David Smart

About David Smart

I\'m fascinated with what can be done with electronics! I\'ve been professionally engaged with hardware, software, and network design for real-time embedded devices since 1976, and I haven\'t lost any of the fascination. Early in my career, I worked with almost every 8-bit micro. In 1986, I developed the first embedded networked product to be deployed into John Deere tractors, based on an automotive technology from Chrysler (CCD). Soon after I moved from assembly language to C for embedded systems, and right after that I started with CAN. In the mid 1990s work turned to the SAE J1939 and ISO 11783 (aka \"ISOBUS\") protocols, while making the transition to 16-bit micros. In that timeline, I co-developed a custom embedded real-time operating system that is still in use in JD today - more recently having migrated to 32-bit micros. Since the turn of the century, my work continued to focus more on networked systems and the architecture of those systems (then CAN and now Ethernet)- both within John Deere, and in support of industry standards (ISO11783). At the industry level, I have had roles participating in, and also leading, activities within ISO TC23/SC19/WG1, and more recently in the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF). In AEF, the project team I presently lead is developing a High Speed ISOBUS (HSI), based on Ethernet to augment the existing ISO11783 Standard. These roles were sponsored by a great company that enabled me to excel and work closely with staff from many competitors, all for the benefit of our mutual customers - agricultural producers. And I now count many of those competitor-counterparts as good friends. The year twenty-twenty was one affecting everyone. In my case, it was also the year I was one of seven employees, worldwide, to be named a John Deere Fellow. And, as it turned out, later that year was when I retired. Now, as an intentional part-time employee, I\'m back on contract to John Deere, with a focus on leading the AEF work to bring HSI to a state where it can become an ISO Standard ready for industry adoption. As that work moves into ISO for standardization, a joint working group was expanded involving others with a similar need - joining Agriculture, Construction, Earth Moving, Mining, Forestry, and On-Road Truck and Trailer. Even with a career focused on electronics of one form or another, I have retained a passion for developing hobby projects. and my part-time work leaves part of the time for play, where you may find me in my home lab.

Experience

1. John Deere Fellow

   John Deere

   Mar 2020 — Present · Waterloo, IA, US

   Honored and Recognized as one of seven John Deere Fellow\'s in 2020, for significant contributions in embedded software and embedded networks.After 41 great years at John Deere, the voluntary separation package was too good to ignore, so I retired at the end of August 2020. On contract to John Deere since December 2020 through the present.