Freelance Software / Embedded Systems Developer
Self Employed (Part Time)
Total des années d'expérience :8 years, 11 Mois
Started freelancing to earn few bucks part time. As a freelance project developer, I've done and delivered several engineering projects either individually or in team.
Following are the projects completed till date:
1. Development of Micro-Grid Testbed for Research
Jul 2016 - Aug 2016
Members:Ahmed Zahid, Fawad Azeem, Jibran Goraya
The testbed comprises of different power sources modeled with the inverters connected in parallel to the loads.Real time measurement of voltage, line current, frequency and power values of each source is done using NI myRIO and LabVIEW. The loads are also controllable by means of relay through NI myRIO. This provides endless possibilities for testing different algorithms of demand and load management. One novel power sharing algorithm designed, implemented and tested is being submitted for publication.
2. Development of 3 Phase Smart Energy Meter
Jul 2016 - Aug 2016
Members:Ahmed Zahid
The 3 Phase Smart Energy Meter is developed using NI myRIO 1900 for energy audit. The myRIO and custom made circuit, interfaced with it, are enclosed in a custom made enclosure with 20x4 LCD display that displays the phase voltages, currents and system frequency. Over WiFi data is received by the LabVIEW VI running on Desktop Computer runs and displays the live data in form of graphs and it also logs the data.
3. Automation of Unsteady State Heat Transfer Unit
Sep 2016 - Oct 2016
Members:Ahmed Zahid, Talha Nizami
The implementation of the automation on an Unsteady State Heat Transfer Unit for Chemical Engineering Lab experiments is done in this project using LabVIEW and Arduino. It included the development of a hardware/software integration for data analysis developed through the integration of Arduino with LabVIEW using Serial Communication. The Arduino sketch polls for the commands to decide ON/OFF and sends the temperature readings taken from thermocouples to the LabVIEW VI.Functionalities such as, set point modifications, data logging facility, real time data examination and exportation of data with Microsoft-Excel are performed. The lab manual of experiments was also prepared.
4. Design and Development of 3 Phase Induction Motor - Generator Set Testbed
Aug 2016 to Nov 2016 Members:Ahmed Zahid, Taseer Ahmed
The testbed is developed for Electrical Machines Laboratory. The NI myRIO 1900 drives the VFD that further drives the motor. The RPMs through encoder are read by the myRIO for closed loop speed control of 3 phase induction motror. The waveforms of the voltages and currents are also displayed on the graphs in LabVIEW. The load (generator) can be detached or attached.
5. Automation of Food Restaurant Service
Sep 2016 - Dec 2016
Members:Ahmed Zahid, Sarfraz Anwar, Ahrar Ahmad The automation of food restaurant service includes the automated reception of orders via android application and subsequent delivery of food from kitchen to the desired table. The delivery is done by means of a 4 wheel robot. The robot follows along the black line to reach to the desired table in a 3x2 grid layout prototype. To detect the black, IR sensors are used. Ultrasonic sensor is placed for obstacle detection and avoidance using alternate path in a grid to reach the entered table. The table number is fed using Keypad. The brain of the robot is the Arduino Mega 2560 micro-controller board.
6. Automatic Screw Driver Machine
Sept 2016 - Dec 2016
Members:Ahmed Zahid, Sarfraz Anwar, Ahrar Ahmad The 4 axis robotic arm based screw driving machine is developed that can pick and fasten screw. To control the robot, the Arduino UNO is used. It is programmed in NI LabVIEW using LINX LabVIEW Makerhub. The state-machine based algorithm is designed and implemented to semi automate the process. To further enhance the automation process, the vision system is also integrated that provides the feedback of presence or absence of holes where the screws are to be fastened.
1. Work Fields: Examine GSM Signals (using TEMS and MapInfo) for Reporting
2. Installation of GSM Site (ZTE, Huawei)
3. Cabling & Software Config. (Ethernet, Fiber Optic & Driver Config, IP Config.)
4. Maintenance (Troubleshooting)
-placed in all the 4 departments under the Engineering division for 10 days at each. The departments were:
1. Phones
2. Data
3. Switching
4. Transmission
-Explored the operations and workflow of these departments.
-Learnt about the different technologies being used there.
Served voluntarily during final year of studies as a facilitator in LabVIEW Academy where I played several roles as an Assistant Trainer; produced good number of certified developers. Introduced and conducted customized training programs for LabVIEW integration with embedded systems.
Promoted the academy’s program over Social Media and conducted awareness seminars. Designed Posters and flyers for this. Resulting in increased intake by 50%. Managed record of students in MS Excel. Co-ordinated with NI Team for scheduling certification exam.
Ensured proper running of computer systems with latest softwares installed. Maintained them by rectifying the problems, mainly software related issues and few minor hardware problems as well.
Summer Internship (Paid):
Involved training in Applications Engineering and Sales Engineering domain with a deliverable project on NI software/hardware. Cleared NI LabVIEW Graphical Programing associate level certification exam.Successfully delivered the complete graphical system design project on NI sbRIO Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) in the area of Power Electronics and Control.
