Computer Engineering · George Mason University

Ryan Pham

Engineer and designer working on the edge between hardware and software.

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About

Hardware, software, and the edge between.

Studying: Computer Engineering, George Mason University
Builds: PCBs in KiCad, ESP32 firmware, full-stack apps
Scouting: Eagle Scout, National Youth Leadership Training
Off hours: Guitar, band concerts, live AV
Toolbox: KiCadESP32MIDIDMXJavaSpring BootDockerHTML/CSS/JS

I'm a Computer Engineering student at George Mason University and a designer who works on the edge between hardware and software. I fabricate PCBs in KiCad, write embedded firmware for ESP32-based MIDI controllers and DMX light rigs, and build full-stack apps. My process for innovation starts with a problem I encounter, whether it is a guitar FX keychain I could take anywhere, a program to visualize and simulate quantum mechanics, or a homelab-hosted AI assistant.

I'm also an Eagle Scout who is devoted to serving my community through programs such as National Youth Leadership Training, a weeklong camp that is youth-led, designed to teach leadership to high-achieving Scouts.

When I'm not coding or camping, you can find me practicing guitar for my next band concert or planning the logistics and AV for it. I like building things that help contribute to the human experience and helping people find themselves, whether it is through music, leadership, or technology.

Featured software · Qube

Quantum computing
you can poke at.

Quantum mechanics is almost impossible to picture. Qube is the student-led project I co-founded to change that: a quantum computer simulator that runs in the browser. Access it here: https://qube.phamryan.com/

01 · The problem

Taught as equations

Qubits, superposition and measurement usually show up as math on a whiteboard. Most people never get to try one.

02 · The fix

Circuits you can run

Drag X, H, CNOT, Toffoli and SWAP gates onto a grid, run it, and watch a qubit collapse to 0 or 1. Shor's and Grover's run too.

03 · The people

Built for students

We've run STEM workshops at community centers where students build circuits with it. Here's how the whole thing works.

01/11 Mr. Qube

This is Qube.

A quantum computer simulator, packed into one cube. Scroll to take it apart.

Drag to rotate

01Web interface

online

qube / simulator.html

HomeResearchSimulatorDashboardDonate

XYZHST

q0 q1 q2 H T X Z H S M M M

RUN–ready

↓↑

02HTTPS · REST API

cors on

POST/create-qubit

POST/execute

POST/execute-circuit

POST/simulate-shor

POST/simulate-grover

POST/uncollapse-qubit

GET/qubit/{id}

JSON intext out@CrossOrigin

↓↑

03Render · cloud host

live

web

tls

log

qube-simulator.onrender.com Docker web service. Free plan: it naps when idle, and the first request wakes it up.

zzZ

↓↑

04Docker · two stages

Stage 1 · build

maven:3.9.4-eclipse-temurin-17

RUN mvn clean package -DskipTests

app.jar

Stage 2 · run

eclipse-temurin:17-jdk-alpine

ENTRYPOINT java -jar app.jar

EXPOSE 8080

↓↑

⇡

05Spring Boot

@SpringBootApplication

QuantumMachine…App

@RestController

@CrossOrigin

SimulatorController

@PostMapping("/execute")

ConcurrentHashMap<String, Qubit>

q0q1q2bell··

↓↑

06Quantum engine

ψ = α|0⟩ + β|1⟩ Qubit = two complexNumber amplitudes. Gates rotate them.

measure0

X Y Z HS T S† T†CX CY CZToffoliSWAPMultiQubitShor · gcdGrover

↓↑

07Maven build

pom.xml

parent spring-boot-starter-parent

version 3.5.3

java.version 17

+ spring-boot-starter-web

+ spring-boot-starter-test

plugin spring-boot-maven

$ ./mvnw clean package -DskipTests

Qubit.java SimulatorController.java AI.java application.properties

simulator-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar

⇡

+sign-in

Firebase Auth

Google sign-in popup, right in the browser. login.html · dashboard.html

+testing

Postman

POST /create-qubit 200

POST /execute 200

GET /qubit/q0 200

+deploy

GitHub

git push → Render builds the Dockerfile and ships it.

Featured hardware

The guitar FX keychain,
built for real.

Envoy started as a problem: I wanted my tone controls in my pocket. Now it's a board, an enclosure and a launch date.

