Embedded systems and firmware engineering is one of the fields of continuous development, and undoubtedly, among the most important contemporary men in this sphere, is Hitesh P. Rai. Having worked for Apple and also for startup Owlet Baby Care Inc, Hitesh's career is a classic example of how technology evolves in the hands of an able engineer. In this time's most exclusive interview, we present Hitesh's professional journey, the obstacles he has dealt with, and his view on the future of firmware engineering.
Q1: Hitesh, great job on your firmware engineering career. What led you into the field? What inspired you?
A1: Electronics and programming were always a keen interest from my college days at Mumbai University. The power of embedded systems to control and interface with the world around me made me an even bigger admirer. This led me into a master's program in Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, and there I continued my study on firmware and embedded systems. The Apple internship where I designed a Uart Sniffer finally sealed my decision to follow this path. For me, that was an exciting experience of seeing how firmware could connect different aspects of hardware and software to create working gadgets.
Q2: Hats off for the tremendous work in porting UEFI/EDK II firmware to new hardware platforms at Apple. Was there any specific problem you encountered? How did you approach that?
A2: Porting UEFI/EDK II firmware to new hardware platforms is not something that can be done without acquiring the architecture, as well as peculiarities of the new hardware. One of the major problems was to achieve hardware compatibility with optimized performance. To quickly understand UEFI architecture, I devoted a great deal of time to self-education as well as hands-on experience. Yet there was another issue-this was when we manufactured the products and some of the functionalities of the SD Card were not functioning properly. When people look at the DRI that I have been able to add some new features and ran completeness test which eventually unblocked the factory and allowed smooth builds.
Q3: One of your duties at Owlet Baby Care Inc included girwearable product bodge polishing firmware management. How would you approach designing and constructing the firmware within the Future Product line?
A3: I have experience related to hardware and firmware as well as system design and deployment. At Owlet Baby Care Inc, I was accountable for all 3 phases of the Future product lifecycle which are Conceptualize & Design, Implementation, and Deployment. My first step was to create reliable specifications of detailed firmware images and upgrade procedures. Further on, one of the core parts of the stage were implementing a proprietary communication protocol and an MQTT implementation right into the network stack. To ensure active as well as passive temperature stabilization of the system took many tests and revisions. I have always set the bar for firmware development higher than conventional expectations of the users in that I aimed at not only meeting their basic functional requirements but also ensuring that the system was functional and stable.
Q4: Briefly mention the most important features you helped implement for Smart Sock 3 at Owlet and what you think it means for the product's success.
A4: The Smart Sock 3 was really a phenomenal product, which changed everyone's thinking about a medical device product, and hence, one needed to wear their thinking caps. Some of the aspects I focused on include; wireless charging, Communication through BLE, and the general arch of it. They ensured that even a unit test was required for every commit in order to ascertain that the codes were worked on and did not have any holds. I have also written several sets of integration tests in Python and C for the modules, run on real working hardware. In my opinion, the most impressive contribution was the idea and implementation of a low-cost replacement for a BLE module, including development of the embedded firmware and test fixture for the build location. These applications not only enhanced the reliability of the product but made the production process easier, which increased the success of the product as well.
Q5: You said that your experience as an Electrical Engineering Intern at Apple really set your career on track. What was the most rewarding experience?
A5: My internship at Apple has been an eye-opener for me; it made me realize how vital careful attention to detail and rigorous testing are. It requires deep knowledge of physical circuits and very specific firmware to build up the universal UART Sniffer from scratch. Very systematic approach-it starts with the block diagrams, then choosing the parts, schematic, and layout, designing the firmware, with very extensive test procedures. Such experience, however, helped drive home the concept of the use of a broad-minded engineering approach and of thinking and working with teams with diverse specializations.
Q6: You have experience with different kinds of microcontrollers and development environments. How do you approach a project to select the right tools and platforms for that project?
