Garth Brown

gwbrown@slac.stanford.edu

46Willow St.

San Jose, CA 95110

408-904-8885

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Highly experienced Software Engineer with over 25 years of success designing, developing, and supporting complex, large-scale distributed control systems for world-leading scientific facilities. Deep expertise in the full software lifecycle for control systems at SLAC and Lawrence Livermore National Labs. Proven ability to bridge the gap between hardware and software, collaborating effectively with physicists, engineers, and researchers to deliver robust, high-performance controls.

EXPERIENCE

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA | 2009 – Present Software Engineer

• Led the software development and served as controls lead for EPICS interfaces to safety systems and the ASTA/UED facility.
• Managed the complete software lifecycle, from requirements gathering and design documentation, through testing, transfer-to-operations, and high-level user support.
• Engineered and supported control systems end-to-end from the GUI (EDM, PyDM) down to the hardware and network interfaces.
• Specialized in LLRF and safety systems, contributing to all major accelerator subsystems.
• Successfully integrated a wide range of control devices (SCPI, Modbus, streamdevice, VME, ATCA, PLC, custom network protocols) into large distributed control systems, ensuring seamless communication between hardware, software, and physics teams.
• Collaborated with partner institutions, including LBNL and JLab, on LLRF and Solid-State Amplifier (SSA) projects for GunB. Drew on strong physics, electronics, and control systems background to enable hardware and firmware testing, system integration, and adapting abstractions for operational ease of use.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA | 2003 – 2009 Software Engineer, National Ignition Facility (NIF)

• Developed low-level control software for the world’s most powerful laser, managing motors, vacuum systems, and high-voltage pulsed power for plasma electrode pockels cells (PEPC).
• Drove the full software lifecycle for embedded controllers, designing robust CORBA APIs and object models in Ada, C++, and Java.
• Worked in a secure environment, holding a Department of Energy (DOE) Q clearance.

Software Consultant | 2002-2003

• Provided freelance C++ programming, technical support, and PC repair services.

Chameleon Systems, San Jose, CA | 2001 Software Design Engineer

• Developed a bit-banging JTAG-based GDB stub for multi-processor remote debugging of a reconfigurable processor using C, C++, and ARC RISC assembly.
• Authored board support package (BSP) code for hardware auto-detection, BIOS-level boot and interrupt handling routines, and implemented firmware workarounds for hardware bugs.

eMation (acquired by ThingWorx), Mansfield, MA | 2000 – 2001 Software Engineer

• Designed and ported C++ internet-enabling tools to VxWorks, Linux, and Windows NT, adding OS abstraction DCOM and SOAP remote interfaces.
• Resolved critical embedded system issues related to race conditions and task prioritization (the "Mars Pathfinder problems") using system profiling and debugging tools.

Boston University Electronics Design Facility, Boston, MA | 1997 – 2000 Student Employee

• Developed C++ GUI software for testing PCBs and configuring ASICs for the ATLAS Muon spectrometer at CERN, in collaboration with physicists in other Boston Muon Consortium universities.
• Designed and managed the production of custom PCBs, from layout in Mentor Graphics CAD to component soldering.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Core Competencies: Large-Scale Distributed Control Systems, Embedded & Real-Time Systems, Firmware, Hardware/Software Interface, Networked Systems, Safety Systems Software.
• Languages: C++, C, Ada, Python, BASH scripting.
• Tools & Technologies: EPICS (Databases, asynDriver, StreamDevice, EDM/PyDM), Git, Eclipse, Visual Studio, gdb, JTAG, Modbus, SCPI, MPI.
• Hardware Platforms: VME, ATCA, Microcontrollers, FPGAs.
• Operating Systems: Real-Time and Server Linux Variants, Windows,VxWorks, RTEMS.

EDUCATION

M.S. Computer Systems Engineering, Boston University, 2001

• Concentrations:  Software and Networking
• Thesis:   Optimization of Applications in a Cluster Computing Environment

B.A. Geology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 1993

PUBLICATIONS

• Dusatko, J.E., Fisher, A.S., Brown, G., Chin, E. et al., "The LCLS-II Beam Loss Monitor Readout System," Proc. IPAC'24, 2024.
• Fisher, A.S., Balakrishnan, N., Brown, G., Chin, E. et al., "Commissioning the Beam-Loss Monitoring System of the LCLS Superconducting Linac," Proc. IBIC'23, 2023.
• Fisher, A.S., Brown, G.W., Chin, E.P., Chowdhury, S. et al., "Lessons learned in commissioning the new beam-loss monitors for the superconducting upgrade to LCLS," inspirehep.net, 2023.
• Fisher, A.S., Brown, G.W., Chin, E.P. et al., "Commissioning Beam-Loss Monitors for the Superconducting Upgrade to LCLS," Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, 2022.
• Zhou, F., Adolphsen, C., Benwell, A., Brown, G. et al., "Commissioning of the SLAC linac coherent light source II electron source," Physical Review Accelerators and Beams, 2021.
• Zhou, F., Adolphsen, C., Benwell, A.L., Brown, G.W. et al., "First commissioning of LCLS-II CW injector source," s3.cern.ch, 2019.
• Adolphsen, C., Benwell, A.L., Brown, G.W., Dunning, M.P. et al., "Initial operation of the LCLS-II electron source," jacow.org, 2019.
• Serrano, C., Babel, S., Bachimanchi, R., Benwell, A., Brown, G. et al., "Design and Implementation of the LLRF System for LCLS-II," osti.gov, 2017.
• Huang, G., Babel, S., Bachimanchi, R., Brown, G. et al., "High precision RF control for the LCLS-II," proceedings.jacow.org, 2016.
• Reid, A.H., Shen, X., Li, R.K., Weathersby, S.P., Brown, G. et al., "Ultrafast Lattice Dynamics of Granular L1o Phase FePt Measured by MeV Electron Diffraction," Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2015.
• Moeller, S., Brown, G., Dakovski, G., Hill, B. et al., "Pulse energy measurement at the SXR instrument," Synchrotron Radiation, 2015.
• Li, R.K., Reid, A.H., Weathersby, S.P., Brown, G. et al., "Development of MeV Ultrafast Electron Scattering Instruments at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory," Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2015.
• Alverson, S., Brown, G., Decker, F.J., Gilevich, S., Vetter, S. et al., "Installation of a Hot-Swappable Spare Injector Laser System For the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source," accelconf.web.cern.ch, 2015.
• Weathersby, S.P., Brown, G., Centurion, M. et al., "Mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory," Review of Scientific Instruments, 2015.
• Barbosa, F., Brown, G. et al., "Development of Solid-State Drivers for the NIF Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell," 2008 IEEE International Power Modulators and High-Voltage Conference, 2008.