Professor Michael (Mike) Darnell, FIET, November 1940 – September 2023
Published: Fri 13 Oct 2023
Mike Darnell was born on 11 November 1940 and grew up in Suffolk. During 1959-64 he studied at Loughborough University for a sandwich BTech with Marconi Chelmsford, achieving 1st Class Honours in EE.
Mike then joined the Signals and Noise Laboratory at Cambridge to research on pseudo-random digital sequences and signal processing techniques for radio communications.
His outstanding thesis was awarded the PhD in 1968. Later it resulted in a comprehensive book (with Pingzhi Fan) and many research papers.
In 1967 Mike started his career in communications and signal processing R&D at ASWE. In 1973 he became section head for Naval research and UK representative on several international technical groups. From 1975 he was seconded to SHAPE Technical Centre. Mike and his family much enjoyed this period in The Hague, exploring Europe and welcoming colleagues and friends.
He moved in 1979 to MOD London, to co-ordinate UK strategic communications activities with NATO. Mike did not enjoy this administrative post, as it distanced him from research activities.
In 1980 he joined the recently created electronics department at York University, moving with his family to the village of Huby in Yorkshire. In 1986 he became Professor at Hull, and in 1995 at Leeds, where he was the first Director of the Institute of Integrated Information Systems. In all these posts Mike devised novel courses at all degree levels.
He created and successfully funded active research groups, and supervised a large number of postgraduate students. He was particularly known for his friendly and very supportive relations with his staff and students, for which he is appreciatively remembered.
At Hull, Mike set up an enduring collaboration with Dr Bahram Honary at Warwick, formerly his RA at York and later Professor at Lancaster. This was the Hull-Warwick Communications Research Group, which became HW Communications Ltd with Mike as MD.
Mike’s outstanding overall contribution was to optimise the capacity and reliability of radio communications over a wide range of applications. He was very active in the IET and IMA: apart from over 350 publications, he was a prime mover in the organisation of conference series on radio (championing HF), signal processing and coding themes, including the biennial international symposia on Communication Theory and Applications held at Ambleside until 2009.
An important feature was the half-day devoted to hiking among the Lake District peaks, much appreciated by the participants.
Unfortunately, a serious fall at home in October 2015 meant Mike had to be cared for in a specialist home until he died on 13 September 2023, mourned by his family, colleagues and friends.