RÉSUMÉ & PORTFOLIO

Résumé & portfolio

A concise view of my engineering experience, with an illustrated PCB portfolio in the download.

Download résumé & portfolioRésumé only (1 page)1-page résumé + PCB portfolio · Updated September 2026

Charles Zhao

Mechatronics Engineering · University of Waterloo

d25zhao@uwaterloo.ca+1 (437) 808-2106Waterloo, Ontario

Education

University of Waterloo

Sep 2023Expected Apr 2028

Honours Mechatronics Engineering, Co-op · Third year

Technical skills

Electronics & PCB design
Altium Designer · KiCad · Analog front ends · Power regulation · Industrial interfaces · Soldering
Embedded systems
C / C++ · STC8 / 8051 · ESP32 · STM32 · Keil C51 · UART · SPI · I²C · RS485 · Modbus · Low-power design
Software development
TypeScript · JavaScript · React · Electron · Node.js · Python · Git · Serial communication
Mechanical & prototyping
SolidWorks · AutoCAD · 3D printing · Sensor integration · Field testing

Experience

Minebea Intec GmbH

Jun 2026 — Jul 2026

Engineering Internship

  • Designed or modified more than 20 PCBs across two work periods at Minebea Intec in 2025 and 2026.
  • Designed the PR5170 analog acquisition mainboard, digital communications mainboard, and shared power and industrial-interface baseboard.
  • Developed standard and Ex ec (gas Zone 2) variants of both analog and digital mainboards.
  • Adapted two PR5170 firmware branches for digital-platform integration and CS5530-based analog acquisition, filtering, and calibration handling.
  • Developed TConfig, a Windows desktop application for instrument monitoring, configuration, and calibration.

Charles Tech

Started Jul 2025

Embedded Systems Engineer & Owner

  • Established a professional workflow for end-to-end PCB design services for global customers.
  • Translated client requirements into manufacturing-ready schematics and high-speed PCB layouts.
  • Shifted the business focus from client design services toward proprietary electronic product development.

Minebea Intec GmbH

Jan 2025 — Apr 2025

PCB Designer

  • Designed PR5170 boards spanning measurement, power, industrial communication, and human–machine interfaces.
  • Integrated ADC circuitry and MCU logic for precision measurement and real-time processing.
  • Developed power regulation and interface circuits, including Ethernet, 4–20 mA, RS232, and RS485.

Ningbo Chengzi Network Technology Co., Ltd

May 2024 — Aug 2024

Website Developer

  • Developed and launched a prototype WeChat Mini Program, reaching more than 100 early users in its first month.
  • Improved LLM responses through prompt engineering and context management for different user scenarios.
  • Analyzed more than 10 competing products and translated findings into product-planning recommendations.

Selected projects

An autonomous campus cleaning robot with sensor-driven motion and an iterated 3D-printed collection mechanism.