Brent A. Thorne · Blog

From the bench and the cluster

2026-10-30 · Brent A. Thorne

Bridging physical hardware constraints with high-performance scientific software. The portfolio routes through four engineering domains; classroom dumps stay off this page. Source lives under github.com/fractalclockwork.

Domains

  1. High-Performance Computing & Scientific Software — reproducibility across backends. Flagship: hpc-runner.
  2. Embedded Firmware & Sensing Systems — board bring-up and HWIL. Flagships: rad-lab, CEDE / cede-labgrid.
  3. Computational Imaging & Instrumentation — instrument control and reconstruction. Flagship: spectrometer-lab (Stages 1–3 PASS; Gate D open).
  4. Scientific Field & Lab Infrastructure — fixtures, telemetry, bioelectrical IP; historical craft in the Hardware Archive.

Featured flagships

  • HPC Runner — execution-agnostic regression for MD workloads across local, container, and cluster backends.
  • rad-lab — host-gated RF HWIL with human assent before TX, SIL→HWIL stages, and evidence reports.
  • spectrometer-lab — RS-232 DAQ for a PerkinElmer LS 55; Stages 1–3 PASS (2026-10-28); Gate D optical validation open.
  • FPGA Kit — bring-up archive so firmware work survives tool churn.

High-Performance Computing & Scientific Software

sci-slurm — multi-container Slurm for development and teaching. molecularSim — Sadus examples as runnable C++. MESA Docker and ASTR 400 for remote stellar-evolution work.

Embedded Firmware & Sensing Systems

CEDE / cede-labgrid — multi-MCU lab and Labgrid HIL. Radar Module — Linux kernel driver with Docker and Yocto. tftp-boot-docker — lab netboot without ceremony.

Computational Imaging & Instrumentation

Featured spectrometer-lab and freelance CT/radio reconstruction. Public sensing reference: Biofeedback EMG.

Hardware Archive

Secondary to the Research Engineer story. Core Memory Redux and Core Memory — SIL into a real 9″ ferrite plane. CRT Drive — open CRT firmware. Retro Compute (Chu, 1962) stays private until ready.

Follow along

Start with the portfolio domain cards, then the four flagships. Compute and embedded shelves next; Hardware Archive last. Contact: brentathorne@gmail.com.