Lucas Kienzle - Fleetlogger

Embedded software development. The Fleetlogger was one of a range of electronic tachographs manufactured by Lucas Kienzle. This one, based on a Dallas 8051 CPU, logs distance, harsh braking and over-speeding incidents. It also provides an intelligent immobilisation system, requiring drivers to present a touch memory to identify themselves, with the complete log of the drive being downloaded to the touch memory on request.

Traffic Master Display

This module was designed for use within the driving compartment, and displayed traffic congestion data obtained from the TM paging data channel

GKN - Automatic Shim Selection for Differential Gear-Boxes - led by Exotech Ltd

Software development. This machine tool was developed by Exotech Ltd, its purpose being a mechanism to automatically select shims to set-up differential gear boxes for GKN. The gear box is mounted in a known assembly and taken through a series of mechanical movements, data captured from the device is used to determine the optimum width for the shims. Another project carried out for GKN was the development of an automatic gear mesh unit, embedded within the engine compartment of semi-automatic vehicles.

Rear Steer for Taxis

Electronic & embedded software design. A concept vehicle to develop rear steer for Taxis to provide a tighter turning circle, now in production

Rover - Heating control for the X25

Embedded software. Part of the Rover rescue project, which failed. One small part of the new vehicle was the passenger heating controller. Using an 8051 and the K-Bus, a pair of air-flow flaps were adjusted to independently control the driver and passenger temperatures. There was small batch production until the company collapsed.

Aston Martin - AutoTxt

Electronic design and embedded software. Autotxt was the first factory fitted vehicle alarm, immobilisation and recovery unit that met the Thatcham Cat 5 standard. Shown here is the ARM-7 variant used for Aston Martin that was developed after the original Atmel 8051 unit that was developed for Jaguar Land Rover. The earlier device used a combined GSM/GPS module from Falcom, later designs used discrete modules. Now owned by Aston Martin.

Image Scan Holdings - 3D X-Ray of aircraft hold baggage

Control software and electronics. ISH developed the first 3D X-ray system for threat detection in aircraft hold baggage. This technology has now been applied in a range of different markets. This system used the Quarndon QCAN module to provide control of the belt.

Electronic and embedded software for a range of automotive ECUs

Shown here is a window control unit for Aston Martin, a similar project was the design of a snow switch with a post ignition electronic setting memory.

Rolls Royce & LandRover - Wiring harness interface

Embedded electronic and software development. A small batch of hybrid vehicles were manufactured, known as the Bentley Dominator range, made from a Bentley chassis and a Range Rover wheelbase. The project being the design of ECUs to provide an interface between the different wiring harnesses.

Jaguar - ECU interface for X6 to Granada

Embedded electronics & software development. Following the acquisition of Jaguar by Ford, a fleet of concept hybrid vehicles were produced using the X6 and the Granada. The project was to design an ECU that interfaced the different wiring harnesses. Shown here is an ECU that converted RPM and MPH data on the CAN bus into frquency outputs for the Driver Information Panel

Ford - Driver Information Panel (DIP) TV Screen (also Lucas AVSD & DERA)

Project management, electronic design and embedded code. Developed to support the active suspension R&D programme, this is an early example of the use of a TV screen in a vehicle. Based on the credit card miniature GCATT PC, driving a portable TV display from Sharp (1/4 VGA screens were not yet on the market) the system provided real time feedback from a range of vehicle sensors. The system was further developed to support the display of parameters for Intelligent Collision Detection for Lucas AVSD & DERA.

Sharp Displays

Technical support. The software used in the automotive projects was used by Sharp to demonstrate their new range of LCD displays at exhibitions. Note the small PC boards in the centre driving an LCD display. This was new ground in the early 1990s.

Ocean Technical Systems - Ship to Shore Telemetry

Project manager. Based on the RCA 1802 CMOS microprocessor, a ship-to-ship and ship-to-buoy telemetry systems were developed for OTS. The primary purpose to aid navigation and docking. SIRA Project

Drum Engineering - DRUM STIC System for Tanker Instrumentation & Control

Development engineer. Drum Engineering specialise in fitting out road tankers. The DRUM_STIC system uses a vibrating tubular transducer to measure the tank contents, and liquid density in each of the tankers containers. Fed into a central computer this concept is to use the data to balance load and filling. SIRA project

Ford - Optical Fuel Flow

Project Management. One a range of optical sensors developed for Ford furing this period in support of a range of R&D project. This device used Doppler to measure the fuel flow,reliant on particles being present in the fuel line to reflect the light. SIRA Project

Ford - Vehicle Tilt

Project Manager. An example of an optical device developed for Ford, as part of their active suspension programme. Other device were acceleration, axle load, and windscreen obscuration. SIRA project

Dailys UK Ltd - GSM MODEM Instant messaging
Electronic & Software design

Dailys UK at that time had a unique market, using paging to transmit headlines to newspaper vendor sites, to support sales of local papers. The project updated the system to use modern GSM technology, and SMS messaging

First Inertia Switch - Optical Steering Wheel Position Sensor 

Project Management. Now common place, using distributed sensors in vehicles was a new concept in the 1980s. This device was developed to provide data for Ford's active suspension system R&D programme. Samples were also produce for Renault. SIRA project