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Cadence Design Systems Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 18 Dec 2015

Cadence Design Systems Engineer Interview Experiences

1 interview found

I applied via Referral

Interview Preparation Tips

General Tips: They develop CAD tools for VLSI design etc.
They call it EDA ( Electronic design automation).
They expect people with good C knowledge, data structures, compiler knowledge.
Skills:

Interview questions from similar companies

I was interviewed before Jun 2016.

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Test
Experience: Preference to CFD and Fluid Mechanic courses. Simulation profile(basic programming), asked pseudo code related to simple Fluid Mechanics problems. Subjective test based on HMT, Fluid Mechanic, MOS, CFD, mostly formula based for technical profile. Both tests were 45 minutes long, and applicants had an option of giving either one or both the tests.

Duration: 45 minutes

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Related to written test. Detail about project and intern as related to work in CFD, HMT. Stressed on the question of whether higher education or job and why? Stressing on practical knowledge however asked about favourite topic and asked indepth questions in it.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: 40-50 minutes, taken only of people already selected. Family background, educational background, current events .Location:- offshore location also possible in future based on performance. Higher Education:- Company sponsors masters and doctorates but only for projects linked to company profile .
Tips: Company looking for good technical people, not HR skills; however package is a little less. Choose this profile to apply for as not a lot of people were applying for it.

College Name: IIT Kanpur

I was interviewed before Jun 2016.

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Test
Experience: Basic questions, testing normal knowledge
Total Questions: 50

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: 20 minutes, 5 questions ? Scheduling, real-time OS, and file system based questions ? Asked some in depth questions about file-handling in Linux ? C++ - IBM site tutorials, C-FAQ for C coding tutorials ? One puzzle, regarding number of rectangles on a chessboard, and some more typical questions asked in technical interviews

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Family and educational background ? Tell me about yourself ? Went a little in-depth into Linux. ? Main concern: will you join or not
Tips: Over all preparation in C, DSP course, OS and course in networking helps. ? Also, for HR interview, know about the company, PPT and website.

Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

Qualcomm user image Siddharth Srivastava

posted on 19 Mar 2015

Interview Questionnaire 

16 Questions

  • Q1. Explain the difference between Moore and Mealy state models
  • Ans. 

    Moore state model outputs depend only on the current state, while Mealy state model outputs depend on both current state and inputs.

    • Moore model: output is a function of current state only

    • Mealy model: output is a function of current state and inputs

    • Moore model has a separate output function, while Mealy model combines output and state transition functions

    • Example: vending machine can be modeled using Mealy model as outpu...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Draw the state diagram and the clocked D-flipflop circuit for a 0110 sequence detector
  • Ans. 

    State diagram and clocked D-flipflop circuit for a 0110 sequence detector.

    • The state diagram will have four states: S0, S1, S2, and S3.

    • The circuit will have four D-flipflops, one for each state.

    • The output of the circuit will be high when the sequence 0110 is detected.

    • The clock signal will be used to synchronize the flipflops.

    • The state diagram and circuit can be designed using software like Quartus or Xilinx.

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. What is parity and how is it used? Draw the circuit diagram for a parity checker
  • Ans. 

    Parity is a method of error detection in digital communication. It involves adding an extra bit to a data stream to ensure even or odd number of 1s.

    • Parity is used to detect errors in data transmission.

    • It involves adding a parity bit to a data stream.

    • The parity bit is set to 1 or 0 depending on whether the number of 1s in the data stream is even or odd.

    • If an error occurs during transmission, the parity bit will be incor...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. Design a memory organization given the size and block units
  • Ans. 

    Designing a memory organization based on size and block units.

    • Determine the size of the memory and the size of each block unit

    • Choose a suitable memory organization scheme such as direct mapping, associative mapping, or set-associative mapping

    • Implement the chosen scheme and test for efficiency and accuracy

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. Draw the circuit diagram for a random number generator
  • Ans. 

    A random number generator circuit diagram can be created using a noise source and an amplifier.

    • Use a noise source such as a Zener diode or a reverse-biased transistor

    • Amplify the noise signal using an amplifier circuit

    • Use a comparator to convert the analog signal to a digital signal

    • Add a clock circuit to control the output frequency

  • Answered by AI
  • Q6. What is a Schmitt trigger/inverter?
  • Ans. 

    A Schmitt trigger/inverter is a circuit that converts a noisy input signal into a clean digital output signal.

