17 Embedded Software Engineer Interview Questions (With Example Answers)
It's important to prepare for an interview in order to improve your chances of getting the job. Researching questions beforehand can help you give better answers during the interview. Most interviews will include questions about your personality, qualifications, experience and how well you would fit the job. In this article, we review examples of various embedded software engineer interview questions and sample answers to some of the most common questions.
Common Embedded Software Engineer Interview Questions
- What experience do you have with embedded software development?
- What platforms are you familiar with?
- What languages do you know?
- What development tools are you familiar with?
- What is your experience with RTOS?
- What is your experience with firmware development?
- What is your experience with hardware interfacing?
- What is your experience with low-level programming?
- What is your experience with debugging and troubleshooting?
- What are some of the challenges you have faced with embedded software development?
- How do you go about solving problems?
- How do you optimize code for performance?
- How do you optimize code for size?
- What is your experience with version control systems?
- What is your experience with issue tracking systems?
- How do you handle project deadlines?
- What are some of your interests outside of work?
What experience do you have with embedded software development?
The interviewer is asking about the candidate's experience with embedded software development in order to gauge their qualifications for the position. It is important to know whether or not the candidate has experience with embedded software development because this will be a key component of the job. The interviewer wants to know if the candidate has the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in the role.
Example: “I have 4 years of experience in embedded software development. I have worked on various projects using different microcontrollers and development boards. I have also used different programming languages for developing embedded software applications.”
What platforms are you familiar with?
One reason an interviewer might ask "What platforms are you familiar with?" to a/an Embedded Software Engineer is to gauge the level of experience the engineer has. The interviewer wants to know if the engineer is familiar with the types of platforms that will be used in the job, and if they have the necessary skills to do the job. This question is important because it helps the interviewer determine if the engineer is a good fit for the position.
Example: “I am familiar with a variety of embedded platforms, including but not limited to:
-ARM Cortex-M based MCUs (e.g. STM32, Kinetis, LPC)
-Microchip PIC and Atmel AVR
-TI MSP430
-Xilinx FPGAs and SoCs
-Altera Nios II”
What languages do you know?
There are many possible reasons why an interviewer would ask a software engineer about the languages they know. It could be to gauge their level of experience, to see if they are a good fit for a specific project or company, or simply to get a sense of their skillset.
Knowing multiple programming languages is generally considered a valuable skill for software engineers, as it allows them to be more versatile and adaptable to different situations. Additionally, being able to code in multiple languages can make it easier to read and understand other people's code, as well as communicate with engineers who may use different languages.
Example: “I am proficient in C and C++. I also know Assembly language and have some experience with Python.”
What development tools are you familiar with?
The interviewer is trying to gauge the level of experience the embedded software engineer has with different development tools. This is important because it can help the interviewer determine how much training the engineer will need in order to be productive on the job. It can also help the interviewer understand the engineer's comfort level with using different tools and how familiar the engineer is with the company's development process.
Example: “I am familiar with a variety of development tools, including:
- Integrated development environments (IDEs), such as Keil MDK-ARM, IAR EWARM and Atmel Studio
- ARM Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS)
- GNU ARM Eclipse plug-ins
- J-Link and ULINK2 debug adapters
- Open On-Chip Debugger (OpenOCD)
- QEMU”
What is your experience with RTOS?
An interviewer would ask "What is your experience with RTOS?" to an Embedded Software Engineer to determine if the engineer has experience working with real-time operating systems. This is important because RTOS are often used in embedded systems to ensure that critical tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Example: “I have worked with RTOS for about 2 years now. I have experience with both FreeRTOS and ThreadX. I have also worked with various other embedded operating systems, such as VxWorks, pSOS, and Nucleus. I am familiar with the concepts of real-time programming, and I have implemented several real-time applications on various platforms.”
What is your experience with firmware development?
Firmware development is a critical skill for embedded software engineers, as it is responsible for programming the low-level code that runs on a device's hardware. This code is responsible for initializing and configuring the hardware, as well as providing the interface between the hardware and the rest of the software on the device. As such, it is important for embedded software engineers to have experience with firmware development in order to be able to create and maintain devices that function correctly.