TRAININGS:
- Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD). The CLAD Training included:
A broad and complete understanding of the core features and functionality available in the LabVIEW Full Development System
- Embedded Control and Monitoring (ECM) Using LabVIEW. The ECM was based on NI CRIO-9067, NI RIO 14 and NI myRIO. The training included:
•Design, prototype, and deploy an embedded control & monitoring application
• Acquire and generate analog and digital signals, control timing, and implement signal processing on RT and FPGA
• Implement functionality on the FPGA for maximum performance and reliability using the LabVIEW FPGA Module
• Implement additional functionality on the RT target for logging, network communication, system health monitoring, and reliability using the LabVIEW Real-Time Module
• Implement a human machine interface (HMI) on the PC
• Communicate data between FPGA, RT, and PC
• Debug, benchmark, and test your application
• Deploy your application to multiple systems
INTERNSHIP PROJECT:
Development of a 3-Phase Variable Frequency Driver using NI Single-Board RIO General Purpose Inverter Controller (GPIC)- NI 9683 and NI 9605. The project included:
- LabVIEW 2015 based graphical programming for GPIC
- Control system for the Dolang ETM-7114 3-Phase Induction Motor depending on Feedback for Speed/Power control and Power Factor monitoring.
- LabVIEW Graphical User Interface for Visualizing waveforms of the voltage provided to the Motor
- Hardware Implementation of Inverter on Modified GPIC Inverter Research Board (Modification of the board to meet requirements for Dolang ETM-7114 3-Phase Induction Motor).
- Co-simulations for the inverter on Multisim.
Got exposure of the following departments during one month summer internship:
Design Department (Designing and installation of grids, substations, Towers and remote installations, testing and surveys, civil designs and electrical works, analysis of the land, suitability of installation and Projects assigned)
Planning Department (Planning of projects from inception till execution and installations)
Protection Department (equipment and switchgear protection, design of protection schemes and infrastructure)
Received after regular mode of study at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore Campus (Pakistan). The COMSATS degree was also awarded for the same body of work.The study was validated and assessed by Lancaster University, UK under the Dual Degree Program of COMSATS and Lancaster University, UK. Courses: Major: Data Communication and Computer Networks, Electrical Power Distribution and Utilization, Electric Machines, Control Systems, Microprocessor Systems and Interfacing, Antenna & Radio Wave Propagation, Digital Signal Processing, Optical Fiber Communication, Microwave Engineering, Telecommunication Systems Engineering Minor (Computing): Introduction to Computer Programming, Object Oriented Programming, Algorithm and Data Structures Minor (Non Engineering): Report Writing Skills, Project Planning and Management, Engineering Economics Projects: 1. Puzzle Sorting Game December 2013 to December 2013 Members: Ahmed Zahid Description: The computer game was developed using Java. The user has to move using arrow keys or mouse and sort the numbers in the order within a given time to win the game. The difficulty level and the time to sort are user selectable. 2. DIY Hand Crank Mobile Charger December 2014 to January 2015 Members:Ahmed Zahid, Sarfraz Anwar Description:Fed up of being mostly ended up with phone getting switched OFF due to low battery? The portable battery banks also got empty once used up and they could not be used again unless charged from a power source. But this compact, easy to carry, hand driven USB charger generates energy to charge devices on the go and never let that one important call go just because phone's battery was dead. 3. Microstrip Patch Antenna April 2015 to May 2015 Members:Ahmed Zahid, Sarfraz Anwar, Muhammad Waqas Ayub, SALMAN ATTIQUE Description: The circular microstrip patch antenna was designed for UWB (3.1 GHz - 10.6 GHz) communication using CST Microwave Studio.The applied technique was used in which effects of different geometric modifications were observed to achieve the desired results. 4. SCADA for Automated Control and Management of a Building Automation System November 2015 to December 2015 Members:Hammad Saleem, ASAD AMEEN, Ahmed Zahid, Rubab Salah-ud-Din, Hafiz M.Rohan Description:The SCADA was developed using NI LabVIEW for efficient management of a building. The system was deployed in the Industrial Automation Lab of the EE department in the CIIT, Lahore. It included the Siemens PLC S7-300 and the NI myRIO 1900. The S7-300 was deployed to control and monitor the lights and HVAC appliances. It was interfaced with LabVIEW using NI OPC Server. The 3 Phase Power and Energy Consumption monitoring of the department was also done using NI myRIO. The SCADA was also hosted over internet using NI Web Publishing tool. 5. Pilot Scale Energy Audit of Jinnah Hospital Lahore January 2016 to February 2016 Members:Ahmed Zahid, Muhammad Zeeshan, Kashaf Awan, Muhammad Omer Asrar Description: Energy Audit of Jinnah Hospital Lahore of pilot scale was conducted by the COMSATS Lahore. The team comprised of the faculty from Chemical Engineering Department and Electrical Engineering Department and the final year students. I lead the team of students, co-ordinated with faculty, did analysis of commercial bill, surveyed the site along-with other team members and did my part in the audit report generation. 6. Wilkinson RF Power Divider at 800 MHz May 2016 to June 2016 Members:Ahmed Zahid, Sarfraz Anwar, Muhammad Zeeshan Description: The Wilkinson 2 way RF splitter is designed at 800 MHz using dielectric substrate having relative permitivity of 4.6 in the National Instruments AWR Design Environment. The design can be extended for N-Way power divider or splitter such as 8-WAY or 16-WAY. This higher number of ports RF combiner and splitter is widely used in VSAT Hub stations or central stations for multiple signal combining and splitting process.
