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Staff Firmware Engineer

Rhoda AIPalo AltoNew
On-site Full-time

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Experience Level

Senior

Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Experience in firmware development in real-time systems, particularly with EtherCAT protocols. Strong understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded systems. Familiarity with safety-critical systems and real-time safety mechanisms. Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

About the job

At Rhoda AI, we are pioneering the full-stack infrastructure for the next generation of humanoid robots. Our focus is on creating high-performance, software-defined hardware alongside foundational models and video world models that drive these robots. Designed as versatile generalists, our robots navigate complex real-world environments and tackle scenarios not encountered during training. Operating at the crossroads of large-scale learning, robotics, and systems, our research team comprises experts from prestigious institutions such as Stanford, Berkeley, and Harvard. With over $400M raised, we are committed to substantial investments in research and development, hardware innovation, and scaling up manufacturing to turn our vision into reality.

In this role, you will take ownership of developing Rhoda's low-level firmware stack for distributed real-time control across our humanoid platforms. Your responsibilities will revolve around ensuring deterministic communication, control-loop synchronization, and the robustness of embedded software within an EtherCAT environment, which encompasses numerous joints, sensors, and distributed controllers. You will be tasked with the design, implementation, and validation of firmware components that ensure sub-millisecond coordination between motor drivers, safety controllers, and perception nodes, effectively bridging the mechanical, electrical, and control domains.

This position is classified as Senior Member of Technical Staff, reporting directly to the VP of Hardware Engineering, with a clear path for growth into a managerial role as the firmware and controls team expands.

Your Responsibilities

  • Select and tune real-time operating systems (RTOS); establish priorities and scheduling; optimize interrupt and DMA paths; strengthen watchdogs and recovery mechanisms; measure and manage timing budgets.

  • Design, implement, and maintain low-level firmware for real-time motion control nodes utilizing EtherCAT.

  • Develop synchronization and communication layers to ensure deterministic cycle times (<1 ms).

  • Configure and optimize EtherCAT masters and slaves, including distributed clocks, mailbox protocols, and PDO mapping.

  • Implement real-time safety mechanisms, including Safe Torque Off, watchdogs, and heartbeat monitoring.

  • Collaborate with Electronics, Controls, and Systems teams to define timing budgets and data interfaces.

  • Contribute to the architecture of the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and firmware APIs for actuator control.

  • Develop unit tests, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests, and integration tests for firmware validation.

  • Profile and optimize interrupt service routines (ISR) and DMA paths to minimize latency and jitter.

About Rhoda AI

Rhoda AI is at the forefront of robotics innovation, developing state-of-the-art humanoid robots with cutting-edge technology. Our team consists of top-tier researchers and engineers, committed to creating a new computing platform for physical work. Join us as we transform the future of robotics.

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