A few words about me

My name is Jakub Rakus. I'm an embedded software developer and electronic engineer based in Lower Silesia, Poland. I have 14 years of professional experience in various areas, including sensors, programmable controllers, energy meters, high-voltage power converters, IoT devices with cloud connectivity, and semiconductor manufacturing. I have a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering and an MSc degree in Electronics and Telecommunications.

In my professional career, I've been working for several companies, huge, middle, and small ones, operating in various industries such as railway rolling stock, energy infrastructure automation, passenger information systems, gas appliances, smart homes, and automotive. Every one of these sectors has its own specific needs, e.g., safety and reliability are critical in devices used in railway, while manufacturing costs and time-to-market are the most important factors in smart home appliances. Thanks to these various experiences, I've gained the ability to solve design problems while taking care of everyone's needs. But do not trust marketers, ideal devices do not exist - good, fast, cheap, you can pick only two options!

In most of my professional projects, I was responsible for the whole process of electronic device development. I was involved in all activities needed to deliver a market-ready product: gathering requirements, drawing schematics, PCB design, hardware tests, writing firmware, legal approvals, and creating documentation. In recent years, however, I moved more into software development, mainly using the C programming language. I also do some programming in Ada and Python.

Electronics and coding are also my passions. In my spare time, I make many side projects for my own needs or for my friends. I especially love to tinker with audio equipment and vacuum tubes: old radios, turntables, amplifiers, speakers, etc. But I'm not an audiophile, I don't believe that wires can "play".

My non-electronic activities include mainly woodworking and house renovation - for a few years, I've lived in a very old cottage house, and I've been slowly restoring it. Because I'd like to do as many things as possible by myself, it was quite unavoidable to gain knowledge about making various objects from wood. And to be honest, I found it a very appeasing activity and a source of strong relief, especially after hours spent fighting with computers.