Example: “I have experience in developing firmware for various embedded devices. I have worked on developing firmware for microcontrollers, FPGAs, and other types of embedded devices. I have also worked on developing device drivers and other software components that are required for developing firmware. I have a good understanding of the development process and the tools that are required for developing firmware.”
What is your experience with hardware interfacing?
An interviewer would ask "What is your experience with hardware interfacing?" to a/an Embedded Software Engineer in order to gauge the Engineer's experience and expertise in working with and developing software for hardware devices. This is important because it can be a complex and difficult process, and the interviewer wants to ensure that the Engineer is up to the task.
Example: “I have experience with hardware interfacing on both 8-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers. I have interfaced with various types of sensors, including temperature, humidity, and pressure sensors, as well as with LCD displays and other types of input/output devices. I have also written code to interface with SPI and I2C devices.”
What is your experience with low-level programming?
An interviewer would ask "What is your experience with low-level programming?" to a/an Embedded Software Engineer to gauge their experience and understanding of programming languages that are closer to machine code. This is important because embedded software often needs to be optimized for specific hardware platforms and can require direct manipulation of memory and hardware registers.
Example: “I have experience with low-level programming in C and Assembly. I have worked on various embedded systems projects where I have had to work with microcontrollers and other low-level hardware. I have also written firmware for various devices. I am familiar with the process of debugging and troubleshooting low-level code.”
What is your experience with debugging and troubleshooting?
There are many potential reasons why an interviewer might ask about an embedded software engineer's experience with debugging and troubleshooting. Perhaps the interviewer is looking to gauge the engineer's problem-solving skills, or their ability to identify and fix errors in code. Additionally, the interviewer may be trying to assess the engineer's comfort level with troubleshooting complex issues, as well as their ability to communicate clearly about the steps they took to resolve a problem. Ultimately, it is important for an embedded software engineer to have strong debugging and troubleshooting skills in order to be able to identify and fix errors in code, and to communicate effectively about the process they used to resolve the issue.
Example: “I have experience with both debugging and troubleshooting. I am familiar with various tools and techniques, and have a good understanding of how to use them effectively. I have also worked on projects where I had to debug and troubleshoot issues myself, so I am confident in my ability to do so.”
What are some of the challenges you have faced with embedded software development?
The interviewer is trying to gauge the candidate's experience with embedded software development and their ability to overcome challenges. This is important because it can give the interviewer insight into how the candidate would handle challenges that may come up during the course of the project.
Example: “One of the main challenges in embedded software development is getting the software to work correctly with the hardware it is controlling. This can be a difficult task, as there are often many different types of hardware that need to be supported. Another challenge is developing software that is efficient and uses minimal resources, as many embedded systems have limited processing power and memory.”
How do you go about solving problems?
There are a few reasons why an interviewer might ask this question to an embedded software engineer. First, they want to know if the engineer has a process for solving problems. Second, they want to know if the engineer is able to break down a problem into smaller pieces and solve each piece separately. Finally, they want to know if the engineer is able to find creative solutions to problems.
The ability to solve problems is important for any engineer, but it is especially important for embedded software engineers. This is because embedded software often has to deal with unexpected inputs and conditions. If an engineer cannot solve problems quickly and efficiently, it can result in costly delays or even failures.
Example: “There are a few different ways that I go about solving problems. The first thing I do is try to understand the problem and what is causing it. Once I have a good understanding of the problem, I start brainstorming possible solutions. I then try to implement those solutions and see if they work. If they don't work, I go back to the drawing board and try again.”
How do you optimize code for performance?
The interviewer may be interested in knowing how the candidate optimizes code for performance because it is important to write efficient code that runs quickly and does not use too much memory. The interviewer may also want to know if the candidate is familiar with optimizing code for specific platforms or processors.
