampling rates

      • Integrator saturation and anti-windup

      • Phase-locked loops

      • Adaptive feedforward cancellation

      • Field-oriented motor control

      • Space-vector modulation

    Electronics development and testing

    Close attention to noise filtering and parasitics can make all the difference in a high-performance system.

    • Power electronics

      • DC-DC converters

      • H-bridges

      • Three-phase inverters

      • Current & voltage sensing

      • Motor controls

      • Gate drivers

    • Differential signalling

    • AC & DC coupling

    • Transmission lines

    • Low-power design & leakage current analysis

    • Discrete transistor designs: MOSFET, JFET, BJT, etc

    • Negative-resistance circuits

    • Analogue controls, active filters, & amplifiers
    • Op-amps, instrumentation amps, differential amps

    • Impedance matching

    • Solar energy & MPPT tracking

    • Battery management

    • Schematic design and PCB layout with Horizon EDA

    • Testing and measurement assistance

    • Prototyping and small-scale assembly

    Motors & Actuators

    I have particular experience with electromagnetic machines. Whether it's selecting the right motor winding from a manufacturer's catalogue, or designing a new motor from scratch for your niche application, I'm here to help.

    • Magnetic circuit analysis

    • Permanent magnet devices

    • BLDC motors

    • Switched reluctance machines

    • Stepper motors

    • Servomotors

    • Linear motors

    • Voice coil motors / Lorentz actuators

    • Reluctance actuators

    • Lamination design

    • Loss analysis

    • Efficiency testing

    • Noise reduction

    Sensors & Feedback

    If a process can be measured, it can be controlled. The key to a good feedback system starts with a good sensor, with a bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio appropriate to the task. Whether you're developing a novel sensor technology or looking to get better performance with an off-the-shelf solution, I can help.

    • Direct & remote temperature sensing

    • Optical sensing

      • Photodiode & split-diode

      • Laser interferometry

      • Moire interferometry

    • Resistance measurement

      • Kelvin & wheatstone bridge

      • Resistive strain measurement

    • Capacitive & inductive sensing

    • Position sensing

    • Drift compensation / auto-nulling

    • Back-EMF based estimation

    Mechanical design

    With mechanical components more than anything else, your available options will depend strongly on your production scale. But whether a simple spot-welded enclosure or a fully-actuated robot, mechanical design always offers an opportunity for a mix of creativity and disciplined analysis that can cut costs and improve performance.

     

    • CAD/CAM: SolidWorks, FreeCAD

    • Drafting

    • Rapid prototyping

    • Design for manufacturing (DFM)

    • Materials selection

    • Accuracy and repeatability measurement

    • Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)

    • Strength & stiffness optimization

    • Vibration isolation & dampening

    • Sheet metal design

    • Kinematic design

    • Precision machine design

    • Thermocentric design

    • Flexures

    • Lightweight & inflated structures

    Jacob Bayless

    Consulting Inc

    ​

    ​

    JACOB BAYLESS

    jacob@jbaylessconsulting.ca

     

     

    Vancouver, BC

    Canada

    Contact

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    © 2022 Jacob Bayless Consulting Inc

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