Balloon Firmware Intern — Hardware-Software Fusion

WindBorne Systems; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 80,451,840 - 108,554,880; Part time

Job summary

WindBorne Systems is seeking a Firmware Intern to build the codebase that runs on our balloon hardware. You will design and run experiments to understand behavior in extreme conditions, own firmware strategy, and develop driver interfaces for atmospheric sensors as part of a cross-disciplinary team.

The role involves maintaining our custom RTOS, working with hardware engineers, and delivering robust solutions in a power-constrained, high-altitude environment.

Qualifications

• Real-world firmware or embedded systems experience.
• Ability to iterate quickly and learn by doing.
• Proficient in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience writing low-level drivers for various chips.
• Comfort reading PCB schematics and understanding hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain drivers and low-level libraries for chips, modules, & sensors.
• Own our Amslah RTOS hardware abstraction layer and refine its architecture.
• Push limits of sensor hardware and calibration infra for power and cold beyond specs.
• Collaborate with R&D on novel hardware to improve measurements.
• Design fault-tolerant systems that recover from unexpected conditions.
• Debug highly non-trivial issues.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Firmware development

Hardware debugging

Reading schematics

Experimentation

Communication

Education

B.S. in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Amslah RTOS

Job description

WindBorne Systems is seeking a Firmware Intern to build the codebase that runs on our balloon hardware. You will design and run experiments to understand behavior in extreme conditions, own firmware strategy, and develop driver interfaces for atmospheric sensors as part of a cross-disciplinary team.

The role involves maintaining our custom RTOS, working with hardware engineers, and delivering robust solutions in a power-constrained, high-altitude environment.