Hardware Validation Engineer

Project

Work done for a product or program.

• Write the hardware validation plan mapping each design requirement and datasheet parameter to a specific measurement with pass criteria.
• Execute electrical validation of every power rail, clock, reset, interface and control signal against specification limits and margin targets.
• Perform margin testing by sweeping voltage, temperature, clock frequency and load to establish the operating window and guardband.
• Characterise timing relationships including setup and hold at board level, power sequencing order and reset assertion windows.
• Validate boards in thermal chambers over the specified temperature range and document any parameter that drifts outside limits.
• Triage validation failures to root cause between board design, component tolerance, firmware and silicon and file traceable defect reports.
• Produce the validation report and signoff scorecard that gates production release and customer sampling.
• Maintain validation fixtures, probe adapters, interposers and instrumented boards needed for repeatable measurement.

Function

Work that keeps the discipline running: methods, tools, suppliers and people.

• Run interface compliance measurements for PCIe, USB, Ethernet, DisplayPort, MIPI, I2C and I3C using vendor compliance test suites.
• Automate validation sequences with instrument control frameworks so every board revision can be re-measured consistently.

Project

1. Produce and hand over the role's key deliverables
   • Hardware validation plan with requirement-to-test traceability matrix
   • Electrical and margin characterisation datasets per board revision
   • Interface compliance test reports and certification evidence
   • Automated validation test scripts and regression suite
   • Validation signoff scorecard and open-issue list
2. Develop the test solutionGeneral
   • Define the test plan and coverage targets
   • Write and debug the test program
   • Design or specify the test hardware
3. Release to productionGeneral
   • Correlate results across testers and sites
   • Optimise test time
   • Release the program under change control

Function

1. Maintain test infrastructureGeneral
   • Keep program libraries and standards current
   • Plan tester and hardware capacity
2. Improve methodsGeneral
   • Review escapes and adjust coverage
   • Develop data analysis tools