What is an Embedded Engineer at Autonomous Solutions?

As an Embedded Engineer at Autonomous Solutions (ASI), you are the critical link between advanced robotic algorithms and the physical hardware that moves them. You will design, develop, and deploy the firmware that powers industry-leading, vendor-independent vehicle automation systems. Your work directly enables heavy machinery, agricultural equipment, and automotive testing vehicles to operate safely and autonomously in complex, unstructured environments.

The impact of this position is massive. You are not just writing code; you are building safety-critical systems where reliability is paramount. The software you write will interface directly with vehicle control units, sensors, and actuators, translating high-level path planning and obstacle avoidance commands into precise, real-time mechanical actions. Because Autonomous Solutions retrofits automation onto existing vehicles, you will face unique challenges in hardware variability, real-time operating system (RTOS) constraints, and strict safety standards.

This role requires a unique blend of software engineering rigor and hardware intuition. You will collaborate closely with systems engineers, hardware designers, and testing teams at our facilities in Mendon or Logan, Utah. Expect a hands-on environment where you can write code in the morning and see it successfully navigate a massive autonomous vehicle on the test track in the afternoon.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at Autonomous Solutions requires more than just brushing up on coding algorithms. Your interviewers want to see how you bridge the gap between software logic and physical hardware realities.

Focus your preparation on these key evaluation criteria:

Technical Proficiency (C/C++ & RTOS) – You must demonstrate a deep understanding of embedded C/C++, memory management, and real-time constraints. Interviewers will look for your ability to write efficient, low-latency code that operates safely within strict resource limitations.

Hardware-Software Integration – This evaluates your comfort level working close to the metal. You should be prepared to discuss how you read schematics, interface with microcontrollers, and utilize communication protocols like CAN bus, SPI, I2C, and UART.

Problem-Solving & Debugging – Embedded systems are notoriously difficult to debug. You will be evaluated on your systematic approach to isolating issues using both software debugging tools and hardware instruments like oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.

Safety-First Mindset & Culture Fit – Because your code will control large autonomous vehicles, a rigorous approach to testing, fault tolerance, and functional safety is critical. Interviewers will assess how you handle edge cases, navigate ambiguity, and collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for an Embedded Engineer at Autonomous Solutions is designed to be rigorous, practical, and highly relevant to the daily challenges of robotics and automation. Rather than focusing exclusively on abstract computer science puzzles, the process emphasizes real-world embedded systems problems, architectural decisions, and your hands-on experience with hardware.

Typically, the process begins with a recruiter screen to align on your background, location preferences (Mendon or Logan, UT), and role expectations. This is followed by a technical phone or video screen with an engineering manager or senior engineer, which usually involves a mix of C/C++ trivia, protocol knowledge, and a lightweight coding exercise. The final stage is a comprehensive onsite or virtual panel interview. During this stage, you will meet with various members of the engineering team to dive deep into system design, hardware troubleshooting, and behavioral scenarios.

Autonomous Solutions values engineers who are collaborative and practical. Expect interviewers to probe deeply into the specific contributions you made on past projects, asking why you chose certain microcontrollers, how you handled race conditions, and how you ensured system safety.

This visual timeline outlines the typical progression from your initial application to the final offer stage, including the technical screens and panel interviews. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring your foundational C/C++ knowledge is sharp for the early rounds, while saving your deep-dive architectural and behavioral preparation for the final panel. Note that the exact structure may vary slightly depending on whether you are interviewing for a Project-Based role or a Level III position.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you must demonstrate mastery across several core technical domains. Interviewers will use a mix of whiteboard problems, code reviews, and scenario-based questions to assess your depth.

C and C++ Programming Fundamentals

At the heart of any embedded role is a flawless understanding of C and C++. Autonomous Solutions relies on these languages for their performance and deterministic execution. You will be evaluated on your ability to manage memory safely, understand pointers and references, and utilize object-oriented principles in a resource-constrained environment. Strong candidates do not just write working code; they write code that is optimized for specific architectures.

Be ready to go over:

• Memory Management – Stack vs. heap, memory leaks, dynamic allocation risks in embedded systems, and custom allocators.
• Pointers and Bit Manipulation – Pointer arithmetic, function pointers, bit masking, shifting, and setting/clearing specific hardware registers.
• Concurrency and Interrupts – Volatile variables, atomic operations, Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs), and handling shared resources safely.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Modern C++ features (C++11/14/17) suitable for embedded systems, template metaprogramming, and compiler optimization flags.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Write a macro to set, clear, and toggle a specific bit in a 32-bit register."
• "Explain the volatile keyword and provide a specific scenario where omitting it would cause a bug in an ISR."
• "Implement a thread-safe circular buffer in C++ for UART data reception."

Hardware Communication and Protocols

Autonomous vehicles rely on a complex network of sensors, controllers, and actuators. You must prove you understand how to make these components talk to each other reliably. Interviewers will test your theoretical knowledge of various serial protocols and your practical experience in implementing them. A strong performance involves knowing the trade-offs of each protocol and how to handle communication failures gracefully.

