Apr 03, 2023
An Interview With Prajwala Puttappa- A Career In Design Verification Engineering
Design verification engineers are production development professionals who are responsible for verifying the functionality of the architecture/micro-architecture specifications of a product. They create efficient techniques to improve the products and services by utilising various system tools and applications. With the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation, opportunities for design engineers are growing rapidly in various industries including electronics, aerospace, and consumer manufacturing. In India as well as around the world, it is one of the fastest-growing careers.
In our effort to share more knowledge about Design Verification Engineering with you, we interviewed Prajwala Puttappa, a Design Verification Engineer who started her journey in Bangalore and is presently working at a multinational tech company in the United Kingdom.
1. Please tell us a bit about yourself. What exactly is ‘design verification engineering’? How did you come to work as a design engineer?
Thank you for having me, to begin with, I am a design verification engineer with over 8 years of experience in the field. My interest in design verification began through an internship in Bangalore during the 8th semester of my college. Since then, I have been fascinated by the intricacies of this field and have continued to enjoy it to this day. Concerning the second part of the question, design verification engineering, in simple terms, is the process of ensuring that semiconductor chips function properly. This involves verifying the functional correctness of the behavioural code written by the RTL (Register Transfer Level) designer, also known as the front-end designer, using languages like Verilog or VHDL. The verification engineer must ensure that the design meets the customer's specifications, functions correctly, is optimised for power and performance and is within the required area constraints.
The process of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design involves a series of iterations between the designer and the verification engineer to ensure the design is functionally correct before it is sent for manufacturing. The verification engineer is responsible for detecting any bugs or issues before the chip is manufactured. This is critical because fixing any bugs on the hardware can be very costly and may require starting the entire design process from scratch.
Hence, design verification engineering is a critical aspect of semiconductor chip design. It requires a high level of technical expertise and attention to detail to ensure that the design is optimised for power, performance, and manufacturability and that any issues are detected and resolved early in the design process.
2. How has your professional journey been so far starting from Design E - I, Bangalore, to now working in England? How has your experience been in the technology field?
I started my career at Asarva, a small startup, right after completing my engineering. Despite a job offer from a well-established IT service company that promised to pay me significantly more, I accepted the internship at Asarva. This decision proved to be the best I ever made, as I gained a wealth of knowledge by working with a team that had to design everything from scratch due to financial constraints. I learned how to navigate challenges and learn from the internet when resources were scarce.
When deciding between a start-up and a well-established company, I would suggest giving the start-up a higher preference based on their area of interest and what the start-up is doing. It can provide a unique and valuable learning experience, which could help in the long run.
My journey continued with Intel, where I worked on 5G chip projects, and with Texas Instruments, where I worked on digital and analogue chip design. In each role, I had to set up everything from scratch, which gave me hands-on experience in building test benches and working with different teams.
Eventually, I received a job offer from a small start-up called “lowRISC” in the UK, which allowed me to work on processor design. After a year there, I interviewed for a job at Apple and found a great match, where I currently work and enjoy every day.
Every job I did, even if it was for a short duration, taught me something valuable that I could apply in my future roles. The journey was challenging, but it helped me develop my skills and become a better professional.
3. 'While women have the skill set to excel in tech roles, the biases in organisations and society are barriers to opportunities' - do you agree with this statement? (If yes, how do you think this can be changed?)
In my experience, women are underrepresented in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) and software occupations. Throughout my 8-year profession, I have never encountered sexism. Nowadays, many tech businesses are trying to support women through various initiatives such as back-to-work schemes, referral bonuses, maternity programs, and working-from-home options. But unfortunately, I have noticed a reduction in the number of women in leadership positions. Even though employers strive to give women-centric benefits and other amenities, the fundamental issue that women confront is societal pressure.
