Principal PLC Modem Firmware Engineer
Description
Enphase Energy is a global energy technology company and leading provider of solar, battery, and electric vehicle charging products. Founded in 2006, Enphase transformed the solar industry with our revolutionary microinverter technology, which turns sunlight into a safe, reliable, resilient, and scalable source of energy to power our lives. Today, the Enphase Energy System helps people make, use, save, and sell their own power. Enphase is also one of the fastest growing and innovative clean energy companies in the world, with approximately 68 million products installed across more than 145 countries.
We are building teams that are designing, developing, and manufacturing next-generation energy technologies and our work environment is fast-paced, fun and full of exciting new projects. If you are passionate about advancing a more sustainable future, this is the perfect time to join Enphase!
The Role:
Enphase is seeking a Principal PLC Modem Firmware Engineer. At Enphase Energy, we currently utilize a proprietary Power Line Communication (PLC) system and are actively expanding its capabilities to support international compliance standards, such as IEEE 1901 and IEC 61334, and various power line topologies, integrating into commercial, residential, and Smart Grid networks. In this position, you will be responsible for design, implementation and test of new protocol features and layer one control drivers for power line modems.
As a Principal PLC Modem FW development Engineer, you will play a crucial role in the development and optimization of digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms and software for narrow band Power Line Communication (PLC) modems. Your expertise will contribute to the advancement of communication technologies and enable efficient and reliable data transmission over power line networks. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and shape the future of PLC modem technology.
What you will do:
- Design, develop, and optimize digital signal processing algorithms for narrow band PLC modems to enable reliable data communication over power line networks.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers, system architects, and firmware developers, to define system requirements and specifications for narrow band PLC modem development.
- Optimize DSP algorithms for noise mitigation, channel equalization, error correction, modulation/demodulation, synchronization, and adaptive filtering to maximize data throughput and reliability.
- Analyze and optimize the performance of the MAC layer, including throughput, latency, and reliability, to meet the requirements of specific applications and standards.
- Identify and address issues related to interference, noise, multipath propagation, and other impairments affecting PLC communications.
- Collaborate with hardware engineers in the design and integration of analog front-end (AFE) components, including analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), to achieve optimal system performance.
- Document DSP designs, specifications, and technical procedures to facilitate knowledge sharing and maintain accurate project records.
- Support system integration efforts, troubleshoot hardware-software interactions, and provide technical assistance during the product development lifecycle.
Who you are and what you bring:
- BS/MS Electrical Engineering and/or Computer Science with emphasis on Digital Communications and/ or Networking Protocols
- 12+ years of experience in a similar (non-academic) role
- Strong understanding of digital signal processing theory, algorithms, and implementation techniques.
- Intimate Knowledge of communication theory, modulation/demodulation techniques, error correction coding, and synchronization methods.
- Strength with DSP processors, digital filters, fast Fourier transforms (FFT), and adaptive filtering techniques.
- Ability to implement a MAC layer software design from a protocol specification document.
- Extensive experience with modems and communications standards.
- Strong background and working experience developing wired and/or wireless protocol stacks (examples: 6LoWPAN, BLE, MoCA, DOCSIS, 802.11, etc) through the various stages of design, implementation and product deployment.
- Experience with narrow band Power Line Communication (PLC) modem concepts, protocols, and standards (e.g., G3-PLC, PRIME, IEEE P1901.x) is advantageous.
- Ability to assess an existing software architecture and protocol stack and then efficiently modify this existing architecture to implement new MAC features.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as C, C++, or MATLAB for DSP algorithm development and simulation.
- Experience with embedded software/firmware development, including cost-sensitive, resource-constrained hardware environments.
- Experience developing applications using a real-time operating system (RTOS) or in bare-metal framework.
- Familiarity with lab equipment (spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, signal generators, etc) and debugging of real-world communications problems. Hands-on skills and effective troubleshooting methods are a must.
- Strong written and oral communication and teamwork skills are required.