Grillet & Co - Technical Consultants

Always ready to support you in meeting specialist requirements where security and reliability are the highest priority.

We can deploy high performance, secure, servers for you

The secure alternative to the cloud (someone else's computer) is having your own computer - knowing were it is - and knowing it, and the data in it, will stay where you put it. With the right systems in place, you, your staff and your clients, can still access it, securely, from anywhere in the world.

Current projects include Databases, Internet radio, PHP web frameworks (like Slippr - used for this site) and others.

Sun enterprise server

"Full Stack" knowledge learned over almost 60 years

We have designed systems from transistor level to complete computer networks.

Digital Electronics

Andrew Grillet saw EDSAC 1 when it was still working. He was employed to debug valve based TV monitors at PYE TVT, and debugged valve based digital counter-timers.

Andrew designed one of the most widely used controllers for 1/2" tape drives in the 1970's, and developed a 1/2" tape controller for the BBC micro. At GEC, he wrote Unix tape and disk drivers for the GEC models 21, 42 and 63.

Andrew invented the Sinclair Microdrive
I developed ST506 (hard disk) controllers for the Apple ][ and BBC Micro.

At GEC, Andrew was the chief hardware architect for the CARDS database engine (a UK government research project to reconcile DNA structures with the proteins they generate).

Software:

Andrew designed and developed the GODS operating system (similar to CPM and DOS, in the same era).

At STC, Andrew wrote the software for the first text messaging pager.
At Storno Ltd Andrew wrote the software for the Storno 4000 Automatic for British Rail. (The first "mobile phone": it was hand-held, and could dial any phone on the public phone network) Andrew also wrote the software for other Storno 4000 variants, including the ones used by London Transport and British Airways. Storno was bought by Motorola while he was working there.

The team has designed and implemented telecomms billing (phone calling card system), money transfer (Send Money Home), inventory management, factory progress control, requirements management package.
We developed the website framework on Github called "Slippr" that was used to produce this website, and another (which is not open source) for creating websites which provide access to PostgreSQL databases.

Systems Administration:

Andrew has been a Unix Systems administrator since 1984, starting with his own PDP11/60.

Andrew has been an OpenBSD user more or less since it was released, and as an administrator commercially on Intel since before Y2K and on Sparc64 servers since 2015.

Andrew has been a Linux systems administrator on both servers and workstations since Slackware was first released, and currently manage Ubuntu-Mate on Intel and Raspberry Pi and Devuan on Intel.

Analog Electronics

Andrew built a pirate radio station in 1963.

He built a valve oscilloscope, and a valve based audio amplifier and mixer.

He has designed and constructed various items of medical electronics.

He has designed a 3-phase motor control systems up to 1MW
He designed the system that controls the flow of corn into mills in the UK and Europe for the manufacture of cornflakes.

Mechanical Engineering

Internal combustion engines

Andrew has rebuilt engines for:

  • 1940's Monkey Bike
  • Austin 7
  • Ford 105e
  • Austin A35
  • Morris Minor
  • Austin Mini
  • Fiat 500
  • Vauxhall Victor
  • Thames Trader van
  • Fiat Arbarth 900 engine (Used in a Fiat 850 van)
  • Fiat Arbarth 2 litre engine (used in a Lada Niva)
  • Jaguar 4.2
  • Rover SDI (used in Jaguar 4.2)
  • Bedford Midi van
  • Nissan Xtrail
  • and probably some others long forgotten.

Compliance

Andrew has been responsible for compliance for ISO9000, Financial KYC and other regulatory requirements at large and small organisations.

HVAC

The team has installed complete gas central heating systems in houses.

The team has rewired several homes.

Andrew has installed and maintained domestic gas lighting systems.

Andrew has a current FGas certificate, and have installed airconditioning systems in houses, static caravans and garden offices.

If you have a problem, and need someone who can tell you how to solve it (and it does not require a lot of tough guys with guns) We are the "A" team you should be looking for!

Date: 06 Dec 2024 - Hits: 34295

View Andrew Grillet's profile on Professionals UK

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