    • It has two threshold voltage levels: a high threshold and a low threshold

    • The output of the circuit changes state only when the input voltage crosses one of the threshold levels

    • It is commonly used in digital circuits to clean up noisy signals and to provide hysteresis

    • Examples include debouncing switches, signal

  • Answered by AI
  • Q7. Arrange the inputs to AND gates so that power usage is optimized/delay is optimized
  • Ans. 

    To optimize power usage/delay in AND gates, arrange inputs based on their capacitance and resistance.

    • Arrange inputs with lower capacitance and resistance closer to the gate

    • Inputs with higher capacitance and resistance should be placed farther away

    • Consider the layout of the circuit and the routing of the wires

    • Simulation tools can be used to determine optimal input arrangement

  • Answered by AI
  • Q8. Draw the CMOS circuit for a given logic equation and do the corresponding W/L sizing
  • Ans. 

    Answering a question on drawing CMOS circuit and W/L sizing for a given logic equation.

    • Understand the logic equation and its truth table

    • Use CMOS inverter and NAND gates to implement the logic

    • Size the transistors based on their role in the circuit

    • Check the circuit for correct functionality

    • Examples: AND gate, OR gate, XOR gate

  • Answered by AI
  • Q9. Draw a circuit for a set of logic equations using PLA
  • Ans. 

    A circuit for a set of logic equations using PLA

    • PLA stands for Programmable Logic Array

    • PLA is a type of digital circuit used to implement combinational logic circuits

    • The circuit consists of an AND array and an OR array

    • Inputs are fed into the AND array and the outputs are fed into the OR array

    • Example: A PLA circuit for a 2-input XOR gate would have 2 inputs, 2 AND gates, and 1 OR gate

  • Answered by AI
  • Q10. Draw and talk about a basic SRAM cell
  • Ans. 

    An SRAM cell is a type of memory cell that stores a single bit of data using two cross-coupled inverters.

    • Consists of two inverters connected in a feedback loop

    • Has two stable states, representing 0 and 1

    • Uses two access transistors to read and write data

    • Commonly used in cache memory and microprocessors

  • Answered by AI
  • Q11. Given the delays for gates and wires, draw output waveforms for the given logic circuit
  • Ans. 

    Draw output waveforms for a logic circuit given delays for gates and wires.

    • Identify the logic gates and their delays

    • Determine the propagation delay for each wire

    • Use the delays to calculate the output waveform

    • Draw the waveform using a timing diagram

  • Answered by AI
  • Q12. What is Min-Cut placement algorithm? Given some block sizes, use the algorithm to place them on a given chip area
  • Ans. 

    Min-Cut placement algorithm is used to place blocks on a given chip area.

    • Min-Cut algorithm partitions the chip into two parts and minimizes the cut between them

    • It is a graph-based algorithm that uses a flow network to represent the chip and its blocks

    • The algorithm iteratively partitions the network until all blocks are placed

    • Example: Placing logic gates on a microprocessor chip

  • Answered by AI
  • Q13. Given a clock waveform of frequency f, design a circuit to get an output of frequency f/3
  • Ans. 

    Design a circuit to get an output of frequency f/3 from a clock waveform of frequency f.

    • Use a counter to divide the frequency by 3

    • Implement a flip-flop to toggle the output

    • Use logic gates to control the counter and flip-flop

  • Answered by AI
  • Q14. Explain a little about your M.Tech. project
  • Ans. 

    My M.Tech. project was focused on developing a machine learning algorithm for predicting stock prices.

    • Used historical stock data to train the algorithm

    • Implemented various machine learning techniques such as regression and neural networks

    • Achieved an accuracy of 80% in predicting stock prices

    • Explored the impact of news articles on stock prices

  • Answered by AI
  • Q15. What do you know about Qualcomm?
  • Ans. 

    Qualcomm is a multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company.

    • Founded in 1985 in San Diego, California

    • Specializes in designing and manufacturing wireless telecommunications products and services

    • Known for their Snapdragon processors used in smartphones and other mobile devices

    • Also involved in developing 5G technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices

    • Has partnerships with various companies includi

  • Answered by AI
  • Q16. Have you ever worked in groups? What kind of work was it?
  • Ans. 

    Yes, I have worked in groups on various projects.

    • I have worked in groups during my college projects.

    • I have also worked in groups in my previous job on a software development project.

    • In both cases, we had to collaborate and divide tasks among team members.

    • We had regular meetings to discuss progress and address any issues.

