[hpsdr] Introduction de WA2DFI

[Scott Cowling]

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking since my discovery of this list at Dayton this year, 
thanks to Eric and the Saturday afternoon SDR forum. I thought it was time 
to introduce myself and to thank the contributors for a great experience. 
This is what real radio is all about!

I'll keep it brief, since there are lots more important things to discuss.

I have ben a ham since 1967, and an EE since 1978. I have experience in 
logic design (from TTL through CMOS and ECL); Micro-controller system 
design (from 8080 through PowerPC, Sharc, ARM, PIC and PSoC); FPGA hardware 
(schematic to VHDL and Verilog) from early Xilinx XC3020 in 1989 to the 
latest Altera Stratix II chips of today. I don't actually do PCB layout 
(yet!), but I supervise those that do, so I know what is invloved.

I like to do analog design, but I am more of an expert in the digital area. 
I used one of the first CPLDs in 1981, even before there was programming 
support for them. I wrote the equations as product terms and marked "x" on 
the chip's logic diagram in the data book for every fuse that had to be 
blown (yes, it was a fuse-link one-time-programmable part, the Signetics 
82S105 sequencer). I converted the fuse map into hex and typed it into the 
DataIO programmer. There was no support for PALasm, ABEL or any other 
"language", just hex fuse maps. :-)  But that one part replaced 10 others!

My current company (of which I am part owner) does consulting, quick-turn 
prototypes and also sells completed products.  I am excited to see what is 
happening here with the SDR group. Since my job is to make schematics, 
Verilog, PC boards and parts kits, it fits right in with what is happening 
here. I hope I can contribute at least a fraction of what our fearless 
leaders have already done.

(As an aside: ALL 4 owners of the company are Extra class hams, and ALL are 
interested in SDRs.)

Well, enough history; keep up the good work!  It is great to be part of 
such a group.

73,
Scotty WA2DFI
Tempe, AZ