[29 / 10 / 2025] Emulation Engineer (Zebu)

The core responsibility of an emulation engineer is to verify and validate complex chip designs before they are manufactured. This involves using specialized hardware platforms, like Synopsys' ZeBu, to create a working prototype of the chip from the RTL code. This "emulated" chip can run at near real-time speeds, allowing engineers to test large and complex workloads, including software, operating systems, and long-running applications, that would be impractical to test with traditional simulation.

Key responsibilities would include :

• Porting and compiling ASIC / IP RTL (written in languages like SystemVerilog or Verilog) onto the Zebu platform.
• Debugging hardware and software issues on the emulation platform.
• Developing and executing full-chip / System-on-a-Chip (SoC) tests.
• Automating emulation workflows and creating tools to support the process.
• Collaborating with various teams, including designers, design verification (DV) engineers, and software engineers, to ensure the design is ready for tape-out.

Required Skills & Qualifications

A typical job description for such a role would require a solid foundation in digital logic and hardware design.

This role is critical for ensuring that hardware designs are functional and bug-free before the expensive and time-consuming manufacturing process begins.