Nicholas Warren

Automation Engineer at L3 Harris Technologies with a passion for semiconductor fabrication, hardware design, embedded systems, and AI implementation. Pursuing a B.S. in Computer Engineering at Texas Tech University.

L3 Harris Technologies Jan 2025 – Aug 2025

Automation Engineer

Developed test racks for verification of various photonics modules, wiring harnesses, and subsystems
Created drivers for test equipment using LabVIEW and sequenced them in an NI TestStand sequence
Formally released both hardware and software to be used on the production floor
Assisted in streamlining operations by developing AI tools to save on time-consuming process work
Responsible for retrofitting test sets to be user friendly and space efficient

Amethyst LLC Dec 2023 – Present

Cofounder & CTO · Dallas, TX

Designed a compact rechargeable circuit using the MT3608 boost converter IC and ATtiny85 microcontroller
Digitally controlled a UVC LED array via button inputs running off a 3.7V LiPo battery
Wrote C++ firmware to vary cleansing duration from a single button with low-battery, charging, and cleaning indicator states
Integrated circuit into a custom case holding retainers at optimal orientation for maximum bacteria neutralization

Ondrick Materials and Recycling Jun 2020 – Aug 2025

Plant Technician · Chicopee, MA

Solely operated one of the largest contaminated soil recycling plants in the northeast
Processed up to 4 million pounds of contaminated soil daily for landfill cap layer use
Assisted electricians with plant upgrades including sensor and solenoid replacement
Contributed to a hot mix asphalt plant producing 5,000 tons per week on average

Projects

Automatic Card Table▶ video Aug 2025 – Dec 2025

ObjectiveDeal hands of poker and blackjack mechanically, read the cards with computer vision to track winners, and respond correctly to user inputs such as hit or stand.

Designed and 3D printed a rotating card shooter for the center of the table utilizing stepper motors for rotation and feed, and a DC motor to power the flywheel
Wrote control scripts for the flywheel and stepper motors in Python on a Raspberry Pi to be integrated into the game logic seamlessly
Laid out and assembled a custom PCB to accommodate stepper motors, DC motors, button inputs, flyback protection, and GPIO protection for the Pi
Built mounts for the camera used for card detection

HUD Ski Goggles⌨ code Aug 2025 – Dec 2025

ObjectiveProvide data on speed, G-force, location, trail name, heading, and temperature via a heads-up display UI.

Laid out the optical path for the HUD with a collimator, combining glass, and OLED display, all housed in a 3D printed goggle inset
Built a backpack-mounted battery system to maintain expected use for at least 8 hours
Implemented a goggle-mounted IMU, temp probe, and GPS module
Programmed an ESP32 with an FSM to handle reading all sensors, writing to the OLED, and sending location updates over Wi-Fi via hotspot to a backend to interface with other users
Designed the UI to navigate menus and configure displayed data through head-tilt IMU controls

Line Following Factory Rover⌨ schematic Jan 2025 – May 2025

Robotics Project Lab · Texas Tech University

ObjectiveBuild an autonomous factory rover capable of line following, intersection navigation, and payload manipulation using a custom PCB suite and FPGA-based control.

Designed and soldered an N-channel MOSFET switching board to pass 3.3V to the Basys 3 FPGA from 9.6V
Built power distribution board powering 5V and 3.3V rails off a 9.6V battery pack
Designed an op-amp circuit with low-pass filter to boost and a comparator to clean IR receiver signals
Developed a 4-channel servo control board using opto-coupler ICs with PWM signal passthrough from the Basys 3
Created SolidWorks CAD models for the chassis, sensor mounts, claw, and lifting mechanism
Wrote Verilog FSM modules for IPS sensor input mapping, line following, and intersection navigation
Drafted schematics, laid out PCBs, and soldered all boards in the rover

Texas Tech UniversityB.S. Computer Engineering · May 2027

GPA 3.54

Relevant Coursework

Parametric Device Testing Embedded Systems Data Structures Microcontrollers Lab Microcontrollers in Assembly Electronics I Semiconductor Device Testing Signals & Systems

Skills

Hardware Design ▾

KiCad — Schematic & PCB Layout

Designed full multi-board PCB suite for line-following rover: schematic capture through layout, Gerber output, and bring-up across 5 custom boards
Laid out and assembled a custom PCB for the Automatic Card Table: stepper motors, DC motors, button inputs, flyback protection, and GPIO protection for the Pi
Formally released hardware designs to the production floor at L3 Harris Technologies

Analog Circuit Design

Designed op-amp gain stage with low-pass filter and comparator for IR signal conditioning in the rover project
Laid out optical path for HUD Ski Goggles: collimator, combining glass, and OLED positioning within a 3D printed goggle inset

Power Supply & Distribution Design

Designed multi-rail distribution board (9.6V → 5V / 3.3V) for rover; MT3608 boost converter for LiPo-powered Amethyst product
Built backpack-mounted battery system for HUD Ski Goggles sustaining at least 8 hours of continuous operation

Digital Logic Circuit Design

Designed combinational and sequential logic in Electronics I coursework; applied directly to FPGA FSM for rover navigation
Implemented ESP32 FSM for HUD Ski Goggles: sensor reads, OLED writes, and Wi-Fi location updates handled as discrete states

