EE Firmware and Applications Engineer

Cohu, Inc.
San Diego, CA, United States
26 days ago

Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Experience level
Expert
Experience required
5 years minimum
Working hours
Regular working hours
Languages
English, French, German
Job source

Tech stack

ARM Architecture Bluetooth Booting (BIOS) C++ (Programming Language) Communications Protocols Computer Engineering Software Debugging Memory Management EtherCAT Firmware Joint Test Action (IEEE Standards) Real-Time Operating Systems
+10 more
Software Requirements Analysis Subversion Systems Integration Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter USB Serial Peripheral Interface Code Comments Backend Git Bare Metal

Job description

Main Objectives

  • Acts as the technical bridge between a sales team and its customers, ensuring products and/or software are effectively customized, installed, and supported.
  • Analyze client needs, provide pre/post-sales technical support, conduct product demonstrations, and create custom technical solutions.
  • Evaluate feasibility and risk of new concepts using first-principles physics and empirical modeling.
  • Deliver new and/or update electrical firmware implementing control solutions from pre/post customer interactions and applications involvement.
  • Development, integration and lifecycle support of complex electrical control systems with a strong focus on firmware-related system integration and thermal system concepts to be integrated into an electro-mechanical robotic system.

Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities:

  1. Present technical solutions and resolve system-level issues in collaboration with customers and stakeholders.
  2. Collaborate with hardware engineers to interpret schematics, test prototypes, and validate hardware-software interaction.
  3. Develop firmware for microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex-M) in C/C++, focusing on bare-metal or RTOS environments.
  4. Debug system issues using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and JTAG tools to troubleshoot code.
  5. Maintain technical documentation, including design specifications and code comments.
  6. Create low-level drivers for hardware peripherals (GPIOs, ADCs, Timers) and communication interfaces (CAN, USB, Bluetooth, IoT protocols). EtherCAT experience is a plus.
  7. Acting as a technical interface to internal departments as well as customers and external partners.
  8. Definition, alignment, and implementation of system requirements in close collaboration with hardware and mechanical engineering teams.

Requirements

  • Strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound decisions under ambiguity using physical principles and engineering judgment.
  • Excellent communication and moderation skills to lead interdisciplinary teams through complex trade-offs.
  • Proactive mindset for identifying innovation opportunities and system improvements.
  • Commitment to technical excellence, documentation, and knowledge transfer.
  • Customer-oriented thinking and ability to represent the company in technical discussions., * Education/Training: Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering or a related field. (MSc, MEng, etc. desired)
  • Experience: This position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in the application support and firmware development of complex mechatronic systems, ideally in semiconductor backend equipment and a minimum of 5 years as a direct engineer in a discipline, preferably firmware development.
  • Skills/Technical Requirements:
  • Strong proficiency in C and C++.
  • Strong understanding of microcontroller architecture, memory management, and digital circuit design.
  • Experience with technical standards and industrial development processes.
  • Experience in bootloader development and using GIT/SVN.
  • Experience with communication protocols like UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT.
  • Strong analytical and debugging skills to resolve complex technical challenges.
  • Understanding and/or working experience with thermal systems, motion control, control systems.
  • Willingness to travel as required for projects and customer support.
  • Excellent English communication skills: German and/or French is a plus.

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