Principal FW/SW Engineer

🔥 18 minutes ago

🇨🇦 Canada – Remote

💵 $184.5k - $205k / year

⏰ Full Time

🔴 Lead

👷🏻‍♀️ Engineer

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Astera Labs

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

51 - 200 employees

🚘 Automotive

🏭 Manufacturing

🔧 Hardware

💰 $150M Series D on 2022-11

Automotive • Manufacturing • Hardware

Astera Labs is a leader in purpose-built data and memory connectivity solutions that remove performance bottlenecks throughout the data center. With locations worldwide, the company’s silicon, software, and system-level connectivity solutions help realize the vision of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the Cloud through CXL™, PCIe®, and Ethernet technologies. Partnering with leading processor vendors and cloud service providers, Astera Labs is focused on enhancing the performance of data-intensive applications. The company’s product portfolio includes system-aware semiconductor integrated circuits, boards, and services to enable robust connectivity solutions.

📋 Description

• Own the embedded firmware stack from hardware abstraction and device drivers through management interfaces, diagnostics, and customer-facing APIs • Design firmware for adaptive equalization, gain control, calibration, link training, PLL/CDR feedback, thermal management, and device telemetry • Architect control algorithms, state machines, and tuning flows for analog and high-speed interfaces across process, voltage, and temperature variation • Define software quality gates, validation criteria, and release practices from pre-silicon planning through production deployment • Debug firmware across Ethernet configurations, link states, and failure modes by tracing Layer 1 PHY, SERDES, FEC/PCS, MAC, retimer, and gearbox interactions • Investigate register accesses, embedded SDK behavior, link state machines, PHY telemetry, logs, and real-hardware measurements to identify root causes and deliver fixes • Partner with system validation to develop test plans, automate characterization flows, and verify firmware across corner cases and product configurations • Support customer bring-up, field issue triage, and deployment readiness with applications, platform, and silicon teams • Set technical direction and lead architecture and tradeoff discussions • Serve as technical authority for mixed-signal firmware, analog control behavior, Ethernet physical-layer debug, and hardware/software integration • Lead design reviews, implementation, code reviews, and difficult debugging efforts across firmware, analog, silicon, systems, validation, and applications teams • Mentor engineers and help build the team through recruiting, onboarding, and technical development

🎯 Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field • 8–12 years of experience developing embedded firmware or software for resource-constrained systems, with ownership from architecture through production • Strong embedded C/C++ skills and deep knowledge of microcontroller architecture, memory-mapped peripherals, interrupt handling, and bare-metal firmware • Hands-on experience with Ethernet or high-speed connectivity devices, including Layer 1 PHYs, SERDES, retimers, gearboxes, NICs, switches, or related systems • Solid understanding of physical-layer behavior, link state machines, register-level debug, and hardware/software integration • Experience with feedback systems, adaptive algorithms, calibration, or tuning of analog or mixed-signal subsystems • Proficiency with Microsoft-based development environments and Linux command-line tools, including GCC or Clang, Make, Bash, GDB, and Git • Clear written and verbal communication, systematic debugging skills, and ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with ambiguity • Preferred: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field • Preferred: Python experience for test automation, debug tooling, data analysis, or lab workflows; hands-on experience with Jenkins and CI/CD infrastructure • Preferred: Familiarity with mixed-signal systems and analog signal paths, including ADC/DAC interfaces, sensor readout, transimpedance amplifiers, transmit drivers, CTLE/DFE equalization, CDR/PLL circuits, or thermal control • Preferred: Experience with retimer or gearbox firmware, SDK/API development, optical modules or pluggable optics, high-speed copper connectivity, Ethernet PHY subsystems, FEC, PMA, or signal-integrity analysis • Preferred: Experience using oscilloscopes, BERTs, logic analyzers, and other lab equipment; familiarity with FPGA emulation, pre-silicon validation, RTOS, device drivers, coroutines, mentoring, or recruiting

🏖️ Benefits

• Discretionary bonus • Incentives • Benefits • Occasional travel to Astera Labs’ San Jose headquarters, approximately twice per year

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