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| Alain
Pelletier Tel:(506) 739-0757 
|
(C) 2003 - 2007 Alain Pelletier - All rights reserved.
Work experience from 1990 to 2004
I graduated from NBCC Moncton in June 1990 in Electronic Engineering Technology
I started my Bsc. Eng. EE in September 1990.
In 1992 – 1993 I was a junior
electronic designer for the company Edmundston Electronic. I have
designed the core electronic for the four face scoreboard still in
use at the Edmundston Forum. This scoreboard was groundbreaking as
LEDs were just starting to be used in this type of application.
My responsabilities for this project were to design the software, firmware, cabling, user interface and communication for the scoreboard. At mid point it was my decision to scrap the cabling which was built and change to a lighter cabling system using addressing and data. At the time, the decision was not popular bulky 37 wires were replaced with 9 lightweight ribbon cable. This basic configuration was later used in future scoreboards. This system is still in use in scoreboards such as KC Irving Regional center in Bathurst and Atlantic Baptist University and Florenceville arena. Several inherent problems were present in the original design which affected reliability directly. These problems will be addressed later.
I am a co-founder of Nik Design which was incorporated in November 1992. There were 3 original founders.
In summer 1994 new digits were designed by me which would make the scoreboard more reliable using the 9 wire scheme devised in 1993 using PLD technology to decode the addresses on the address/data bus.
In December 1994 Nik Design hired UNB engineering graduate. He was working under my supervision. The goal was to make the Edmundston scoreboard more reliable in order to be able to build better more reliable scoreboards also design software, firmware and user interface for the new numerals. The PLD technology was then incorpored by me to the Edmundston Forum scoreboard in order to upgrade this “prototype”. New boards had to be designed by me specifically for the Forum in order to adapt the new sytem on the old numerals. This system is still in use today with the same boards and PLD program as in 1994.
I graduated from UNB in engineering in May 1994.
The scoreboard proved to working much better but it was found that it was still failing during high profile events. Some parts would fail only during games with large attendance. Then the scoreboard would be reliable for several weeks. Then there was a large tournament in November 1994 – the scoreboard failed 3 times. It was discovered by me that the local radio station was contacted by a reporter using a large 4W cell phone next to the control box of the scoreboard. This critical eventchanged my approach to trouble finding and troubleshooting for ever.
In 1995 I designed the PC boards for Illuminated house numbers using LED lamps. Also I chose aluminium mouldings from a picture framing shop to enclose the numbers. This approach was innovative in the sense that Electronic components and artwork moulding were not used together. This framing solution is still in use by Nik Design and has jumped from thousands of illuminated house numbers to practically any display that Nik Design now produces including scoreboards and scrolling marquees.
Also in 1995 experiments were made with
LED traffic signals by me such as Beacons, flashing stop signs and
intersection signals. At the time the standards were not yet drawn
for LED traffic signals and were later dropped. Most poineers in the
LED signs at the time did not make money because all their products
had to be replaced after the standards were written for safety
reasons. Several flashing stop signs using LED are still in use
today.
In 1996 Nik Design built the KC Irving Scoreboard. New numbers were designed by me in order to offset the prototype's limitations and to work out the bugs. Also Alpha Numeric display was designed by me for captions above the score. This is the first time that art framing system was used in a scoreboard.
I was supervising labour several assemblers during summer 1996 and one electronic technologist during the installation of the scorebaord.
I was supervising an electronic
technologist starting in 1997.
In 1997, Nik Design built Production signs for A local company Fraser Papers. Still these signs were designed by me. These incorporated new concepts and new digits designed for the KC Irving center. The framing system was designed by a third party and was not adequate for the application. Corrosive liquid would infiltrate in the sign and make reliability very low. This was a complete failure.
In 1998 I was supervising an electronic technologist, one full time assembler and some summer students.
I designed in 1998 a full matrix message sign capable of graphics, animation. It was using the linux operating system as a base and was capable of over 50 frames per second. The new Toshiba constant current technology was used. While being impressive, little regional market low reliability and lack of user friendlyness made the sign unsellable.
In 1999, other message signs were designed and built by me to display seconds left before Y2K. Also, I designed Shot clocks for Hockey as well as sequenced text messages OPEN – OUVERT – BAR – MOTEL.
In 2000 Scorebaord console improvements were started. It was the first time a PalmOS device was considered to replace the bulky laptop as the console computer again I am responsible for this innovation. The Palm M100 was chosen for availability, reliability and low cost. Along with the PalmOS computer a new lightweight portable scoreboard was designed by me. The public release date was Jan 10 2001.
In 2001 New digits were designed my me using the Toshiba constant current technology. The Layout of the numbers was also innovative because a single board could be used to build the following configuration:
Score 188 using one board
main time with period 20:00 8 using 3 boards.
Also the cabling was changed at this point from D9 nine wire address-data scheme to light weight four wire connection data – clock – latch – ground. It was then logical to change the connection to RJ-11 modular connector because of reliability, availability and ease of use.
New multicolor displays 6” and 5” for displaying production were designed by me in 2001. They are still in use at IPL plastics in Edmundston.
In 2001 Nik Design obtained the contract for the Basketball Hall of Fame scoreboard in center court of this museum. The museum is located in Springfield Massachusetts. The Electronic design was again done by me. The project was finished in September 2002.
In 2002 I designed a scrolling message sign (marquee) capable of displaying text messages. The size of the letters was 8” and several units were sold. The ease of use, reliability low cost and high resale are it's assets
In early 2003 a four faced scorebaord was designed by me using 9” and 6” displays. This was a small four faced hockey scoreboard. New concepts were still introduced. Pic microcontrollers on the numbers themselves, RS-485 used to communicate between the master and several numerals which are all slaves. Reliability, light weight, robust communication were the major factors.
I was laid off Nik Design in May 2003 and became active as an executive for the Edmundston APEGNB branch in June 2003. I was on the AGM committee.
During the summer 2003 I was working on demand at Nik Design. I made a modification to the scrolling marquee design and brought about innovative changes to the LED house numbers to optimise on cost and parts. In September, I found out that there were no plans to hire me back. In October 2003 I received a project from Employment insurance to start my business. I have been catering to some old clients for servicing scorebaords. I also designed a new type of display.
During all of this time I had many tasks because of the company size.
2004: I have designed a new 16” scrolling display with more innovations to counter the limitations of my original design. It was released publically during the APEGNB AGM on February 21 in the lobby of the Howard Johnson in Edmundston.
Documents supporting the work I have done.
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(C) 2003 - 2007 Alain Pelletier - All rights reserved. |
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