"We transform theoretical concepts into real hardware designs."

I am currently working on the Aurix Microcontroller. Despite having “micro” in its name, there’s nothing small about it, as the Aurix is a big and powerful microcontroller for various automotive applications. For example, it helps save lives and prevents accidents by monitoring a car’s environment and activating the breaks if necessary.

For me, the design processes starts with clarifying the specific product requirements with the Concept Engineer and fellow Designers. I then develop the design and translate it into hardware description languages. After that comes the quality phase in which I analyze the design by checking it against the specification, partly in collaboration with the Verification Engineer.

Since I’m working on automotive applications, I also have to do a functional safety analysis at the end to avoid any failures of the final product. Finally comes the documentation phase – the part no engineer really likes, despite how important and necessary it is.

When I first started, I underestimated the amount of knowledge that would be needed. So in some respects I’m still learning. Being a Digital Designer is a lot more than just coding. For example, one line of code in VHDL entails a lot more than writing a line of software, because hardware updates are not possible anymore once the chip is out.

The good thing about the job is the diversity of tasks – no two days are alike. That’s because there are many distinct phases in a project, each of which involves different tasks. Sometimes I’m faced with short deadlines, which adds to the excitement of the job. One thing that definitely helps is the ability to understand complex interactions and algorithms.

When I applied to become a Digital Designer at Infineon, I knew it was the right job for me. It wasn’t about making a choice after the offer – I had already made the choice during the interview and was just waiting for the answer. The job has a direct connection to my undergrad studies in electrical and electronics engineering and to my graduate work in micro and nano systems, so I was confident that it would be a very interesting field. I don’t have the “dreadful Monday” issue, because I really like my job. It’s great to be working in a creative field and to learn something new every day.

After checking my inbox, I start by organizing the to-dos for the day and reviewing the status of the projects I’m currently working on. Then I turn my attention to making progress on my designs, which can involve attending several technical meetings with different colleagues, depending on the project phases. Of course, a well-planned day can change quickly, especially when problems come up and bugs need to be fixed. It helps to stay flexible.