RT Communication Bus Engineer (human)

NEURA Robotics; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NEURA Robotics is seeking a seasoned embedded engineer to own the deterministic bus layer connecting the RTOS to actuators, sensors, and the Robot Abstraction Layer. You’ll work between the kernel, BSP, and higher‑level software to deliver a reliable EtherCAT/TSN/CANfd communication stack with strong timing guarantees.

You will collaborate with low‑level control, hardware, and safety teams on clock synchronization (PTP/IEEE 1588), WCET budgeting, and diagnostic tooling, ensuring compliance and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong C/C++ skills with RT networking and embedded protocols.
• Experience with EtherCAT master stacks on real hardware preferred.
• Familiarity with hardware timing, WCET budgets, and safety documentation.

Responsibilities

• Manage EtherCAT master stack configuration and maintenance for every robot platform: cycle management, slave topology, and integrity monitoring under real workload.
• Develop the real-time communication server bridging the EtherCAT master to Robot Abstraction Layer's interface and evolve with platforms.
• Perform servo drive bring-up and commissioning at firmware/protocol level: parameterisation, CoE/SoE handling, fault and state-machine behavior on real hardware.
• Handle hardware clock synchronization (IEEE 1588 PTP, 802.1AS gPTP) and TSN traffic shaping for deterministic Ethernet on robot cells; tune RT network paths.
• Configure CANfd internal bus: PHY configuration, bit-timing, frame handling, and diagnostics.
• Co-review WCET budgets and cycle timing with RT & Kernel engineer at OS/fieldbus boundary, ensuring scheduling assumptions hold under load.
• Develop measurement and diagnostic tooling for RT communication integrity (latency, jitter, missed cycles).
• Participate in safety- and certification-relevant design, documentation, and traceability for the communication path.

Skills

C/C++

RT networking

Embedded systems

Scripting

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

EtherCAT master stack

CANfd

IEEE 1588 PTP

TSN

Job description

Your mission & challenges

We are growing our real-time communication capability across NEURA's current and next-generation robot platforms. This role owns the deterministic bus layer that connects the robot's real-time operating system to actuators, sensors, and the higher-level Robot Abstraction Layer — EtherCAT, PTP / gPTP, TSN, and CANfd.

You will sit between the kernel and BSP layer (where the RT & Kernel engineer owns OS scheduling and the kernel network path) and the Robot Abstraction Layer (which consumes the bus through a stable communication interface), and collaborate closely with low-level control, hardware, and safety stakeholders to deliver a communication stack that is reliable, measurable, and suitable for a controlled product lifecycle.

• EtherCAT master stack configuration and maintenance for every robot platform: cycle management, slave topology, and integrity monitoring under real workload.
• The real-time communication server that bridges the EtherCAT master to the Robot Abstraction Layer's communication interface — and its evolution as platforms and drives change.
• Servo drive bring‑up and commissioning at the firmware / protocol level: drive parameterisation, CoE / SoE handling, fault and state‑machine behaviour on real hardware.
• Hardware clock synchronisation (IEEE 1588 PTP, 802.1AS gPTP) and TSN traffic shaping (802.1Qbv/Qav/AS) for deterministic Ethernet on robot cells; RT network path tuning to match.
• CANfd internal bus on the Compute Unit: PHY configuration, bit‑timing, frame handling, and bus‑level diagnostics.
• Co‑review of WCET budgets and cycle timing with the RT & Kernel engineer at the OS / fieldbus boundary, ensuring scheduling, interrupt, and synchronisation assumptions hold under load.
• Measurement and diagnostic tooling for RT communication integrity (latency, jitter, missed cycles), giving dependent teams a shared, evidence‑based view of timing.
• Safety‑ and certification‑relevant design participation, documentation, and traceability for the communication path; technical documentation kept current for the wider engineering organisation.

What we can look forward to

• Hands‑on experience with industrial EtherCAT master stacks (open‑source or commercial) on real hardware — not configuration only.
• Servo drive commissioning experience using EtherCAT‑based protocols (CoE / CANopen over EtherCAT, SoE / Sercos over EtherCAT), including drive parameter handling and state‑machine debugging.
• Implementation‑level experience with IEEE 1588 / PTP clock synchronisation on real hardware.
  TSN stack configuration experience: 802.1Qbv/Qav/AS traffic shaping and gPTP hardware timestamping.
• CANfd protocol working knowledge: PHY configuration, bit‑timing calculation, CANfd frame handling vs classic CAN 2.0.
• Solid C and C++ at the RT networking / embedded protocol boundary; practical scripting for engineering workflows.
• A collaborative working style: shared design, constructive code review, proactive communication, and reliable coordination across kernel, control, and hardware disciplines. Strong teamwork is essential for this role.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience with industrial Ethernet ecosystems and infrastructure (Cisco Industrial, B&R X20, Hirschmann, or Beckhoff EK1100 series).
• Servo drive commissioning experience with vendors such as Synapticon or Beckhoff.
• Familiarity with real‑time Linux network path tuning and interrupt coalescing.
• Exposure to functional safety engineering practices for deterministic communication paths — documentation, evidence, review cycles. Certification sign‑off is not required for this role.
• Background in robotics, motion control, or industrial automation with strict timing expectations.
• Interest in growing scope as the platform team expands.