LyteChip developed a prototype spectrometer for NASA with chip-scale footprint and performance rivaling high-end benchtop spectrum analyzers leveraging an innovative digital Fourier Transform (dFT) architecture, which uniquely enables exponential scaling of performance.

Neltner Labs provided guidance on the prototype design approaches while writing the grant, and followed through with electronics, control software, and PCB designs for use in this NASA funded project. Neltner Labs provided a first and second generation electronics design to fully meet the requirements of our project, and was able to provide firmware for our researchers to control it easily with Python and MATLAB as well as offer rapid assistance with analyzing and solving problems ranging from electronics hardware to statistical analysis.

Brian was friendly and communicative, and with a strong scientific background in more than just electronics he was able to help handle multi-disciplinary problems. The prototype Neltner Labs provided was able to perform measurements in minutes that our previous off-the-shelf control systems required hours or days to accomplish, at a fraction of the footprint and with straightforward future options for further miniaturization.

Erik Verlage
Chief Executive Officer
LyteChip Inc.

Neltner Labs was involved in the first three years of development at Thalasartis, focused on distributed CO2 sensing technology using the blockchain for carbon market trading and compliance testing. Brian provided prompt and detail-focused input ranging from grant proposals and patents to contacting vendors to get prototype CO2 sensor modules. He was also proficient enough with using 3D CAD to develop a text fixture incorporating a fan, drierite, a CO2 sensor module, and with the ability to instrument with additional sensors such as for humidity and temperature. He finally helped to configure a Raspberry Pi based control system to allow control of the sensors, recording data, taking webcam snapshots for cross-calibration purposes, performing cryptographic functions, and sending the result to an online server.

During this three year period, the Thalasartis team and Brian were awarded one patent (WO2023076430A1) covering the way in which this sensor can be used with the blockchain to allow for competitors, customers, or regulators to be able to trustlessly verify the carbon released by a given facility. Brian demonstrated competence with market research, vendor research, sensor types, 3D CAD, system design and implementation, and even offering input suitable for use in our patent. He will bring a great deal of experience to any team making prototype systems.

Eric Downes, Ph.D.
CEO and Founder
Thalasartis Inc.

Phoenix Tailings is pioneering sustainable metal production by extracting valuable metals and rare earth elements from mining waste through zero-emission, zero-waste processes. This innovative approach not only provides critical materials essential for modern technologies but also addresses significant environmental challenges associated with traditional metal production.

We engaged Brian Neltner to assist with the technical review, overall structure, and refinement of language to effectively convey our technical goals to the grant office. His expertise was instrumental in articulating our objectives clearly and concisely, significantly enhancing the quality of our grant proposal. Brian's contributions were invaluable in helping us communicate the importance and impact of our work in sustainable metal production.

Michelle Chao
Co-founder & COO
Phoenix Tailings Inc.

Brian has been an indispensable addition to the Dropworks team over the past two years. Originally brought on to help design the initial version of Dropworks’s flagship product, Brian not only aided the team in electronics design, but also in innovation, education, and DFM/DFA/DFT.

Brian immediately demonstrated his value by endeavoring to understand our requirements and desired functionality. His willingness to innovate and expand his skill set became a clear asset as he proposed and implemented novel solutions to improve performance. These solutions included analog and digital electronics for signal filtration and amplification, improvements to existing circuits for usability and performance, and general optimizations based on his in-depth knowledge of circuits.

In addition to Brian’s adaptability, creativity, and technical mastery, his ability to seamlessly integrate with our full-time team was appreciated. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team of engineers to ensure smooth integration facilitated the rapid growth of our team. Further, Brian is always willing to share his knowledge thereby helping to internalize knowledge and promote continuous improvement. His willingness to collaborate with our on-site team extends his role in our DFX processes as we move to manufacturing.

Dropworks has benefited from Brian’s involvement in our engineering progress, and he will continue to be a valuable member of our team going forward.

Eric Beppler
Senior Manager, Electrical Systems
Dropworks Inc.

MindMics started working with Brian over a year ago to guide our young team through the initial steps of designing circuit boards. In this short span, we have designed and fabricated 3 iterations of our prototype, and are on our way to the commercial product, all thanks to Brian’s experience and support.

Brian goes above and beyond to understand the fundamental requirements of the circuit and was able to help us think in new directions, saving us weeks of valuable development time. Understanding the pace and needs of a startup, he is always responsive and willing to push to meet our deadline requests easily helping debugging issues and faults.

Brian is also a great mentor and guide to our team, helping us expand our skills in hardware development increase our overall knowledge and confidence. His expertise is something he is willing to share with the team and greatly appreciated.

We consider Brian an integral part of development team and recommend him with the utmost confidence that his contributions to our, or any, team are immeasurable.

Anna Barnacka
Founder and CEO
MindMics LLC