Sr Staff Digital Engineer – Microcontroller (MCU) Systems & Architecture
Job Description
Position Overview
• We are seeking an experienced and visionary Senior Staff Engineer to join our General Purpose Microcontroller (MCU) Design and Architecture team. In this senior technical leadership role, you will lead the specification, RTL implementation, physical synthesis, and full-chip verification of next-generation MCU platforms integrating both RISC-V and ARM® Cortex®-M CPU cores.
• You will drive the full lifecycle of the System Control Sub-system (SYSSS), CPU Sub-system (CPUSS), Peripheral IPs, IOTOP, and ChipTop design and verification, bridging architecture definitions with silicon implementation, advanced debugging, and technology verification.
Key Responsibilities
• SYSSS, CPUSS, Peripheral IP, IOTOP & ChipTop Design & Verification (Full Flow):
• Specification & Architecture: Translate high-level Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) into comprehensive Target & Detail Specifications for System Control Sub-system (SYSSS), CPU Sub-system (CPUSS), Peripheral IPs, IOTOP, and ChipTop modules.
• RTL Implementation & Hand-off: Perform RTL coding (Verilog / SystemVerilog) for SYSSS, CPUSS, Peripheral IPs, IOTOP, and ChipTop. Author and deliver clear implementation instructions to MiddleEnd and BackEnd (Physical Design) teams.
• Design Verification & Debugging: Create test plans and execute Unit-Level Verification (UT) and Chip-Level / Top-Level Verification (CT) using UVM and SystemVerilog environments. Lead root-cause debugging across IP, MCU, and SoC levels.
• Physical Synthesis & Technology Verification: Run module-level physical synthesis and perform top-level technology checks, including High-Level DRC (HLDRC), Static Timing Analysis checks (STAchk), and Design-for-Testability checks (DFTchk) at SYSSS and ChipTop levels.
• Architecture & Subsystem Integration:
• Define and integrate MCU subsystems around RISC-V and ARM Cortex-M architectures.
• Integrate key peripherals (WDT, INTC, IIC, SPI, ADC, etc.) and handle clock domain crossing (CDC) / asynchronous transfer designs across clock and reset boundaries.
• Drive interconnect architecture based on AMBA bus protocols (AHB, APB, AXI).
Technical Expertise & Domain Knowledge
• IP / MCU / SoC Debugging: Strong hands-on experience in IP, MCU, and SoC level development with expert-level debugging skills across front-end RTL, simulation, and post-synthesis environments.
• Processor Cores & Peripherals: Deep understanding of RISC-V and ARM Cortex-M CPU architectures and common MCU peripherals (e.g., Watchdog Timers [WDT], Interrupt Controllers [INTC], I2C/IIC, SPI, ADC).
• Bus Protocols & Interconnects: Thorough technical knowledge of AMBA protocols (AHB, APB, AXI, etc.).
• Asynchronous Transfer & CDC: In-depth knowledge of Clock Domain Crossing (CDC) and Asynchronous Transfer Design techniques to prevent metastability in multi-clock MCU systems.
• HDL & Programming Languages: High proficiency in industry-standard languages:
• Hardware / Verification: Verilog, SVA, SystemVerilog, UVM
• Embedded Software / Verification: C, C++
• Scripting & Automation: Perl, Python
• EDA Toolchains: Hands-on experience with industry-standard Cadence and Synopsys EDA tools, including:
• Simulators & Debuggers: Xcellium, VCS, SimVision, Verdi
• RTL Lint, CDC & Static Analysis: Spyglass, and related static check tools.
• Synthesis and netlist check: Design compiler, Formality, STAcheck (PrimeTime), HLDRC, DFTcheck
• Design & Verification Flow: Full-flow experience from PRD specification writing to RTL coding, UT/CT testbench creation, verification checklist, coverage.
Requirements
Function: Manufacturing
Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level