    • I found that working in a group allowed us to leverage each other's strengths and produce better res

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Round: Test
Experience: The Quant and Programming sections were long but fairly easy; I pretty much sailed through them. However, the core EC section was really lengthy and not so easy, and also had negative marking. I was able to complete the first 2 sections completely, and around 11/20 questions in the core section.
The Quant section touched basic topics like probability, algebra and simple geometry. Programming questions were quite syntax-based, rather than algorithm-based. In the core section, the focus was on device physics and digital electronics, including combinational/sequential circuits and microprocessors.
Tips: 1. Practice Quantitative sections. A LOT. Speed is of the essence in these sections, because almost everyone is on the same level as you are where mathematics is concerned.
2. Know the basic syntax of C++, that is the most common language you're tested on in the Programming section. Also know simple data structures and complexity calculations.
3. The core section is the most important one, so make sure your knowledge is sound and practice solving digital circuits as fast as you can.
4. The EC section is generally quite lengthy, so quickly flip through the questions once and then figure out what questions you can do for sure, finish those and then start on the remaining ones. DO NOT STAY ON ONE QUESTION FOR TOO LONG, because you won't even be able to haphazardly guess on the other questions because of the negative marking.
Duration: 60 minutes
Total Questions: 50

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: I had only one round of technical interview. The interviewer was a person who'd worked at Qualcomm for around 5 years, as a Senior Engineer. The questions were not too tough, but challenging enough that you had to be quick at circuit evaluations. I wasn't able to solve all the questions completely, but talking aloud really helped, the interviewer himself would pass on hints or correct me sometimes if I went too far off on a tangent.
All in all, the interview lasted for about 45 minutes and was tiring but really fun if you like EC. For the first time, I realized that I actually knew electronics after studying it for 4 years! ;)
Tips: 1. Many people must have said this to you, but I'll say it again: Don't be too nervous. The questions are asked in such a way that you will definitely not be able to do all of them, so don't freak if you miss something here and there, they know it too!
2. Make sure you have the basics of logic gates, sequential design and digital VLSI circuits down pat when you're preparing for the interview. These are the main areas they are looking for in the VLSI Electronics interviews. Apart from these, a knowledge of Computer Architecture and basic VLSI CAD wouldnn't hurt!
3. I can't emphasize this enough: Talk out when thinking. It is very important for the interviewers to know what kind of technical logic you use when working out problems, and most often they start talking with you, which leads to an insightful discussion rather than a Q&A session.
4. Make sure your interest in the field also comes across; as far as I saw, they're looking for people who actually like EC and will be able to work hours together without getting bored of it (Well, not too much :P)

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The HR interview wasn't really an interview; it was more of a 15-minute discussion with an HR person. He was basically looking to see whather I would be able to fit into a team-oriented work environment and add something to it, that's all. Apart from that, there was mostly a discussion on the package breakdown, and the kind of work and teams we could be involved with in Qualcomm.
Tips: 1. Know something about Qualcomm, so that you're able to answer the first question they'll mostly ask.
2. This round is set to get to know you, so clear all your doubts and ask as many questions as you want.
3. Once again, try to express your interest in working in the field of electronics; if your passion shows, this round is pretty much cleared!

General Tips: 1. Be sure you're interested in EC before applying to Qualcomm for the VLSI profile.
2. For the test, speed is of the essence; practice solving different question sets in as less time as possible.
3. For the interview(s), don't be nervous, talk aloud, and have a sound technical base to build upon.
Skills: Digital Circuits, VLSI Technology, Low-Power Electronics, EC Device Physics, VLSI Circuit Design, Basic Programming
College Name: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Motivation: I've always been interested in Electronics, ever since I studied the 8085 Microprocessor in the 12th Grade. Even when I joined IITKGP, I changed my Department to Electronics after my first year, because that's what I wanted to study!
Circuit design is one of the most interesting and challenging fields in today's electronics field, and I would love to see what happens, and be a part of it. Especially since right now we're on the verge of a big change - we're close to moving away from silicon-based designs; what happens next?

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview Questionnaire 

1 Question

  • Q1. I was interviewed for 4G/5G modem system. Topics that generally comes in these types of interview: Communication systems basics in detail, modulation techniques in detail, wireless channel in detail like m...
Interview experience
2
Poor
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I was interviewed in Nov 2023.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

F2F coding test which was pretty simple based on basic c++ concepts and few logical questions.