Example: “There are a few different ways to optimize code for performance:
1. Use the right data structures and algorithms. This means choosing data structures that are appropriate for the task at hand, and using algorithms that are known to be efficient.
2. Minimize the number of operations. This means avoiding unnecessary computations, and minimizing the number of memory accesses.
3. Parallelize computations. This means taking advantage of multiple cores by running different parts of the code concurrently.
4. Optimize the use of cache memory. This means organizing data in a way that minimizes cache misses, and using algorithms that are cache-friendly.
5. Use low-level optimizations. This means using techniques such as loop unrolling and instruction scheduling to improve the efficiency of the code at the machine level.”
How do you optimize code for size?
An interviewer might ask "How do you optimize code for size?" to an Embedded Software Engineer to gauge their understanding of how to optimize code for size and performance. It is important to optimize code for size when working with embedded systems because the code must fit within the limited memory of the system. Optimizing code for size can also improve performance by reducing the amount of time spent fetching code from memory.
Example: “There are a few different ways to optimize code for size:
1. Use a compiler that supports optimizing for size.
2. Use smaller data types where possible.
3. Use fewer local variables and function parameters.
4. Inline small functions.
5. Reduce the number of branches in your code.
6. Use coding techniques that produce more compact code, such as loop unrolling.”
What is your experience with version control systems?
There are many reasons why an interviewer would ask "What is your experience with version control systems?" to a/an Embedded Software Engineer. Some of these reasons include:
- To gauge the candidate's level of experience with version control systems. This is important because it can help the interviewer determine whether or not the candidate is a good fit for the position.
- To gauge the candidate's level of comfort with using version control systems. This is important because the interviewer wants to make sure that the candidate will be able to use the version control system effectively.
- To assess the candidate's ability to learn new things. This is important because the interviewer wants to make sure that the candidate is capable of learning new things, such as how to use a version control system.
Example: “I have experience with a few different version control systems, including Git, Mercurial, and Subversion. I am familiar with the basics of each system, and am able to use them for simple tasks. I am also comfortable working with more advanced features, such as branches and merge requests.”
What is your experience with issue tracking systems?
An interviewer would ask "What is your experience with issue tracking systems?" to a/an Embedded Software Engineer to find out if they have experience using these types of systems. This is important because issue tracking systems are used to track and resolve software issues. Without experience using these systems, an engineer may not be able to effectively track and resolve issues.
Example: “I have experience with various issue tracking systems, including Jira, Bugzilla, and Redmine. I am familiar with the features and functions of each system, and I am able to customize the systems to meet the specific needs of a project. I am also experienced in using issue tracking systems to create reports and track project progress.”
How do you handle project deadlines?
An interviewer might ask "How do you handle project deadlines?" to an embedded software engineer to get a sense of how the engineer prioritizes and manages their workload. This is important because embedded software engineers often have to work on tight deadlines and need to be able to prioritize and manage their time effectively.
Example: “I am very proactive when it comes to meeting deadlines. I always make sure that I have a clear understanding of the project timeline and deliverables. I also keep my team informed of any changes or updates to the timeline. If there is ever a situation where a deadline is at risk, I work with my team to develop a plan to ensure that the deadline is met.”
What are some of your interests outside of work?
There are a few reasons why an interviewer might ask this question. First, they may be trying to get a sense of what you're like as a person and how you might fit in with the company culture. It's also possible that they're trying to gauge your level of commitment to your career and see if you have any other interests that could potentially interfere with your work. Finally, they may simply be trying to get to know you better and learn more about your interests.
Regardless of the reason, it's important to be prepared to answer this question in a way that highlights your strengths and shows that you're dedicated to your career. You should avoid mentioning any interests that could be seen as a negative, such as partying or playing video games all night. Instead, focus on hobbies or activities that show you're well-rounded and have a life outside of work. For example, you might mention that you enjoy hiking, biking, or spending time with your family.
Example: “I am interested in a variety of things outside of work. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and pets. I also enjoy reading, playing video games, watching movies and tv, hiking, and camping.”