Ioannis Makris

Full Software Stack for the hiXAS Laboratory Spectrometer

Client: HP Spectroscopy GmbH

HP Spectroscopy needed a complete software suite for their hiXAS system, a turn-key instrument for laboratory-based X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). I was responsible for the full software stack over several years, working with the company's physicists.

• Full-Stack Development: A multi-layered C++ application with a Qt/QML front-end, supported by a Python ecosystem for data analysis scripting.
• Hardware Integration: Low-level control for motor controllers (OWIS, PS90), scientific detectors (DECTRIS, Greateyes), and cameras, developed in coordination with the hardware team.
• Long-Term Maintenance: Ongoing architectural work to keep the codebase healthy as requirements evolved, including identifying and resolving memory leaks, deadlocks, and race conditions.
• Performance Optimization: A third-party Python script for post-acquisition analysis was a bottleneck. I rewrote it as a native module, reducing processing time by over 90%.
• International Support: Remote diagnostics and support for instruments deployed at research facilities internationally, working directly with scientists on-site.

• Official Product Page: hiXAS - Laboratory X-ray Absorption Spectrometer

Commercial Software Suite for Advanced Ultrasonic Sensors

Client: Sonotec GmbH

Sonotec, a manufacturer of ultrasonic measurement technology, had a 20-year-old internal Delphi tool that worked for R&D but was not suitable for commercial sale. They wanted modern software to sell alongside their new line of smart sensors. I built the replacement from scratch, working with their product and engineering teams to understand both the legacy system and the requirements for the new one.

• Legacy Protocol Analysis: The communication protocols were undocumented; the only reference was the old Delphi source code. I reverse-engineered the memory-map-based protocols from that codebase, which became the foundation for the new application.
• Multi-Device Architecture: The new application (C++, Qt/QML) could manage multiple sensors simultaneously, unlike the legacy single-device tool. A separate communication library handled all hardware interaction.
• Usability: The old tool required expert knowledge. I worked with Sonotec to understand the workflows of their target users (lab technicians and scientists) and designed an interface that made sensor configuration, data acquisition, and visualization straightforward.

The product, branded SONOflow C3, replaced the internal tool and was used for this sensor line for several years.

• Announcement: SONOflow C3 Software
• Video Tutorial: SONOflow C0.55 and the C³ Software

Maintenance of a Mature E-Learning Authoring Suite

Client: IMC AG

IMC AG needed to keep their "Content Studio" authoring software stable and supported while their internal teams focused on next-generation platforms. The product had a large enterprise customer base that depended on it. I took over maintenance and development of the C++ codebase, a large application built over nearly a decade by a previous team.

• Codebase Takeover: Learning a large, unfamiliar codebase quickly enough to become the primary contact for technical issues and feature requests.
• Stabilization: Fixing deep-rooted bugs that surfaced under heavy enterprise usage, working with customer support to understand and reproduce reported issues.
• Feature Development: Implementing new features based on requests from enterprise customers, coordinated through IMC's product and support teams.

This arrangement let IMC maintain their existing customer relationships while focusing internal resources elsewhere.

• Tutorial Playlist: "Content Studio Tutorials" by IMC AG

Interactive OpenGL Rendering Engines & Systems

Employer: NVIDIA (formerly Mental Images)

As part of the rendering software team at NVIDIA's Mental Images division in Berlin, I worked on OpenGL-based rendering technology for products including RealityServer.

• Interactive Renderer: Developed an OpenGL-based interactive renderer with real-time effects (SSAO and others), built on the MetaSL shading language.
• iray Preview Engine: Built the OpenGL preview renderer for the physically-based iray engine. The challenge was approximating iray's output at interactive frame rates.
• OpenGL Subsystem: Took responsibility for the team's OpenGL rendering code, maintaining and extending it as product requirements evolved.
• Cross-Platform GPU Detection: Implemented a cross-platform system for detecting and enumerating available GPUs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

This work provided the interactive preview experience for a computationally intensive rendering platform.

• Industry Coverage: HPCwire: "NVIDIA Serves Up Reality, GPU-Style"

Sketch-Based UI for DICOM Hanging Protocols

Employer: Digital Medics GmbH (Defunct Startup)

At the medical imaging startup Digital Medics, I worked on the "VivoLab" DICOM software. One problem we addressed was the setup of "hanging protocols" (the on-screen layout of medical image series), which was typically a rigid, menu-driven process. Working with radiologists and the Wacom partnership team, I developed a sketch-based alternative designed for pen displays.

• Sketch-to-Grid Engine: The radiologist draws lines on a blank canvas; the software interprets the strokes and generates the corresponding grid of panels for image display.
• Workflow Integration: Combined with drag-and-drop assignment of imaging modalities and one-click application, allowing clinicians to create custom layouts quickly.

The feature is demonstrated in an official case study video produced by Wacom:

• Case Study Video: Wacom Cintiq in Radio Oncology