Embedded software engineer with experience across GPU systems, IoT product development, and edge AI — working in C, C++, and Python from bare-metal firmware to cloud platforms.
Currently at createq in the Netherlands — BRIQX retail audio demos (soundbars, JBL Cove, headphones) plus Clear Water Now ultrasonic IoT. Stack: ESP32-S3 + NXP RT1021, RS485/Modbus, MQTT, and BRIQX/CWN dashboards.
Previously at AMD (GPU RAS tooling & kernel testing) and Espressif Systems (Matter IoT, edge AI, motor control). I enjoy bridging hardware, firmware, and system software.
About me
My name is Ali Hassan Shah. I am an embedded software engineer in the Netherlands, currently at createq, where I build the firmware and connected software behind retail audio demos and industrial IoT products that have to work every day on a shop floor or in the field.
Day to day I work close to the metal: bare-metal USB Audio Class host and USB ACM control on NXP, dual-MCU bridges (ESP32-S3 ↔ RT1021), Bluetooth audio paths, ESP-NOW and MQTT control planes, SoftAP provisioning, and OTA. On the application side I ship fleet dashboards (React/SQL) so devices report telemetry, take remote actions, and update in the field — the same BRIQX stack also powers Clear Water Now, where an ESP32 collects RS485/Modbus sensor and ultrasonic plant data for aquaculture water treatment.
Before that, at AMD I built GPU RAS tooling and Linux kernel integration tests for data-center GPUs, plus AI-assisted log triage. At Espressif I wrote production ESP32 firmware — Matter device stacks, FOC motor drivers, and on-device edge AI — so I am comfortable from register-level drivers up through protocol stacks and the apps that operate a fleet.
I like owning a feature end-to-end: driver, firmware protocol, cloud path, and the operator UI that makes it usable.
FUDAN University, Shanghai, China
Specialized in Electronics Engineering with focus on embedded systems, high speed electronics, HDL Based design and advanced digital systems.
Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering
2013 — 2017
COMSATS University of Science and Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Specialized in Electronics Engineering with focus on embedded systems, electrical engineering, and digital systems.
Iconics — JBL USB speaker demos (EU stores)
• ESP32-S3 + NXP RT1021 + USB hub: ESP-NOW commands drive the demo; NXP hosts multiple JBL USB speakers for retail floor playback
• BM83 Bluetooth receiver path so shoppers can stream from their phone into the same demo setup
• Persistent speaker binding, hub VBUS control, and dual-MCU UART/XMODEM OTA for field updates
Connect All — multi-brand headphone demos
• Same ESP32 + NXP platform with Bluetooth transmitter — demo Razer, JBL, Sennheiser and other headsets in-store
• USB Audio Class + Bluetooth transmitter + AUX on one position — can run simultaneously so product swaps do not need a new hardware install
• SoftAP provision, MQTT status, and BRIQX Control integration for fleet telemetry / firmware
Multicast Bluetooth — multi-headset wall
• ESP32 + Bluetooth TX: SD-card audio streamed to up to 5 headphones at once
• Button presses and device status published to BRIQX Control over MQTT — Bluetooth solutions
Cove AIO / Cove AIO2 — soundbar & speaker multiplay
• Cove JBL demo speakers controlled via USB ACM — play together or independently (multiplay)
• Cove AIO2: JBL soundbars + up to 4 USB speakers on the same AIO board working as one retail experience
• Onboard status LEDs, speaker install wizard, VT/display integration, production Cove firmware branches
BRIQX Dashboard & Coolblue LED (208 series)
• React (Next.js) + SQL/TimescaleDB + MQTT fleet portal — real-time telemetry, OTA, analytics across product lines
• ESP32 LED on BRIQX 208 controllers (Coolblue EU): MQTT color commands, SoftAP, install IDs
• Factory flash/provisioning tool for batch ESP32 credential burn + QR labels
Clear Water Now — ultrasonic aquaculture IoT
• ESP32 edge node: RS485 / Modbus sensors + ultrasonic plant status → MQTT → CWN dashboard (BRIQX-based)
• Supports ultrasonic water treatment for healthier recirculating water (e.g. eel growth) — clearwaternow.nl
AtmosSphere — Atmos / eARC media player (in development)
• R&D for 4K60 HDR + Dolby Atmos HDMI passthrough to retail soundbars (player → bar → TV)
• ODROID Gate 1 → ROCK 5T / Qt appliance + BRIQX — AtmosSphere
AI Adoption for Kernel Log Analysis (August 2024 – Present)
