R&D Hardware Validation Engineer

Job Purpose and Mandate:

This position is for a hardware validation engineer, with experience in designing and using hardware and software for testing and characterizing mixed-signal ICs and Intellectual Property (IP) test silicon.  The successful candidate will perform experiments and collect measurement data using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, author and review silicon test reports and application notes, and work closely with the ASIC and analog design teams to develop and validate next generation designs.  The candidate will assist the Application Engineers with customer support and debug, which may include travel for onsite support at customer facilities.  The position requires supporting an IC engineering group using software which may include Python, Visual Basic, Verilog, firmware and using a Raspberry Pi.

Duties:

• Obtain an understanding of the in-house test flow and semiconductor intellectual property products
• Test, debug, and characterization of DDR IP products, including failure analysis when required
• Qualification, reliability and production test capability for IP products
• Participate in system-level testing of IP products with applications engineers
• Participate in product design & verification with design teams to ensure test capabilities are built into the product and to gain a deep understanding of the products functionality
• Assist management and/or project leader in task assignment and scheduling for group resources
• Provide training and support to internal team members and external customers
• Develop, standardize and improve silicon test methodologies and & drive debug of failures
• Provide detailed silicon debug and characterization data to help provide clear and accurate direction of the debug effort
• Address customer issues by providing detailed debug, guidance and drive issues to resolution

Job Requirements:

• Electrical or Computer Engineering degree
• Experience with scripting or programming languages such as Python, Visual Basic, Verilog, TCL, PERL
• Experience in operating test instruments such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers
• Excellent organization and communication skills
• Self-motivation, problem solving and attention to detail are highly valued as you will need to understand silicon, board and software interactions
• Hands-on lab/debug experience with validating or verifying digital / analog blocks of a chip design
• Familiar with reading and troubleshooting board schematics and layouts
• Previous test experience with high-speed interfaces (> 1 GHz)
• Experience with DDR protocols is a definite asset but not mandatory
• Previous knowledge of controlling devices on a Serial or USB bus