Be ready to go over:

• CAN Bus – Arbitration, frame formats, CAN FD, and handling bus-off states. This is crucial for automotive and heavy machinery applications.
• Serial Protocols – The specific differences, advantages, and limitations of SPI, I2C, and UART/USART.
• Hardware Interfaces – Reading basic schematics, understanding pull-up/pull-down resistors, and GPIO configuration.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Ethernet/IP for industrial automation, wireless telemetry protocols, and timing analysis.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through the arbitration process on a CAN bus. What happens if two nodes transmit simultaneously?"
• "You are interfacing a microcontroller with an I2C sensor, but the bus is stuck low. How do you troubleshoot this?"
• "Compare SPI and I2C. When would you choose one over the other for a high-speed ADC?"

Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and Architecture

Standard operating systems cannot guarantee the deterministic response times required by fast-moving autonomous vehicles. You will be evaluated on your ability to design software that meets strict timing deadlines using an RTOS. Interviewers want to see how you structure tasks, manage priorities, and avoid common concurrency pitfalls.

Be ready to go over:

• Task Management – Task scheduling, context switching, and priority assignment.
• Synchronization Primitives – Mutexes, semaphores, message queues, and event flags.
• Concurrency Hazards – Identifying and resolving deadlocks, race conditions, and priority inversion.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Rate monotonic scheduling, watchdog timer strategies, and memory protection units (MPUs).

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain priority inversion and describe how a priority inheritance protocol solves it."
• "How do you decide whether to process data inside an ISR or defer it to a background task using a semaphore?"
• "Design the software architecture for a vehicle control unit that must read steering sensors every 10ms and transmit CAN messages every 50ms."

Debugging and System Triage

Things will go wrong in the field. Your ability to methodically track down bugs that span both hardware and software is critical. Interviewers will present you with vague failure symptoms and ask you to walk through your debugging process. Strong candidates will ask clarifying questions, form hypotheses, and explain exactly which tools (software or hardware) they would use to isolate the root cause.

Be ready to go over:

• Tool Usage – When and how to use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.
• Software Debugging – JTAG/SWD, GDB, logging strategies, and core dump analysis.
• System-Level Triage – Differentiating between a hardware failure, a software bug, and an environmental issue (e.g., EMI/noise).

Example questions or scenarios:

• "A vehicle occasionally ignores a stop command, but only when operating at high speeds. Walk me through your debugging steps."
• "You suspect a race condition is causing a system crash. How do you prove it?"

Key Responsibilities

As an Embedded Engineer at Autonomous Solutions, your day-to-day work is highly dynamic and deeply integrated with the physical products. You will be responsible for designing, writing, and maintaining the C/C++ firmware that executes on microcontrollers and vehicle control units (VCUs). This involves translating high-level pathing and behavioral commands from the main autonomous compute units into precise, low-level actuator controls for steering, braking, and throttling.

You will spend a significant portion of your time collaborating with hardware engineers to bring up new custom boards, verifying schematics, and writing device drivers for new sensors like LiDAR, radar, and high-precision GPS/INS systems. Because ASI works with a wide variety of vehicle platforms—from mining haul trucks to agricultural tractors—you will frequently adapt and configure existing software architectures to interface with different OEM vehicle networks, primarily via CAN bus.

Testing and validation are core parts of the job. You will not just write code at your desk; you will actively participate in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and field testing at the Mendon or Logan facilities. This means getting your hands dirty, hooking up oscilloscopes to debug communication glitches, and riding along in autonomous test vehicles to ensure your firmware performs safely and reliably under real-world conditions.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for the Embedded Engineer role at Autonomous Solutions, you need a strong foundation in computer engineering and a proven track record of shipping reliable embedded software. The expectations vary slightly depending on whether you are targeting the Project-Based role or the Level III position, but the core competencies remain the same.

• Must-have skills – Proficiency in C and modern C++ is non-negotiable. You must have hands-on experience with RTOS (such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar) and bare-metal programming. Deep knowledge of microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M preferred) and standard communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART) is strictly required. You also need a solid understanding of basic electronics to read schematics and use lab equipment.
• Experience level – A Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. For a Level III role, expect a requirement of 5+ years of relevant industry experience in embedded systems, ideally within robotics, automotive, or aerospace. Project-based roles may be open to mid-level candidates with strong, demonstrable project portfolios.
• Soft skills – Strong cross-functional communication is vital. You must be able to explain complex software constraints to mechanical engineers and understand the physical limitations of the hardware you are controlling. A safety-first mindset and the ability to maintain composure when troubleshooting critical field failures are essential.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with ROS/ROS2 (Robot Operating System), familiarity with functional safety standards (such as ISO 26262 or IEC 61508), and knowledge of control systems (PID tuning, kinematics) will make you a highly standout candidate.

Common Interview Questions

The questions below represent the patterns and themes frequently encountered by candidates interviewing for embedded roles at Autonomous Solutions. They are not a memorization list, but rather a guide to help you structure your thinking and practice your delivery.

