Bil Herd

Bil Herd is a computer engineer who created several designs for 8-bit home computers while working for Commodore Business Machines in the early to mid-1980s. After first acting as the principal engineer on the Commodore Plus/4, C16/116, C264, and C364 machines, Herd designed the significantly more successful Commodore 128, a dual-CPU, triple-OS, compatible successor to the Commodore 64. Prior to the C128, Herd had done the initial architecture of the Commodore LCD computer, which was not released.

Contents

• Making a blacksmith forge out of a bathroom sink
• Direct digital synthesis dds with bil herd
• Military and community service
• References

After leaving Commodore, Herd continued to design faster and more powerful computers with emphasis on machine vision and is a co-author on a patent involving n-dimensional pattern matching. Herd also designed an ultrasonic backup sensor for vehicles while working for Indian Valley Mfg. in 1986, a feature found on many modern vehicles today.

Herd has undertaken an entrepreneurial role and is owner of several small companies. As for recent low-level computer hacking, he did a "cameo appearance" by contributing a snippet of sprite logic code to the C64 DTV product designed by Jeri Ellsworth.

Bil Herd currently produces videos for Hackaday and appeared in and narrated the documentary "Growing the 8 Bit Generation" about the early days of home computers.

Military and community service

Military service:

1977–1980: 238th Cavalry - 38th Division Indiana Army National Guard

1980–1982: 103rd Medical Battalion - 28th Division Pennsylvania Army National Guard

1981: Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service.

Voluntary health care work:

1989–1996: Fellowship First Aid Squad / Mount Laurel EMS Inc. Highest rank: Captain (also served as President)

1991–1995: Cooper Trauma Center - Camden, NJ: Trauma Technician