• Proposed and secured leadership buy-in for an AI-driven tool to assist kernel developers in triaging errors
• Led cross-team collaboration (IQE, CVS, and Linux kernel teams) to integrate LLM-based analysis of kernel logs, reducing manual effort and improving issue triaging efficiency
• Designed and implemented a Go-based framework to parse and categorize kernel logs before passing them to the LLM for actionable insights
Unified RAS Tool Development (January 2024 – July 2024)
• Contributed to unifying the RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) Tool as a Linux userspace toolkit across multiple ASICs
• Worked closely with senior developers to add new hardware support and refactor existing codebase for maintainability and scalability
RAS Tool for Virtualization (September 2024 – December 2024)
• Enhanced the RAS Tool to simulate hardware error cases, validating driver compatibility under virtualization environments
• Developed features supporting SR-IOV use cases with multiple VMs on server-class infrastructure
IQE Testing Framework for Data Center GPUs (February 2024 – August 2024)
• Gained hands-on expertise in the Linux kernel development and integration process
• Performed regression and integration testing of kernel patches and firmware
• Built a Bash-based CI automation framework for test execution, later leading its migration to a Pytest framework for better maintainability and extensibility
• Partnered with developers and QA teams to accelerate debugging and improve release quality
Key Responsibilities
• Designed and maintained production-ready embedded software for ESP32-based IoT devices using C/C++
• Integrated device drivers (I2C/SPI/UART) and implemented Matter protocol support for smart home applications
• Developed customer-facing solutions and work with them to provide them end to end support
Key Technical Projects
ESP32 Smart Knob Controller (Aug 2023 – Dec 2023)
• Architected Matter-compliant smart home rotary controller with sub-millisecond response times
• Developed advanced encoder driver with hardware interrupt-driven quadrature decoding
• Implemented complete Matter protocol stack with Thread/Wi-Fi networking and device commissioning
• Designed LVGL-based GUI for real-time monitoring and control interface
ESP-FOC Driver Development (Aug 2023 – Dec 2023)
• Engineered Field-Oriented Control driver for ESP32 achieving 95%+ motor efficiency
• Implemented Clarke/Park transformations and Space Vector Modulation algorithms
• Developed hardware abstraction layer supporting 8+ motor driver chipsets (DRV8302, DRV8313)
• Created real-time control framework with 20kHz deterministic control loops
ESP-BOX AI Assistant (May 2023 – July 2023)
• Integrated ESP-BOX with OpenAI APIs, developing C library and LVGL-based GUI chatbot for edge AI
• Reduced latency issues on constrained devices through optimized implementation
• Enabled TinyUF2 bootloader support for secure and simplified firmware deployment
Matter Button Driver (Jan 2023 – Apr 2023)
• Developed Matter-compliant button driver enabling single button to perform multiple tasks without breaking APIs
• Created Arduino wrapper for easy customer adoption of Matter-compliant devices
• Provided end-to-end support for Matter certification including software alignment and UL lab testing
ESP Edge AI Framework (Sep 2022 – Jan 2023)
• Delivered customer-facing Edge AI solutions on ESP32-S3, strengthening real-world application adoption
• Deployed CNN-based hand gesture recognition achieving ~0.7s on-device inference without cloud dependency
• Built human activity recognition model using accelerometer data + ESP-DL
• Developed Python Tkinter GUI for training & deploying custom AI models, simplifying customer onboarding
Interior Car Lamp Feedback System
• Designed feedback control system with Melexis 81118 IC using C programming for real-time color temperature correction
• Implemented PWM-based voltage adjustment achieving precise automotive lighting control
• Conducted research on circadian light effects with experimental design and data analysis using Python and SPSS
• Developed embedded control algorithms for adaptive automotive lighting systems
• Set up WCDMA and LTE testing environments using Linux and Shell scripting
• Configured Radio Base Stations (RBS) and executed verification tests for telecom features
• Gained experience with Git/Gerrit, JIRA, and Agile methodologies
