J.p. Wagner
RF & Antenna Systems Engineer — RF SoC / FPGA
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About
RF and antenna systems engineer — Top Secret Clearance (Active) — with 20+ years spanning DC-to-Ka-band RF/analog design, phased-array and conformal antenna development, and digital implementation on Xilinx UltraScale+ RFSoC and Artix FPGAs (VHDL, Verilog, System Verilog). Track record integrating RF front-ends, antenna arrays, and FPGA-based sensor/driver logic into fielded defense and SATCOM systems, with patented antenna inventions and hands-on RF CAD, EM simulation, and PCB design across the full development lifecycle.
Experience
Freelance RF/Photonics/FPGA Electrical Engineer (Consultant/Contractor) - Wave Science Labs, LLC - Clermont, FL
(2024-08)
Deliver RF, antenna, and digital/FPGA circuit design consulting across analog, RF, and photonic system integration projects.
Sr. RF/Electrical Engineer - G&S Test Solutions LLC - Oviedo, FL
(2024-01 - 2024-12)
- Redesigned AN/AGP-68(V) Fire-Control Radar ATE around AMD Artix FPGA and ARM/MCU (ESP32, RP2350, STM32) control boards, cutting cost and complexity of X-band RF and gimbal test methods.
- Streamlined evaluation procedures and requirements specifications through FPGA-based digital-transformation of legacy ATE fixtures.
SME – Sr. Principal RF/Antenna Electrical Engineer - Leidos Corporation - St. Petersburg, FL
(2023-01 - 2024-12)
- Designed HF-through-Ka-band RFoF circuits, GaN phased-array antennas, and associated FPGA sensor/driver logic for a marine terrestrial and satellite comms radio system.
- Delivered compact, tunable, steerable beam-forming single-element antennas with FPGA-controlled beam-steering for multiple SATCOM systems.
- Managed UHF–Ka band RF and photonic link budgets and TRX module design across LEO/MEO/GSO satellite links.
Staff Circuit Design Electrical Engineer – Missiles & Fire Control - Lockheed Martin Corporation - Orlando, FL
(2018-03 - 2024-08)
- Produced LIDAR/RF sensor systems on Xilinx UltraScale+ RFSoC FPGA using System Verilog, VHDL, and Verilog, integrated with 10 Gb/s EO/OE fiber converters and CML/LVDS 16-layer PCB design (Cadence, Xpedition, Altium).
- Invented a patented compact evanescent-mode cavity-backed conformal cross-slot antenna for UHF/S-band flight-safety systems, reducing size/weight/volume by 75%.
- Developed high-performance conformal slot antennas (UHF–X-band) and electronically tunable evanescent-mode RF cavities for antennas and filters.
- Led requirement reviews spanning RF, antenna, and FPGA digital subsystems for IRAD and contract missile programs.
Founder - Ocean Wireless Labs, LLC - Boynton Beach, FL
(2008-11 - 2017-12)
- Invented a 3-octave electronically tunable compact evanescent-mode RF cavity bandpass filter system and developed 3D EM modeling workflows for antennas and cavities.
- Delivered mixed RF/digital projects, including Expressif/ARM/STM32/Microchip MCU platforms for antenna, RFID, and wireless sensor systems.
Contractor Sr. Electrical Engineer - Lockheed Martin Corporation - Riviera Beach, FL
(2006-08 - 2010-04)
Designed analog and digital circuitry and LabVIEW-automated HIL platforms for sonar and BLDC control systems.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering - Old Dominion University (1990-01 - 1999-01)
