Ranadheer Erumalla
Embedded Firmware Engineer | Yocto | ARM Cortex | Device Drivers | BSP | C/C++ | Embedded Linux | Open to Relocation
About
Embedded Firmware Engineer with 4+ years of hands-on experience in embedded C/C++ development, Embedded Linux (Yocto), driver bring-up, and firmware validation on ARM-based platforms. Proven experience in DDR4/DDR5 memory validation, low-level driver debugging, and Python-based test automation for HIL/SIL environments. Strong background in hardware-software integration, system bring-up, and automated regression testing using Jenkins and Docker. Experienced in using lab instruments (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, JTAG) to identify and resolve complex firmware and hardware issues.
Professional Experience
Embedded Firmware Engineer
NXP Semiconductors
Jan 2023 -- Present
- --Developed and validated embedded Linux firmware (kernel 5.x/6.x) using Yocto, supporting board bring-up and custom BSP integration on ARM-based SoCs.
- --Implemented BSPs and HALs in C/C++ for SPI, I2C, UART, and GPIO optimized for throughput and jitter reduction.
- --Designed and executed DDR4/DDR5 memory validation test plans, identifying timing, initialization, and compatibility issues across multiple DIMM configurations.
- --Supported Linux networking and driver-level debugging, analysing kernel logs and system behavior during high-throughput data transfers.
- --Customized the Yocto build setup, added extra BitBake classes for our toolchain, and wired it into CI so firmware images were built on every integration branch.
- --Developed C++11/14 firmware modules with strong emphasis on reliability, testability, and defensive coding practices.
- --Integrated RTOS-based firmware modules with low-level drivers (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, GPIO) for deterministic hardware response.
- --Used FreeRTOS tasks, queues, and timers to structure a modular control stack that kept motor control, BLE, and logging isolated yet responsive.
- --Worked on embedded bootloader and early boot firmware, supporting secure boot flow, hardware bring-up, and platform initialization on ARM-based SoCs.
- --Performed system-level diagnostics and validation using test equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers.
- --Designed RTOS tasks, ISRs, and timers for hardware control, memory initialization, and peripheral management on ARM-based SoCs.
- --Inherited a tangle of per-board initialization code and collapsed it into a parameterized FPGA-side configuration block with a shared C++ hardware abstraction layer.
- --Validated firmware interactions with server-class hardware interfaces including PCIe, DDR4/DDR5, I2C, and Ethernet during system bring-up.
- --Debugged boot-time failures using JTAG, serial logs, POST codes, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
- --Built Python-based automation frameworks for firmware validation, log analysis, and regression testing.
- --Worked with memory subsystem firmware aligned with JEDEC specifications, validating timing, initialization.
- --Integrated automated tests into CI pipelines using Jenkins and Docker.
- --Wrote Python frameworks that drive BIOS bring up tests over serial and JTAG, so we can rerun the same scenarios across new board spins
- --Developed FreeRTOS-based firmware on ARM Cortex-M devices using tasks, queues, semaphores, and timers to achieve deterministic real-time performance.
- --Debugged Linux networking stack and system-level firmware issues during high-throughput Ethernet data transfers using kernel logs, driver analysis, JTAG, UART, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
- --Collaborated with hardware teams to understand FPGA behavior when diagnosing boot-time and data-path issues.
Embedded Firmware Engineer
Siemens Healthineers
Apr 2020 -- Jun 2021
- --Designed and developed real-time embedded firmware in C++11/14 for high-speed imaging and scanning systems, with strong emphasis on deterministic performance and low-latency execution.
- --Implemented and optimized device I/O drivers to handle high-bandwidth data streams from sensors and controllers, ensuring reliable and timely data acquisition.
- --Worked on a Yocto-based platform for an ARM board, maintaining the BSP, kernel config, and root filesystem so application teams had a stable base.
- --Performed low-level debugging using UART logs, GDB, core dumps, and system traces to diagnose OS-level and firmware issues.
