Paul Steane's Curriculum Vitae

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Web Page: https://www.steane.com

Present Situation

At the end of March 2018 I set up my own company Paul Steane Engineering Limited offering my services as a freelance/consultant electrical and electronics engineer.

For confidentiality reasons details of work performed are not listed here. Please contact me using the E-mail link above if you think I may be able to help you.

Previous Employment

  • from February 1998 to March 2018: Solutions Engineer/Electronics Engineer, Alstom Transport, Preston, UK (was Customer Services, GEC ALSTHOM Traction Ltd. until 21 June 1998)
  • from 1989 to February 1998: Senior Design Engineer, GEC ALSTHOM Traction Ltd., Manchester, UK

Major Projects (in reverse date order)

  • 2015-2017: lead engineer on a project to design, build and install an updated safety monitoring system on a fleet of d.c. e.m.u. trains
  • 2014-2015: update the Class 319 traction control software to suit operation on the higher overhead line supply voltages found in North West England
  • 2013-2014: further application of the data acquisition equipment to a different fleet of trains.
  • 2011-2013: development of data acquisition equipment for monitoring and downloading live data from a fleet of trains. Hardware design and embedded software design.
  • 2009-2010: further development of diagnostic capabilities of Class 319 equipment.
  • 2007-2008: development of reliability improvements and extra diagnostic capabilities for Class 456 traction control software.
  • 2005-2006: development of reliability improvements and extra diagnostic capabilities for Class 319 traction control software.
  • 2003-2004: development of improved diagnostic software for 1980s/1990s GEC/Alstom traction equipment.
  • 2000-2002: continuing development of camshaft control system for d.c. trains, including application to UK Class 442 e.m.u. and fitment to train 442409 (photo available).
  • 1998-1999: final design of hardware and software for refurbished camshaft control system for d.c. trains, including commissioning in Melbourne, Australia (photo available).
  • 1997-1998: design and supervision of design of items to allow the Traction and Auxiliary Convertor equipment of Alstom's Juniper train to more easily obtain its Vehicle Safety Case.
  • 1997: design of PWM Encoder Unit - a self-contained unit to read the position of the driver's Master Controller, or the demand level from an Automatic Train Operation system, and transmit this Tractive Effort demand information as a PWM signal down a pair of train lines:
    • standardised design - used on many different contracts, using Lattice EPLD for control logic;
    • fully compliant with new BS EN 50155:1996 requirements
    • used on contracts such as Arlanda Airport Express (photo available)
  • 1996: design of new propulsion control electronics for refurbishment of Kowloon Canton Railway (Hong Kong) vehicles (photo available), with the following features:
    • functionally identical to equipment provided some 15 years earlier, for inter-working compatibility;
    • single PCB, compared to original rack-based system, giving large cost saving;
    • use of more modern components and techniques, for example to eliminate select-on-test components;
    • actual reliability figures for 60 units as at August 1999: 2.5 million km between failures
  • 1992-1994: design of hardware for Train Management System for Seoul Subway Lines 4, 7 & 8 in South Korea:
    • design of two Actel Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices as peripherals for ARM610-based microprocessor PCB;
    • design of Actel FPGA device as the peripheral controller for Input and Output Interface PCBs based on the Manchester Metrolink design but adapted for the new bus;
    • three visits totalling two months were made to South Korea to assist with commissioning trials.
  • 1989-1991: design of Programmable Logic Controller for Manchester Metrolink Light Rail Vehicles:
    • hardware design of Input and Output Interface PCBs interfacing proprietary 8086-based bus system to the electrically noisy vehicle systems;
    • software design of the Application Programme, including Fault Logging and Reporting (written in PL/M and 8086 Assembly Language).

Historic Employment

  • 1980-1989: Design Engineer, GEC Industrial Controls Ltd., Rugby, Warwickshire, UK
  • 1976-1980: Student Apprentice, GEC Industrial Controls Ltd., Kidsgrove, Staffs., UK

Areas of expertise

  • Analogue control system design.
  • Digital logic design, including:
    • 4000 series, 74HC series etc. logic families;
    • complex Programmable Logic Devices such as Actel, Lattice & Xilinx.
  • Interfacing with electrically noisy equipment:
    • RIA, IEC and EN standards;
    • EMC requirements.
  • Microprocessor system design, including:
    • 8086, 8051, 8096/80C196, ARM and MicroChip family devices;
    • dedicated peripheral device design.
  • Software programming, including:
    • Assembly language for 8086, 8051, 8096/80C196 and ARM family devices;
    • Basic, PL/M, C, C++, C#, PHP.

Academic Qualifications

  • 1980: Bachelor of Technology 2.2 (Hons) Electrical & Electronic Engineering (‘Thin sandwich’ course with industrial training at GEC Industrial Controls at Kidsgrove)
  • 1976-1980: University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
  • 1976: 4 'A'-levels:
    • Grade A: Mathematics.
    • Grade B: Further Mathematics, Physics.
    • Grade C: General Studies.
  • 1973/4: 8 'O'-levels:
    • Grade 1: Mathematics, Physics.
    • Grade 3: Chemistry, Additional Mathematics, English, French, Latin, Geography.
  • 1969-1976: Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall, West Midlands, UK.

Professional Qualifications

  • 1990: Member of Institution of Electrical Engineers
  • 1990: Chartered Engineer

Computer Literacy

  • Advanced knowledge of DOS and Windows.
  • Good knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.
  • Good knowledge of HTML and CSS.
  • Familiar with UNIX.

Interests and Hobbies

  • Preservation and restoration of AC Electric Locomotives (active member of The AC Locomotive Group)
  • Railways in the UK and Europe:
    • Travelling by Train;
    • Locomotives and rolling stock;
    • Study of closed railway routes;
    • Signalling systems;
    • Safety and Accidents.
  • Listening to Classical Music.
  • Computers.
  • Photography.