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Digital Hardware Engineer – Satcom Terminal

SWISSto12 is one of the world’s fastest-growing aerospace companies, evolving from its pioneering use of 3D printing technologies for high-performance Radio Frequency (RF) products and applications to recently announcing the manufacture of entire geostationary telecom satellites, called HummingSat, that define a new category in space.

SWISSto12 is a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and sub-systems for aerospace applications. The company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF products.

SWISSto12 is also providing the HummingSat as the world’s first commercial telecom GEO SmallSat developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). Its uniquely compact size combined with highly capable telecom payloads allows telecommunications operators to deploy a cost-efficient, compact and agile asset without sacrificing performance or security. HummingSat has recently been selected by Inmarsat to build three I-8 satellites and in 2022 by Intelsat to build the I-45 satellite. If you are looking for position where you can play an active role in contributing to innovative and growing company, this role is for you.

We are looking for a Digital Hardware Engineer to lead the development of digital electronics in SWISSto12’s Satellite Communications (Satcom) user terminals based on AESAs.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following:

  • Participate in the development and test of digital electronic circuits/subsystems for Satcom AESAs from first design ideas to production:
    • Using/controlling off-the-shelf integrated circuits for AESAs.
    • Perform first design ideas, block diagrams, schematics and guidance for the PCB layout. Work with early PCB designs, demo/evaluation boards. Hands-on experience: verify your own work with a high bandwidth/speed oscilloscope, multimeter, spectrum analyzer, USB Multichannel Logic Analyzer, etcPerform design/fabrication/test iteration of digital electronics PCB.Work with digital electronics technology suppliers/subcontractors.
    • PCB production/assembly with external suppliers.
  • Contribute to the development of AESAs complete system:
    • Participate in prototyping/system demo phases.
    • Participate in detailed complete product design where production is 100-1000 units.
  • Prepare digital electronics system/product documentation for design, manufacturing and support during development and production.
  • General digital electronics assistance in different projects across SWISSto12.
  • Contribute to growing SWISSto12 team from digital electronics perspective. Be responsible and manage this discipline within the company by yourself.

Required experience and competencies:

  • B.Sc or M.Sc. in electrical engineering (or equivalent) with at least 7+ years of proven experience with development of digital electronics for RF systems, with special focus on AESAs, beamformers, Satcom terminals, etc. Ideally, you have worked on several designs from the first design idea to getting hundreds of units to work in the production.
  • Excellent knowledge of digital electronics/hardware. Experience in/with (some of) the following:
    • High Speed SPI bus
    • I2C bus
    • USB, LAN, WLAN, BTS
    • ynchronous and asynchronous interfaces
    • RS232, RS422 and RS485
    • Microcontrollers (MCU), ATMEL (SAM series) etc.
    • Microprocessors (MPU) INTEL, Microchip etc.
    • PLDs and FPGAs,  Xilinx, Microchip etc.
    • VHDL code or similar language for FPGAs
    • Ethernet Switches, Marvell etc.
    • DAC / ADC
    • Bluetooth, modules and chipset
    • Wireless LAN modules and chipset
    • GNSS, modules and chipset
    • High Speed memory Interfaces – SRAM/DRAM/Flash
    • High speed interfaces: SGM2, RGM2 etc.
    • Clocks and clock-trees distribution networks / rise time – duty cycle impact.
    • Watchdog ICs / circuitsBoot loader, small sw drivers, Start-up of MCU
    • Multiple MCUs in one system, Master/Slave
    • Ethernet switch layout, ESD, LAN testing
    • Noise reduction of high speed buses in a RF sensitive environment.
  • Experience with PCB layout: guidance in layer build-up, digital layers, supply layers, GND layers, correct impedance and dimensions of tracks and, PCB via technologies, ESD/EMC, high isolation / high voltages (lightning strike protections), etc
  • Software: Hyperlynx for signal integrity analysis on PCB, Xilinx FPGA Timing Simulation tools, Cadence – Capture Orcad Schematic tool, Cadence Allegro Viewer for PCB Layouts, Gerber Viewer for PCB Layouts, Phyton, etc
  • Experience in Design For Manufacturing (DFM)
  • The applicant shall be able to work within a small team in an efficient way.
  • Fluent in English (oral and writing). French or Danish are a good complement.

Interested applicants are requested to apply through LinkedIn

More about SWISSto12:

SWISSto12 has successfully established contracts with Inmarsat, IntelSat and ESA for HummingSat as well as contracts for their RF product line in Europe and the US with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, CAES  and the ESA. SWISSto12 is a spin off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors. SWISSto12 is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and operates a US-subsidiary in Foster City California and another team in New Hampshire. The company is well funded for its near and mid-term developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream.