IT Experience and Activity

My activity in the field of information technology and computer science dates back to 1991 when I first started to learn the Sinclair Z80 Basic Spectrum Language. Then, in the next year I have learned very well the assembly language for Z80 processors and this I might say had been the basis for my deep understanding of the computer architecture and functionality.

I took the decision of attending the Computer Science High School in our city, one of the best high schools in Romania. My study at school had always been backed-up by individual study and passionate work. On my own I have studied electronics and low level assembly language for 80x86 processors. As years passed by and my knowledge improved I started to develop complex applications in my favorite language (Borland Pascal 7.0 combined with assembler). I had the idea of developing an entire platform, designed for database and CAD applications (similar to the Microsoft Office). I created the MQuad Office which included a start application for a database system, and a more complex, finished CAD application (the MQuad Design Pro). This latter application had been the subject of numerous presentations in my highschool and in 1997 it received the first prize at the national contest "Sesiunea de comunicări în informatică" which took place in our school.

After graduation I became the student of the Computer Science Department of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. Here I have worked on numerous projects involving all kinds of languages and technologies, such as Pascal, C++, Assembler, Fox Pro, SQL Server, Java, Prolog, Lisp, etc.

Individually I started in 1997 a huge project in collaboration with a police officer for creating a platform that could control car traffic in Cluj-Napoca. At this time (2002) the project is still on and developing but it hasn't been presented to the authorities yet. Microcontroller technology came into my attention for this project and I designed an entire multi-controlled distributed system using a special modem dedicated network of communication.

In November 1998 I joined the Nethrom Company as a part timer and worked in Progress 8.3A language for a tourism database application named "Reis". We communicated always in English with our Dutch beneficiaries from the Netherlands, using mail and phone. The team I worked in had 11 programmers and we had a very good communication and the best results in our company at that time. Then, in 1999 I decided that school was more important and left the company in order to have more spare time for study.

At the same time, I had been involved in a project at the university for porting a real-time platform application in Qnx 4.1 to Windows NT, written entirely in C. The project had been initiated in Germany, the beneficiary being Edmund Erdman Engineering.

In the latest two years (2001-2002) I got into a new and interesting field of computer science: artificial intelligence and neural networks. My main interest and study was the visual pathway of mammals and the simulation of large networks of integrate and fire neurons and also genetic algorithms for automating generation of neural networks. I designed a system and developed a new theory for the visual neural processing. The system, named "Medical Image Processor" included pulse-coupled processing and special neural analysis and segmentation for ultrasonographic images. At the same time I proved that my system could be used in autonomous driving and I presented my work in 2001 at a small conference, with the participation of an engineer from Daimler-Chrysler.

In the last year, I started to make a more profound study of recent neural discoveries and I found and used extensively the fast shunting inhibition for very rapid face identification. The study went forward and at this moment it seems I have found the solution to "The Binding Problem" which seems to be the hardest problem in neurocomputing for the last 5 years.

At the same time I have always been interested in hardware-software development and for this reason, I learned a lot from my friends when they developed an operating system for their diploma work.

The detailed list of my work is listed below:

MSDOS experience:

A. Low level languages

I have worked in assembler languages for Z80 and x86 family processors and Microchip PIC microcontrollers. This included hardware interface programming using low level control.

B. High level languages

- Low level manipulation programming:

- DOS interrupt system programming;

- BIOS available services;

- Direct disk and video manipulation;

- Serial and parallel port programming;

- High level programs:

1. MQUAD Database System - a database engine programmed under a graphical interface in Borland Pascal 7.0 (using direct video access and disk access with DOS services).

2. MQUAD Design Pro - a Computer Aided Design program, under a graphical interface, allowing 3D design and including animation and dynamic development facilities.

I have worked on this project for about 3 years, developing specific and general facilities that AutoCad and 3D Studio applications support.

This program received the first prize at several programming competitions.

3. PROTECTION Pro - a graphical interface protection program. This manages the boot state of the computer requiring hardware identification. It works with an external hardware interface, using the parallel port and controlling a hardware device. This device is reading some identification cryptic codes from an EPROM 16K chip attached to an identification card. The computer only boots if the right card codes are read and the protection sequence is properly followed.

This program has been the subject of a scientific presentation at the Technical University in 1996.

4. TELEREADER - a graphical interface hardware verifying program. This software had been used by an engineer from the national company of telecommunications ROMTELECOM as a utility for verifying telephone communication lines and their proper functionality and consistence.

5. MENU PRO - a polymorph object oriented and template based C++ application, used to design menu generators with the possibility of embedding objects and development of user abstractions.

6. Other DOS based applications such as anti-virus protections, software copyright protections, low level device control and multimedia applications.

Experience under WIN32 systems

My experience in programming WIN32 systems started at the moment Windows 95 had been launched to market. Some of my experience I have gathered from Help files, books, studies at the university and Internet. Then I had the chance to be involved in some important projects which I have worked for, being project manager and chief designer. I will now list the projects I've worked for.

1. OPTITRAF Pro - a large project started in 1997, developed under DELPHI 3 CLS, involving several public institutions in Cluj-Napoca.

The application is a complete traffic optimizer and controller. It includes statistic data management based on measurements performed by the Technical University in Cluj-Napoca and the Police Department.

This application uses a lot of software development concepts starting from simulation, neuronal networks, a sort of EXPERT SYSTEM, up to microcontroller distributed design. Also a hardware interface to control the semaphores had been added.

2. Windows based utilities and tools for networks and standalone computers, using DDE and OLE engines. I have also experience in multimedia processing and management.

3. Reis Plus Pro - I had been an employee of Nethrom Ltd. software company, and had programmed Progress 8.3A based applications. We were developing a Windows NT Client / Server application for a tourism company from the Netherlands. I worked in a team of 11 programmers.

We worked with the Dutch team from the Netherlands (Kanteff from Harlem) using INTERNET and phone as support for our communication.

My work there implied database analyzes development and design, ActiveX controls as support for the Reis team, Internet tools and interface design.

4. Hathor Pro - An application of management and financial support designed and developed for a local Hospital. It was made under Visual Fox Pro 5.0.

5. Probank 2000 - A banking database system for the management of credits written in Visual Fox Pro 6.0...

6. Finance Plus - A Progress 9 based application with financial support and a very fast database development. I used here some very sophisticated algorithms and, I might say, it made me reach the full performance in database concepts and optimization.

7. Neuronix - A Java application for simulating feed-forward neural networks in a complete drag & drop graphical environment.

8. Medical Image Processor - A Windows based application written in Delphi 5. This application is a tool for measuring the lateral ventricles of newborns from ultrasonographic images and a study tool for neural network image and data processing. It is based on the "Theory of the Artificial Cortex" developed by myself in 2001-2002.

9. Visionix - A study tool, based on the "Medical Image Processor" extending the "Theory of the Artificial Cortex" and alowing for the creation of large network of integrate and fire neurons in a retinotopic design. This system is being under development at this time.

Knowledge:


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