About Me
Hey, I'm Francisco. I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineer who builds solutions across hardware, software, manufacturing, testing, and mechanical systems.
I'm drawn to weird technical problems. Old equipment is a good example of that. Vintage electronics have strange constraints, clever design choices, obsolete parts, incomplete documentation, and failure modes that only show up after decades of use. When those systems age, the problems get even more interesting. You're not just fixing a circuit, you're trying to understand why it was designed that way, how it has changed over time, and what kind of solution will actually last.
That way of thinking carries into the rest of my engineering work. I like problems where the answer is not obvious and the solution crosses disciplines. Sometimes that means designing a fixture, writing software, debugging electronics, building a test system, reverse-engineering a machine, improving a manufacturing process, or figuring out why a motor or product is failing in the real world. I'm most interested in engineering where understanding the whole system matters.
Most recently, I worked at Unusual Machines, where I helped build and scale the company's BLDC motor production operation for commercial drones. My work crossed manufacturing process development, automated end-of-line validation, motor dynamometer testing, production tooling, custom software, data acquisition, and hands-on troubleshooting with engineering and manufacturing teams.
A lot of the work came down to turning early production challenges into repeatable tools, tests, and processes. I developed systems that improved test throughput, supported yield analysis and defect tracking, and helped make motor production more reliable, measurable, and scalable.
Before that, I worked in industrial motor repair, rebuilding and diagnosing electric motors, pumps, generators, and three-phase electromechanical systems. That experience gave me a strong foundation in how machines fail, how manufacturing decisions affect reliability, and why practical engineering matters when equipment has to survive real use.
I also run Open Source Electro, where I restore and modernize vintage cassette decks, test equipment, and other difficult-to-service electronics. The work often involves circuit troubleshooting, precision alignment, custom PCB design, 3D modeling, replacement part design, and documenting repairs so other people can keep their own equipment alive.
Outside of work, I've taken on projects that mix electronics, mechanics, and fabrication, including automotive retrofits, engine work, custom wiring, 3D-printed parts, and motor-related development projects. I'm comfortable moving between the bench, the shop, the computer, and the production floor.
At the core, I like building things that work. I like taking weird, messy, real-world technical problems and turning them into reliable systems, tools, processes, or products.
Contact: fcuesta@opensourceelectro.com