Embedded Firmware Engineer

Embedded Firmware Engineer

Core Technical Skills
Programming Languages

• Proficiency in C, C++, and Embedded C
• Python (for scripting, automation, and testing)
• Assembly language (for low-level optimizations, specific MCUs)

Microcontrollers

• ARM Cortex (STM32, ESP32, NXP, Nordic, TI MSP430)
• AVR (ATmega, ATtiny), PIC, and RISC-V MCUs
• Knowledge of bare-metal programming and RTOS-based firmware

Firmware Development

• Bare-metal programming (without OS)
• RTOS programming (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX)
• Interrupt handling, timers, low-power modes
• Bootloader development & firmware updates (OTA & wired)

Embedded Communication Protocols

• Serial Communication: UART, SPI, I2C
• Wireless Communication: BLE, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, LoRa, NB-IoT, LTE-M
• Industrial Protocols: CAN, Modbus, RS-485, EtherCAT, LIN

Memory Management & Optimization

• SRAM, Flash, EEPROM, and external memory handling
• Stack and heap optimization for low-resource devices
• DMA (Direct Memory Access) optimization

Low-Power & Battery Optimization

• Sleep modes (Deep sleep, Light sleep, ULP mode)
• Energy profiling & optimization for battery-operated devices
• Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS)

Debugging & Testing Tools

• Debuggers: JTAG, SWD (ST-Link, Segger J-Link)
• Logic analyzers, oscilloscopes

Advanced Skills
RTOS & Multithreading

• Task scheduling, semaphores, mutexes, and queues
• FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or embOS for real-time applications

IoT & Cloud Integration

• MQTT, CoAP, HTTP/HTTPS for cloud communication
• AWS IoT, Google Cloud IoT, Azure IoT Hub integration
• Edge computing & sensor fusion

Bootloader & Firmware Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates

• Developing secure bootloaders
• OTA firmware update mechanisms

3. Soft Skills & Workflow Management
Version Control & CI/CD for Firmware

• Git, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
• Automated firmware builds & testing using Jenkins, GitHub Actions

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Working closely with hardware engineers, cloud developers, and product teams
• Understanding hardware schematics and debugging firmware issues