Firmware & C/C++ Fundamentals

These questions test your mastery of the language features most critical for safe, efficient embedded systems.

• Write a C function to reverse a linked list, optimizing for minimal memory usage.
• Explain the difference between malloc and new. Why might both be banned in a safety-critical embedded system?
• How do you prevent struct padding in C, and why is this important when transmitting data over a network?
• Implement a macro to find the maximum of two numbers without using branching (if/else).
• What is an inline function, and how does it differ from a macro in C++?

Hardware Communication & Protocols

Interviewers use these questions to verify you can successfully interface software with physical sensors and networks.

• Draw the physical layer of a CAN bus and explain how differential signaling improves noise immunity.
• Walk me through the exact sequence of events required to read a 16-bit register from an I2C sensor.
• You are seeing framing errors on a UART connection. What are the most likely causes?
• How do you handle debouncing a mechanical switch in software?
• Explain the concept of clock polarity and clock phase in SPI communication.

System Design & Robotics

These questions assess your architectural thinking and understanding of real-time constraints.

• Design the firmware architecture for an emergency stop (E-stop) system on an autonomous tractor.
• How would you design a watchdog timer system for a multi-threaded RTOS application?
• Describe how you would implement a PID controller for vehicle steering, including how you handle integral windup.
• You need to log diagnostic data to a flash memory chip without blocking real-time control tasks. How do you architect this?

Behavioral & Past Experience

Autonomous Solutions looks for engineers who are resilient, safety-conscious, and collaborative.

• Tell me about a time you had to debug an issue that only occurred intermittently in the field.
• Describe a situation where you disagreed with a hardware engineer about a system design. How did you resolve it?
• Tell me about the most complex embedded project you have shipped. What were the tightest constraints?
• How do you balance the need to ship a feature quickly with the requirement to maintain strict safety standards?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the technical interviews compared to big tech companies? The difficulty lies in practical application rather than algorithmic trickery. You will not face obscure LeetCode hard dynamic programming questions. Instead, the challenge comes from deep, practical probing into C/C++ memory mechanics, RTOS concurrency, and hardware troubleshooting.

Q: Do I need to know ROS (Robot Operating System) to get this job? While Autonomous Solutions utilizes advanced robotics frameworks, deep ROS knowledge is usually more critical for the higher-level autonomy engineers. For an Embedded Engineer, ROS is a strong "nice-to-have," but your mastery of C++, RTOS, and hardware interfacing is far more important.

Q: What is the working environment like at the Mendon and Logan facilities? These facilities are deeply hands-on. You are not just sitting in a cubicle; you are adjacent to test tracks and vehicle bays. The culture is highly collaborative, pragmatic, and heavily focused on safety and real-world results. Expect a hybrid environment where physical presence is frequently required for hardware testing.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? From the initial recruiter screen to the final offer, the process generally takes between 3 to 5 weeks. The timeline can sometimes accelerate if a project is urgently scaling up, particularly for the Project-Based roles.

Other General Tips

• Think Out Loud During Debugging: When given a troubleshooting scenario, do not just jump to the final answer. Explain your diagnostic tree. State your assumptions, tell the interviewer what you would measure first, and explain how you would narrow down the variables.
• Emphasize Safety and Reliability: You are building software for massive, autonomous machines. Whenever possible, frame your design decisions around fault tolerance, redundancy, and safe failure states.
• Know Your Bitwise Operations Cold: You will almost certainly be asked to manipulate bits on a whiteboard or in a shared coderpad. Practice setting, clearing, toggling, and extracting bits until it is second nature.
• Ask Questions About the Hardware: During system design questions, ask clarifying questions about the hardware constraints before you start coding. Ask about clock speeds, available RAM, sensor update rates, and expected environmental conditions.

Summary & Next Steps

Securing an Embedded Engineer role at Autonomous Solutions is an incredible opportunity to work at the forefront of the robotics and autonomous vehicle industry. You will be tackling complex, real-world problems that have a direct impact on the safety and efficiency of heavy machinery across multiple industries. By focusing your preparation on the intersection of robust C/C++ software and physical hardware realities, you will position yourself as a highly capable candidate.

Remember that your interviewers are looking for a future teammate who is pragmatic, methodical, and deeply curious about how things work under the hood. Take the time to review your foundational knowledge of memory management, RTOS principles, and communication protocols. Practice explaining your past projects with a focus on the specific technical challenges you overcame and the hardware you interfaced with.

The compensation data above reflects the ranges for different tiers of the Embedded Engineer position at Autonomous Solutions in Utah. The $71,871 -$107,722 range corresponds to the Project-Based Embedded Software Engineer role in Logan, while the $111,007 -$150,887 range reflects the expectations for a Level III Embedded Software Engineer in Mendon. Your final offer will depend heavily on your specific experience level, your performance in the technical panels, and your depth of knowledge in safety-critical systems.

Approach your upcoming interviews with confidence. You have the skills and the drive to succeed in this challenging and rewarding environment. For more insights, practice questions, and peer experiences, continue exploring resources on Dataford to keep your preparation sharp. Good luck!