David Dahlbacka
dd@daviddahlbacka.com * www.daviddahlbacka.com

SUMMARY

Software technical writer with strong software experience and familiarity with electronic hardware, specializing in advanced material for engineering audiences.

Tool and Language Experience:

* ArborText, FrameMaker, Dreamweaver, Home Site, HTML Help Workshop, Pacific MindWorks Nimbus, HTML, XML
* Adobe Acrobat Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Visio, Paint.NET
* Visual Studio, Rational Rose, Visual C, C++, Basic, ATL COM
* SourceSafe, ClearCase, SVN, Windows, UNIX/LINUX

Technical Writing Experience: 

* Researched, wrote, and updated user documentation for a simulator-to-hardware interface, running test cases and drawing artwork as necessary.
* Wrote calibration procedures and API documentation for a complex electronic subassembly consisting of a multimeter, digital storage oscilloscope, and multifunction analyzer.
* Analyzed and documented the trigger mechanisms and other data structures for the three instruments, writing test code and drawing artwork as necessary.
* Wrote documentation plans and resource estimates for each project.

Software Development Experience:

* Wrote functional and design specifications. 
* Modeled use cases, process flows, and software architecture using UML. 
* Wrote and debugged graphical user interface (GUI) and hardware driver code.
 
WORK HISTORY

Technical Writer. MathWorks, Natick MA (2011-present). Researched, wrote, and updated user documentation for a simulator-to-hardware interface.

Contract Technical Writer. Teradyne, North Reading MA (2007-2010). Wrote and updated engineering user documentation for electronic board test equipment.
 
Software Engineer. Teradyne, North Reading MA (1985-1988, 1990-2007).  Wrote software for field calibrating a microwave instrument. Wrote compiler software for digital hardware modeling. Wrote image processing and database access routines for an automated optical inspection system. (1988-1990). Summer employment during post-graduate work at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Technical Editor. Freelance (1981-1984). Performed production editing and developmental editing of college textbooks in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. (Before 1981). Performed in-house production editing of college textbooks.

EDUCATION

Seminars and Workshops. XML-Schema, Content Management, Translation Support, Tools and Utilities, Usability Analysis, Scientific Communication, Technical Illustration

Writing Technical Information Certificate. Middlesex Community College, Bedford MA (2006-2007)
 
* Wrote a user's guide for interactively specifying, displaying, and simulating certain classes of formal automata. 
* Wrote a procedures guide for a freeware debugging tool in MS Word, exporting it to FrameMaker, PDF, XHTML, RoboHelp, and XML.

Master of Computer Science. University of Illinois, Urbana IL. Artificial intelligence, theory of computation, programming languages, operating systems, databases

Bachelor of Science, Humanities and Science. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA 

OTHER INTERESTS

Video Production. Courses in portable and studio video production at Somerville Cable Access Television

Public Speaking. Participation in Toastmasters

Languages. Japanese (basic), Finnish (basic)

12-Jun-2011