- --Assisted in Embedded Linux system integration, supporting driver debugging, system configuration, and runtime stability analysis.
- --Implemented and validated high-speed device drivers for sensor and controller interfaces, supporting reliable data acquisition in medical imaging systems.
- --Worked on low level firmware for diagnostic systems, mostly around BIOS behavior, power up sequences, and basic board bring up checks.
- --Built real-time applications using FreeRTOS in C/C++ for medical imaging systems, focusing on low latency and predictable task execution.
- --Supported integration testing and system validation under IEC 62304 medical standards.
- --Built real-time applications using FreeRTOS in C/C++ for medical imaging systems, focusing on low latency and predictable task execution, aligning with embedded software design principles.
- --Debugged RTOS timing issues, missed deadlines, and concurrency bugs using UART logs, GDB, core dumps, and system traces.
- --Improved firmware stability and diagnostics through structured debugging and validation.
- --Memory corruptions during high-speed acquisition on a Xilinx FPGA platform pushed me to isolate the offending HDL blocks and refine AXI bus handshakes.
- --Developed Python automation scripts to rebuild firmware images, flash devices, and collect boot logs.
- --Assisted in troubleshooting and debugging firmware-hardware interaction issues using lab instrumentation.
- --Supported firmware upgrade, recovery, and rollback workflows for production embedded systems.
- --Improved fault detection and recovery mechanisms in RTOS-based firmware to support production medical devices.
- --Debugged timing and data consistency issues between embedded firmware and FPGA logic.
- --Participated in verification, validation, and documentation activities to ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
Embedded Project
Internship Ecil (Electronics Corporation of India Limited), India
JUNE 2019 -- March 2020
- --Developed a real-time embedded Smart Parking System using ARM microcontrollers to detect vehicle presence and publish status updates to an IoT dashboard.
- --Wrote and tested bare-metal embedded C firmware for ultrasonic sensor interfacing, real-time distance measurement, and event-based decision logic.
- --Implemented sensor data acquisition, noise filtering, and threshold-based detection algorithms to ensure accurate vehicle detection.
- --Validated sensor timing and signal behavior at the hardware level using oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
- --Used MATLAB to simulate sensor responses, timing constraints, and detection logic prior to firmware implementation.
- --Integrated MQTT communication to transmit live parking availability data from the embedded device to a cloud-based dashboard.
- --Gained hands-on experience in real-time embedded systems, firmware debugging, sensor validation, and IoT communication workflows.
Skills
Languages: C
C++11/14
Python (Test Automation
Data Analysis)
Shell Scripting
MATLAB
Low-Latency Systems: Multithreading
synchronization
shared memory
sockets
race condition debugging.
Networking & Protocols: TCP/IP
PCIe
REST APIs
SPI
I2C
UART
CAN
Ethernet.
Firmware Testing: C unit testing
integration testing
automated firmware validation
debugging
fault isolation.
Distributed Systems: Client-server
publish/subscribe
IPC
peer-to-peer communication
Platforms: Embedded Linux (Yocto)
FreeRTOS
ARM Cortex-M/A SoCs
Secure Bootloaders
Tools: Git
Jenkins
Docker
Visual Studio
Python & Bash Automation
Yocto Build System
Oscilloscope.
Testing & Automation: Pytest-style frameworks
unit and integration testing
regression testing.
Memory Systems & Validation: DDR4/DDR5
memory subsystem validation
signal integrity fundamentals.
Specialties: Performance profiling
System-Level Debugging
order/command routing
system-level debugging
Domain Experience: Low-latency IoT
semiconductor automation
secure communication
embedded systems.
Education
Master’s in information technology
Wilmington University
JAN 2022 -- Apr 2023
Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering
Holy Mary Institution of Technology and Science
JUN 2016 -- APR 2020
Contact
Interested in working together? Feel free to reach out.
Auburn Hills, MI