Hi, I'm Tom, Electronics engineer since 20+ years.
When I was a student, I ran a small pro audio business, designing custom P.A. systems mainly based on Fane Studio loudspeakers, and renting audio and lighting stuff for local events.
My very first task as junior engineer was debugging ASIC prototypes with embedded microntrollers (PIC clones), directly on a HP83k harware tester, emulating ROM. Shortly after that, I got the chance to jump into an European-funded research project, developing the very first GSM handset with integrated GPS receiver - intended to be used as emergency phone for people with age or health issues.
Then, I tried to get rich founding a Dot com company - on location-based services. Our lawyers were the only ones, who got rich, so we quit that adventure in time before we got ruined.
Later, just before Fukushima nuclear disaster, I was contracted by a small manufacturer of radiation meters. We improved the product design (more than 20 years continuous operation with one internal Li battery) and were just rearranging the manufacturing process a little bit, when these power plants in Japan failed. Boy, the geiger counters were sold out within days and the prices for GM tubes tripled. For a couple of years, their radiation meter production had to be split to several subcontractors, to cover the demand.
Meanwhile, my work is mostly releated to microelectronics research at a research institute.
Cheers,
Tom