IC Selection & Implementation

Selected MOSFETs, opto-couplers, boost converters, and voltage regulators across rover, Amethyst, and card table hardware
Integrated IMU, GPS, and temperature probe ICs for the HUD Ski Goggles sensor suite
Specified stepper drivers and flyback protection diodes for the Automatic Card Table motor drive circuit

Embedded & Firmware ▾

C++ — Bare-Metal Firmware

Wrote production C++ firmware for ATtiny85 at Amethyst LLC: button state machine, LED indicator logic, and timing control with no OS
Applied C++ in embedded systems coursework for algorithm implementation on constrained hardware

AVR Assembly

Programmed AVR microcontrollers at the register level in Microcontrollers in Assembly coursework
Implemented direct port manipulation, interrupt service routines, and timing loops without abstraction layers

Verilog / FPGA (Basys 3)

Wrote Verilog FSM modules on Basys 3 (Artix-7) for IPS sensor input mapping, line following, and intersection navigation
Designed MOSFET level-shifting board to interface 9.6V rover system with 3.3V FPGA I/O rails

Microcontroller Platforms

Deployed ATtiny85 in production hardware at Amethyst; programmed Arduino and Atmel-class platforms across embedded lab projects
Programmed Raspberry Pi in Python for Automatic Card Table: motor control scripts integrated into game logic
Programmed ESP32 for HUD Ski Goggles: FSM managing sensors, OLED display, and Wi-Fi hotspot communication

PWM & Sensor Interfacing

Generated 4-channel PWM via FPGA for servo motor control through opto-coupler isolation board in rover
Controlled stepper and DC flywheel motors via PWM on Raspberry Pi for card shooter mechanism
Interfaced IMU, GPS module, and temperature probe on ESP32 for real-time HUD data display

Integration & Test ▾

LabVIEW

Created instrument drivers and automated measurement sequences at L3 Harris for photonics module and wiring harness verification
Formally released LabVIEW software to the production floor as part of the complete test system release

NI TestStand

Sequenced LabVIEW drivers in NI TestStand at L3 Harris to build complete automated test sequences for production validation
Managed test flow, result logging, and fixture interfacing across photonics modules, wiring harnesses, and subsystems

Automated Test Rack Design

Developed test racks at L3 Harris for verification of photonics modules, wiring harnesses, and subsystems
Retrofitted existing test sets to be more user friendly and space efficient

Semiconductor & Parametric Device Testing

Parametric Device Testing coursework covered IV characterization, threshold voltages, and breakdown testing
Applied semiconductor testing knowledge supporting production test infrastructure for high-reliability defense electronics at L3 Harris

Oscilloscope & Waveform Generator

Used across rover, Amethyst, and personal projects for signal probing, timing verification, and analog debug
Verified PWM waveforms for stepper and flywheel motor control during Automatic Card Table bring-up
Probed ESP32 GPIO and OLED SPI signals during HUD Ski Goggles integration

Fabrication ▾

PCB Soldering & Board Bring-Up

Hand-soldered all 5 custom PCBs for the factory rover: SMD and through-hole, iterative rework and debug
Assembled custom Automatic Card Table PCB with stepper drivers, motor outputs, and protection circuits
Brought up each board independently, probing power rails and signal integrity before system integration

3D Design & Printing

Designed and 3D printed a rotating card shooter for Automatic Card Table: stepper-driven rotation and feed, DC flywheel mechanism
Designed 3D printed goggle inset for HUD Ski Goggles housing the collimator, combining glass, and OLED display
Created SolidWorks CAD models for rover chassis, sensor mounts, claw mechanism, and lifting arm

CNC PCB Engraving

Operated CNC router for prototype PCB fabrication: toolpath generation, feed rate setup, and material fixturing
Used for rapid iteration on single-layer boards before committing to a fab house run

Software & Analysis ▾

Python

Wrote motor control scripts on Raspberry Pi for the Automatic Card Table: flywheel speed, stepper rotation, and feed integrated into game logic
Developed AI tools at L3 Harris to streamline time-consuming process work on the production floor
Built backend services and automation scripts across multiple personal and professional projects

MATLAB

Used for signal analysis, filter design, and system simulation in Signals & Systems coursework
Modeled transfer functions, plotted Bode diagrams, and analyzed time/frequency domain behavior of circuits

Data Structures (C++)

Algorithm design and data structure implementation: linked lists, trees, hash maps, sorting, and graph traversal in C++
Applied to embedded FSM design and game logic state management across projects

Skiing

Skiing is one of the few activities that truly clears my mind and forces me to be fully present. It has become a great counter to school and work — I have prioritized taking time for trips with friends and family to escape the daily routine. This coming season I plan on hiking Palmyra Peak at Telluride.

Hiking

Hiking has been persistent in my life — strongly tied to time with family, but also to taking on larger challenges solo. I have been fortunate to complete some amazing hikes including Half Dome in Yosemite and parts of the Appalachian Trail. My next adventure is Mt. Washington in the winter to ski Tuckerman Ravine.

Making

Since youth I have always been a tinkerer. No matter how involved I get in physics and high-level engineering, I always feel most at home building tangible things with my hands. It is also a great mental break from high-focus tasks — my hands stay busy while my mind wanders. Over time, making has become a social space too. Working on projects with friends who share the same curiosity has sharpened my ideas and built a network of specialists I can pull from when a project needs someone who knows more than I do. I will always love the process of taking complex ideas and seeing them come to fruition.