Charles Zhao
Mechatronics Engineering · University of Waterloo
Education
University of Waterloo
Sep 2023 — Expected Apr 2028Honours 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 2026Engineering 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 2025Embedded 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 2025PCB 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 2024Website 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
Geese waste-cleaning robot
Oct – Dec 2023An autonomous campus cleaning robot with sensor-driven motion and an iterated 3D-printed collection mechanism.