A6: Depending upon various factors such as objectives, requirements, and hardware in play for the project, many decisions regarding tool and platform selection would be made. For example, if I'm targeting low-power applications, microcontrollers from the nRF51/nRF52 series are best because they are extremely power-efficient and have good BLE integration. As to development environments, I consider ease of use and libraries that come or can be added to the hardware together with the hardware itself. For example, I would always rely on software like VS code or PyCharm because it allows the addition of very many plug-ins as well as to aid in the development process. Other projects that end up being so exhausting in terms of scenario planning or estimating the effects of deadlines will have its project scope and details adjusted. In particular, most ARM-based projects with intensive debugging purposes call for its use e.g. Keil uVision. The bottom line is that a middle course has to be devised between the needs of what needs to be accomplished about the technology of the project and what the tools go along with that-a toolset that reduces the complexity of development and gives consistent performance.
Q7: Up to now, you have described firmware engineering as making Apple products happen, but how do you make sure even as you are creating that firmware, you haven't fallen back as an attack or backward?
A7: Keeping up with firmware engineering is not an option but a necessity in this fastchanging world that we are in. I develop inertia on my own and play with new technology. Reading journals, being present on webs, and speaking in professional groups enable me to keep track of features and technologies that are relevant. There is an abundance of information and collaboration at Apple, which tends to enhance turnover. Also, in different projects, I faced new problems and opportunities to learn. These methods of schooling followed by usage and continuous updating of academic knowledge are equally very important to me.
Q8: For both Apple and Owlet, the manufacturing support must have consumed a tremendous piece of your work. What can you tell us about how hard and the good sides of this kind of activity?
A8: Manufacturing support is tough but highly rewarding. The greatest challenge for this area of activity is the firmware development to function well within harsh manufacturing environments. This also often involves offers of onsite support, which entails that people have to think on their feet and liaise with other departments. For example, when working on Apple hardware, debugging SD Card issues involved liaising with the factory team, as there was a need to act on the solutions submitted. All of us are on their place and put all the efforts so that every newly designed product can see daylight. It is just wonderful how finally you can hold your hand the product designed and developed by you.
Q9: You had experience of working with T-Star Instrumentation PVT.LTD. situated in India for optimizing application-oriented process control instruments. How has this kind of an experience, if taken in early, shaped your career?
A9: Extremely challenging and greatly rewarding, my experience with T-Star Instrumentation PVT.LTD. has been due to the path that career has taken. At T-Star Instrumentation PVT.LTD. I enjoyed working on process control instruments because this helped me enjoy the facets of accuracy and optimization in engineering. Over ten thousand instruments were tested and remodeled, which further added to work efficiency improvement and diagnostics skills. In this role, I worked directly with the clients and was required to understand the expectations of the users, something that later proved to be handy when in other positions. I was able to be practical and experienced many situations, which comprised a very solid innate sense of creativity and accuracy in engineering designs that have been vital to the entire duration of my career.
Q10: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring firmware engineers who would like to do this endeavor properly and effectively make a difference in doing it?
A10: To aspiring firmware engineers, I would say most work on – what I would term – good knowledge on both the hardware and software side. In fact, it is crucial to appreciate the aspects of microcontrollers and development environments. Experience is certainly the big thing, so go and get yourself into as many different projects and challenges as you can to expand your skill set. Always have that love for learning because changes in scope always take place. Be prepared and willing to work and communicate as this is essentially part of engineering and solving problems. Finally, find fun in whatever you do and tenacious determination to crush any roadblocks that happen to enter your way. You can conquer the pinnacle and perhaps even make a difference in the firmware engineering field.
Career Development of Hitesh P. Rai Firmware should not be regarded as a career but rather as a journey, in terms of dedication, discovery, and self-improvement. He emphasizes the role of firmware in making the fit between technology and its application with various top technology organizations and their start-ups. Due to strong determination, Hitesh has moved ahead in his career as well as made impactful contributions in the area of embedded systems along with a background that is diversified. This will convince young engineers that even the extreme successes and advances within these areas, through technology, can be shaped by non-conventional approaches fueled by hard work and focus.
