ABOUT

Austen Higgins-Cassidy can't keep himself away from electronics and microprocessors. He's been taking apart devices since 1995: he loves designing PCBs to breakout new and interesting parts, and then using those parts to create new and interesting systems. Proficient in C & C++ and circuit design, he favors FOSS tools (and is adept at navigating commercial-ready licenses) and software while building personal projects. He occasionally has to bust out the FPGA for some really gnarley Verilog design.

On the software side of the equation, Austen prefers working with Ruby, Python, and Typescript. While none of these languages is perfect, each brings a great deal to the table in terms of rapid-prototyping and visualization. He's worked with Rails to generate front-end and backend-tools for hobby projects (mostly revolving around Roleplaying games, one of his biggest hobbies that doesn't involve batteries of some kind). His favorite language is still C/C++, but the older languages can be cumbersome and lead to slow development vs the more agile modern languages.

With a background in computer graphics, Austen is always thinking in terms of compression and efficiency: how can you get more from less? He thrives when working on resource-constrained microcontrollers and microprocessors, designing and implementing compile-time abstraction layers without sacrificing codespace. He's also interested in emulation and simulation of systems: sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to build a model and hammer on it.

MISC

While he loves engineering and building electronics, Austen dabbles with 3D printing and physical fabrication. He also engages in more creative endeavors. Writing, reading, board-and-tabletop games, craft beer, skiing, camping, hiking, and data-visualization. He very occasionally finds time to watch a TV show or movie, but would almost always rather be creating than consuming.