Loading the board

Envoy V1 · by JIT Labs

Pocket-sized tone engine.

An ESP32 tone controller for guitarists: three rotary encoders under printed knobs, one master button and Bluetooth LE MIDI, in a printed tray and bezel with a key loop. Scroll and it comes apart, layer by layer, down to a single resistor.

Brain: ESP32 DevKit V1
Controls: 3 × EC11 encoders, 12 mm master button
Link: Bluetooth LE MIDI
Board: 50.4 × 91.0 mm, 1.6 mm FR-4
Enclosure: 55.9 × 106.9 mm printed tray + bezel

envoy.phamryan.com

Colourway

Dropping 1 December 2026.

01 · Enclosure

Two shells, one board.

The bezel frame lifts off and the tray drops away. The board sits between them with its top flush to the tray rim.

Frame 55.9 × 106.9 mm, 2.4 mm tall
Tray 18.0 mm deep

02 · Assembly

23 parts, all through-hole.

On this board every part pushes its legs through the FR-4 and is soldered from underneath. The only surface-mount parts ride along on the ESP32 DevKit.

Latest revisionThe resistors are now surface-mount, and the board adds decoupling capacitors. This teardown uses the earlier through-hole board model.

03 · Board stack

1.6 mm, five layers deep.

Silkscreen, solder mask, copper, the FR-4 core and the back mask, pulled apart so you can see what a circuit board is made of.

Board 50.4 × 91.0 mm
Core 1.6 mm

04 · U1 · ESP32 DevKit V1

227 pieces in one module.

The DevKit is a whole board of its own. The RF shield lifts off the ESP32, thirty header pins drop out, and every surface-mount part on it floats free.

05 · SW2 · Rotary encoder

Six pieces under every knob.

Shaft, nut, threaded bushing, top plate, body and legs. All three encoders are the same part. SW2 is the middle one.

06 · R5 · Axial resistor

Down to three pieces.

A DIN0207 body stood on end, plus two tinned leads. It is as far down as this board goes.

Latest revisionR5 and the other resistors are surface-mount parts now, with decoupling capacitors added to the board. This is the through-hole version.

Body 6.3 mm tall
Ø 2.5 mm

07 · Explore

Pick any part.

Hover a part to name it and click it to split it into pieces. With a mouse, drag empty space to turn the board.

Latest revisionThe 12 resistors listed here are through-hole on this model. The latest board uses SMD resistors and adds decoupling capacitors, which this model does not include yet.

More work

Let's build something.

Got a problem worth solving? I'd like to hear about it. Here's where to find me.

Say hello

The fastest way to reach me about a project, a role or a workshop.

Write an email → LINKEDIN

Experience, coursework and what I'm working toward.

Connect ↗ GITHUB

GitHub

Code for my projects, from firmware to full-stack.

Browse the code ↗ INSTAGRAM

Instagram

Builds in progress and life outside the lab.

Follow along ↗

THANKS FOR SCROLLING

Ryan Pham

Hardware, software, and the edge between.

Quantum computing
you can poke at.

Taught as equations

Circuits you can run

Built for students

This is Qube.

Firebase Auth

Postman

GitHub

The guitar FX keychain,
built for real.

Pocket-sized tone engine.

Two shells, one board.

23 parts, all through-hole.

1.6 mm, five layers deep.

227 pieces in one module.

Six pieces under every knob.

Down to three pieces.

Pick any part.

Other problems
I'm solving.

MIDI controllers

DMX light rigs

Homelab AI assistant

Custom PCBs

Let's build something.

Say hello

LinkedIn

GitHub

Instagram

Ryan Pham

Ryan Pham

Hardware, software, and the edge between.

Quantum computingyou can poke at.

Taught as equations

Circuits you can run

Built for students

This is Qube.

The guitar FX keychain,built for real.

Pocket-sized tone engine.

Two shells, one board.

23 parts, all through-hole.

1.6 mm, five layers deep.

227 pieces in one module.

Six pieces under every knob.

Down to three pieces.

Pick any part.

Other problemsI'm solving.

MIDI controllers

DMX light rigs

Homelab AI assistant

Custom PCBs

Let's build something.

Say hello

LinkedIn

GitHub

Instagram

Ryan Pham

Quantum computing
you can poke at.

The guitar FX keychain,
built for real.

Other problems
I'm solving.