FY27 Intern - Low-Power AI, Audio & Sensors Subsystem, ASIC Firmware / Embedded (Canada, 12 or 16 months)
QualcommJob Title
FY27 Intern - Low-Power AI, Audio & Sensors Subsystem, ASIC Firmware / Embedded (Canada, 12 or 16 months)
Role Summary
Internship on the Low-Power AI, Audio, and Sensors Subsystem (LPAISS/HPASS) hardware team focused on firmware and embedded work for ASIC validation, emulation, and reference firmware development. The role involves collaborating with ASIC design, DV, software, and architecture teams to enable and validate AI engines, audio interfaces, and hardware accelerators.
Work includes writing and debugging bare-metal and emulation firmware, developing test use-cases and reference models, and using diagnostic tools to support pre- and post-silicon verification.
Experience Level
Entry-level - Internship. Candidates are students with at least one semester remaining after the internship; expected academic experience of 1+ years with programming languages.
Responsibilities
Core responsibilities and typical tasks for the internship:
- Write and debug reference firmware for emulation and development hardware (bare-metal).
- Enable and validate AI engines, audio interfaces, and HW accelerators via firmware and testcases.
- Contribute to IP verification during pre- and post-silicon phases using emulation (FPGA) and silicon.
- Develop high-bandwidth performance use-cases and measure system performance.
- Participate in hardware/software debug activities throughout the development cycle.
- Implement use-cases and automation using C, C++, and Python; develop simple UI/reference tools as needed.
- Work with diagnostic equipment (protocol analyzers, high-speed scopes, logic analyzers, JTAG debuggers) for validation and debug.
- Build dashboards and automation frameworks to support engineering teams.
Requirements
Must-have skills and attributes, followed by useful additional skills.
- Must-have: Proficiency with programming and scripting (C, C++, Python); object-oriented programming fundamentals.
- Must-have: Familiarity with digital circuits and computer hardware concepts (caches, buses, memories, clocking).
- Must-have: Good communication, teamwork, and organizational skills.
- Must-have: Ability to work with lab and diagnostic equipment is preferred (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers).
- Nice-to-have: Experience writing embedded firmware (RISC-V bonus); FPGA experience and fundamentals.
- Nice-to-have: Knowledge of I2S/PCM protocols, DSP and digital filters, data coherency, MMUs and caches.
- Nice-to-have: Some practical experience with AI models, frameworks, or ML-related coursework (mathematics for machine learning, algebra, geometry).
- Nice-to-have: Familiarity with real-time operating systems and UI/tools (Qt, Visual Studio) for reference models.
Education Requirements
In study toward a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Science, Computer Science, or a related field. Candidates must have at least one semester of university remaining after the internship ends and cannot be graduating before the internship begins. Expected graduation date of November 2028 or later. Availability windows: for 16-month internships, May/June 2027–August/September 2028; for 12-month internships, May/June 2027–May/June 2028. At least 1+ years of academic experience with programming languages such as C, C++, or Python.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