Round 2 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Project and design level with mid level difficulty.
Round 3 - Culture fit 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Oops.here the magic happened. Prior to each stage HR was giving clue about the next round and the rounds were more or less same. But in this round,no was expecting managerial question and was not prepared ...
  • Q2. Array multiple logical questions, design pattern writing, other class relates coding..
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
No response

I applied via Referral and was interviewed in Sep 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

Three DSA questions one on likedlist one on BST and one on maps

Round 2 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Cpp pointers explain smart pointers
  • Ans. 

    Smart pointers in C++ provide automatic memory management and help prevent memory leaks.

    • Smart pointers are objects that manage the memory of a pointer automatically.

    • They ensure that memory is deallocated when it is no longer needed.

    • Examples include unique_ptr, shared_ptr, and weak_ptr.

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Cpp question based on OOPs concepts
Round 3 - Coding Test 

DSA questions on graph and lots of puzzles

Interview Preparation Tips

Topics to prepare for Ansys Software Private Limited Senior Engineer interview:
  • C++
  • DSA
  • OOPS
  • Puzzles
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Overall good experience, but the HR hasn't replied yet.

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - One-on-one 

(5 Questions)

  • Q1. Mostly on C, OS and wireless comm fundamentals.
  • Q2. What does malloc return?
  • Ans. 

    malloc returns a pointer to a block of memory allocated from the heap.

    • malloc returns a void pointer (void*)

    • The returned pointer can be cast to the desired data type

    • If malloc fails to allocate memory, it returns NULL

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. What is RTOS and how does it differ from OS?
  • Ans. 

    RTOS stands for Real-Time Operating System. It is designed to handle time-sensitive tasks and provide deterministic behavior.

    • RTOS is optimized for real-time applications that require precise timing and responsiveness.

    • Unlike general-purpose operating systems, RTOS provides deterministic behavior, meaning tasks are guaranteed to be completed within a specific time frame.

    • RTOS typically uses priority-based scheduling algor...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q4. Why not to use malloc?
  • Ans. 

    malloc should be avoided due to potential memory leaks and security vulnerabilities.

    • malloc does not initialize memory, leading to potential bugs and crashes.

    • It does not provide any bounds checking, leading to buffer overflows.

    • Memory allocated with malloc must be explicitly freed with free() to avoid memory leaks.

    • Using malloc can be less efficient than using stack memory for small allocations.

    • Alternatives like calloc() ...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q5. What happens at stack/memory level when a null ptr is dereferenced?
  • Ans. 

    When a null pointer is dereferenced, it leads to a segmentation fault or access violation, causing the program to crash.

    • Dereferencing a null pointer means trying to access the memory location pointed by the null pointer.

    • This results in a segmentation fault or access violation, as the null pointer does not point to a valid memory address.

    • The operating system detects the illegal memory access and terminates the program t...

  • Answered by AI

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed before Feb 2023. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Aptitude Test 

2 hours duration, general aptitude and reasoning questions.

Round 2 - Technical 

(3 Questions)

  • Q1. Write a program to print left view of binary tree
  • Ans. 

    Program to print left view of binary tree

    • Use level order traversal (BFS) to traverse the tree

    • Keep track of the level of each node and only print the first node at each level

    • Use a queue to store nodes and their levels

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Write a program to reverse a linked list
  • Ans. 

    Program to reverse a linked list

    • Create a function to reverse the linked list by changing the next pointers

    • Use three pointers to keep track of current, previous, and next nodes

    • Iterate through the list and update the pointers accordingly

    • Example: 1->2->3->4->5 becomes 5->4->3->2->1 after reversal

  • Answered by AI
  • Q3. Write a program to rotate a binary tree
  • Ans. 

    Program to rotate a binary tree

    • Create a function to rotate the binary tree by swapping left and right child nodes

    • Recursively rotate each subtree of the binary tree

    • Update the parent nodes to point to the new child nodes after rotation

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Write concise codes, optimize as much as possible.

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Os , dbms, coding qs
Round 2 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. C,c++,c os questions
Round 3 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Project, coding qs

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Good
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Cadence Design Systems Interview FAQs

How to prepare for Cadence Design Systems Engineer interview?
Go through your CV in detail and study all the technologies mentioned in your CV. Prepare at least two technologies or languages in depth if you are appearing for a technical interview at Cadence Design Systems. The most common topics and skills that interviewers at Cadence Design Systems expect are Electricals, Linux, Perl, Python and Scripting.

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