Amy Thornton's Home Page

I work as a contractor programming TI C6X DSPs for use in the Telecoms and other fields and am working for my own company, Thornbird Consultancy Ltd.

If you need DSP code written, or hardware, then please contact me and we can discuss your requirements.

Previously, I worked for a company called Sundance Multiprocessor Technology Ltd in Chesham, Bucks. My job varied between mostly software (C programming for TI C4Xs and C6Xs DSPs, and DOS) plus some hardware design and also hardware debug / redesign. I used Xilinx devices and also had some contact with Altera.

The reason Sundance were brave enough to take on a GIRL as an engineer (!) is that after gaining an electronics degree at the University of Reading I stayed on to do research (1993-1996) in colour images using Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs), which led to the award of a PhD in 1998. In 1996 Sundance needed someone to design a software library for a new board that had been designed for FFT processing so I got the job.

I have been sent to a number of countries including Ireland, America, Israel and Turkey. Sundance threatened to trade me for 3 camels but nothing came of it so maybe the asking price was too high! However, while in Turkey I was ambushed into dressing as though attending a Turkish wedding ceremony. Very friendly hosts.

El Al security at Heathrow were fierce - very strong and persistent questioning for ages about why I wanted to go to Israel. They even asked me to go through the presentation I was due to give! Luckily that put them to sleep so I was able to get past them and onto the plane.

Research

Between 1993-1996 I conducted research for a PhD with Dr. Steve Sangwine as my supervisor on Colour object recognition using a complex colour representation and the frequency domain (Adobe PDF format: 2183kB), 205pp. Colour pixels are described as complex values and used as input to a 2D FFT. The result of the transform is used together with additional processing to be able to recognise objects in an image and also discriminate different coloured objects of the same shape. The processing also overcomes problems associated with translation, rotation and scaling. More explanation is given here.

Politics

I started at Sundance on a part-time basis in 1996 so that I could finish writing up my PhD thesis while continuing to supervise some electronics labs at university. However, politics got in the way and I found myself standing as a candidate for the UK Independence Party in the 1997 General Election, campaigning for withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. This took up quite a bit of time so I didn't become full-time at Sundance until the start of 1998. Since then I have stood as a candidate in the 2001 General Election and the 2002 Local Elections.

Flying

Since I was small I have wanted to fly so as soon as I went full-time at Sundance I was able to save towards learning to fly. By April 1999 I started lessons and chose to learn at the West London Aero Club at White Waltham, Berkshire. It has a friendly atmosphere and the training has been pretty good. I used Piper Warriors for most of the training and I also had an excellent time in a Cherokee so I could have a go at spinning, er sorry, spin-recovery. However, next time I must remember it doesn't have toe brakes! The above picture is of me and a friend in front of the plane in which I did my PPL Skills Test.
I am also the proud owner of a 1/6th of a Piper Cub (G-BPYN) with a history going back to the Second World War, and a 1/12th share of a Piper Cherokee (G-AVSI), with not as interesting a history. Luckily it's bright red, the standard international warning colour to tell others that the pilot is a woman.

Homeward bound

Popham Airfield & 3 Hot Air Balloons....no, really

I'm gradually building up the number of countries I've flown in. See here for more pictures.

This page contains a number of links I've found useful for flying information / fun.

Walking

Wastwater

Another interest is hill-walking which I try to do when I have time. Usually Scotland, the Lake District or North Wales. It can be quite hard going up but the view at the top is worth it. Where did all that cloud come from?
I organised a weekend in Snowdonia for friends from Sundance as many are not British and haven't seen much of the country. We stayed in a couple of cottages in Rhyd-Ddu.

Before......	Near the top of Y Garn (near Llanberis)

Here are some more photos of trips with other friends.

On Scafell Pike	Beinn na Caillich (near Glencoe)
Walking up the Pap of Glencoe	A well-earned drink
On the Pap of Glencoe	Walking above Loch Leven

I can be contacted at work: amy@thornbird.co.uk or home: amy@thornton.flyer.co.uk.