
Ethan Sells developed and enhanced embedded flight control and support systems for the SunDevilRocketry/mod and SunDevilRocketry/Flight-Computer-Firmware repositories. He unified servo control logic, overhauled flight state handling, and implemented robust GPS parsing and persistent configuration storage using C and Makefile-driven workflows. His work included expanding automated testing and CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions and YAML, improving reliability and maintainability. By introducing early error handling and accurate apogee detection, Ethan reduced operational risk and improved safety. His disciplined approach to code cleanup, driver development, and workflow automation enabled faster iteration cycles and more reliable firmware releases across both repositories.

September 2025 — Delivered critical accuracy and CI improvements for the SunDevilRocketry Flight-Computer-Firmware. Major outcomes include a corrected apogee detection algorithm, and expanded automated testing and CI coverage to improve reliability and deployment speed. These efforts reduce risk in flight data interpretation and accelerate iteration cycles.
September 2025 — Delivered critical accuracy and CI improvements for the SunDevilRocketry Flight-Computer-Firmware. Major outcomes include a corrected apogee detection algorithm, and expanded automated testing and CI coverage to improve reliability and deployment speed. These efforts reduce risk in flight data interpretation and accelerate iteration cycles.
August 2025 performance summary: Delivered core flight control overhaul with dual deployment enhancements, expanded apogee detection, and PID stability improvements; strengthened CI/test infrastructure and testability; and extended error reporting for ignition continuity in dual deploy systems. These changes reduce deployment risk, improve flight reliability, and accelerate development feedback loops.
August 2025 performance summary: Delivered core flight control overhaul with dual deployment enhancements, expanded apogee detection, and PID stability improvements; strengthened CI/test infrastructure and testability; and extended error reporting for ignition continuity in dual deploy systems. These changes reduce deployment risk, improve flight reliability, and accelerate development feedback loops.
July 2025 performance summary for SunDevilRocketry/mod: Delivered a major refactor of the servo control system by unifying multiple servo drive calls into a single generalized motor_drive function that accepts a ServoID enum. This reduces code duplication, improves maintainability, and enables easier future enhancements. Addressed review findings to stabilize the servo driver path and prepared groundwork for broader servo control changes. Key commits contributing to this work: 4f0862562b6b7531a8880213b2afeea8dfd6d73a (Review Fixes) and 228d0bd1007b7128d94e0b223886590add77aa9f (Changes in progress). Overall impact: lower maintenance cost, faster iteration cycles for future actuator support, and improved reliability of motion control in the SunDevilRocketry mod repository. Technologies/skills demonstrated: API design (ServoID enum), refactoring for maintainability, code-review driven QA, embedded systems development practices, and clean commit hygiene.
July 2025 performance summary for SunDevilRocketry/mod: Delivered a major refactor of the servo control system by unifying multiple servo drive calls into a single generalized motor_drive function that accepts a ServoID enum. This reduces code duplication, improves maintainability, and enables easier future enhancements. Addressed review findings to stabilize the servo driver path and prepared groundwork for broader servo control changes. Key commits contributing to this work: 4f0862562b6b7531a8880213b2afeea8dfd6d73a (Review Fixes) and 228d0bd1007b7128d94e0b223886590add77aa9f (Changes in progress). Overall impact: lower maintenance cost, faster iteration cycles for future actuator support, and improved reliability of motion control in the SunDevilRocketry mod repository. Technologies/skills demonstrated: API design (ServoID enum), refactoring for maintainability, code-review driven QA, embedded systems development practices, and clean commit hygiene.
June 2025 monthly summary for SunDevilRocketry/Flight-Computer-Firmware: Delivered robust configuration validation and early error handling to fail-fast on invalid configurations, preventing unsafe flight operations. Implemented explicit error handling during configuration validity checks, flagging invalid setups early and stopping progression to flight controls. Result: improved reliability, safety, and maintainability with clearer failure signaling.
June 2025 monthly summary for SunDevilRocketry/Flight-Computer-Firmware: Delivered robust configuration validation and early error handling to fail-fast on invalid configurations, preventing unsafe flight operations. Implemented explicit error handling during configuration validity checks, flagging invalid setups early and stopping progression to flight controls. Result: improved reliability, safety, and maintainability with clearer failure signaling.
March 2025 performance summary: Delivered critical GPS reliability improvements, expanded test coverage, and automation across two SunDevilRocketry repos. Implemented persistent preset configuration in flash, streamlined regression testing, and cleaned test scaffolding to reduce maintenance overhead. These efforts enhanced reliability in field operation, enabled faster iteration, and strengthened release quality.
March 2025 performance summary: Delivered critical GPS reliability improvements, expanded test coverage, and automation across two SunDevilRocketry repos. Implemented persistent preset configuration in flash, streamlined regression testing, and cleaned test scaffolding to reduce maintenance overhead. These efforts enhanced reliability in field operation, enabled faster iteration, and strengthened release quality.
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