Sometimes everyone must work more hours owing to project deadlines. Men do it more easily than women because women are mostly the primary caretakers at home. This is partly due to societal norms that dictate that a mother should be at home with her children instead of the father. People have been programmed to believe that a mother should be at home with her children and not the father. Therefore, it is hard to juggle work and responsibilities at home. Hence to remain in the workforce, they require a supportive team as well as a support system at home. The latter, however, is not an issue for men. In most cases, they are not expected to do both their job and their housework.
Furthermore, women often struggle with confidence once they return to work after a long break which may be due to maternity leave or just taking a career break to focus on their homes. Lack of confidence and constant juggling between work and home can take a toll on anyone. This is the reason why women eventually give up on their careers at later stages and hence there is an under-representation of women in leadership positions. A few women in high leadership positions are there because of their sacrifices and life modifications, which come with a lot of guilt for not spending enough time with their children and families.
4. How do you keep yourself updated in a broad sector like information and technology?
I believe that through regular work, one will automatically be updated. However, when we take a break from work, it is difficult to keep ourselves updated in this fast-growing sector. I constantly develop my skills to be more efficient and add value to my work. There is a need for verification engineers to focus on automation. It is beneficial to learn scripting languages. Thus, along with System Verilog, I make a conscious effort to learn languages like Python, Perl, etc. Lastly, if you are in love with your career and are passionate about it, then you will naturally get fascinated and curious to know about a variety of topics that may be outside of your comfort zone to keep yourself up to date in such a broad sector.
5. As a design verification engineer, what does your regular day at work look like?
My work involves a structured approach to project management, which is determined by the current stage of a project. The initial months are spent on planning and preparation, followed by consultations with architects, designers, managers, and other stakeholders. Once the project is underway, the focus shifts to coding, setting up environments, checkers, and test cases.
The most critical part of my work involves building a test bench and running test cases multiple times at various speeds. I work with design engineers, architects, and other managers to ensure that the design is verified and meets the project requirements. A major aspect of my job is to catch bugs early, which can save significant costs for the company and prevent delays in the project timeline.
To ensure the successful completion of a project, I establish deadlines for each task and run multiple iterations of regressions to achieve full coverage. The project cycle can be compared to a roller coaster, with its ups and downs. It's crucial to stay mentally prepared, enjoy the learning process, and be accountable for your responsibilities.
While the job may seem glamorous from the outside, it's important to recognize that it can become routine and lose its shine over time. Nevertheless, my passion for the work and the sense of accomplishment that comes with each completed project keep me motivated and engaged.
6. To be a design verification engineer, is it necessary to be proficient in programming? Can non-IT background people also pursue design engineering?
To pursue a career in VLSI, a computer science engineering degree is not required. More importance is given to engineers from an electronics background. However, you should possess programming skills or be willing to learn how to code on the job. The ability to code in scripting languages like Python and Perl will make you better at your job irrespective of which domain in VLSI you’re working in. Engineers in physical design, physical verification, analogue layout, etc don’t code on an everyday basis. While having coding skills is advantageous everywhere, it is still possible to excel in these positions without them. Even if you haven't performed well in your previous job or college, you can always acquire new skills and improve your performance.
7. What is your advice for students/young professionals who want to pursue a career as a design engineer? What avenues are open in this field? Where can they work? What is the future in this field?
If you're interested in pursuing a career in VLSI engineering, there are many resources available to you. For example, universities like Manipal and Vellore Institute of Technology offer master's degrees in VLSI as well. At the end of the first year, many reputed companies like Intel and Qualcomm come to these colleges to hire students for internships. These internships are a great way to gain experience and make connections with potential employers. Companies like Intel and Qualcomm often offer internships and may even hire interns for full-time positions. These internships are also typically well-paid and provide valuable work experience.
Several institutions like RV-VLSI, Maven-Silicon, Sandipini, etc provide training courses in VLSI. They help you get placed, but mostly in service-based VLSI companies. The starting pay in these companies can be low and they may ask you to sign a bond to work with them for a period of three to four years.
Additionally, some startups may also be looking for talented individuals and conducting interviews. By taking advantage of these opportunities, you may find an easier path into VLSI businesses. However, in my experience after those few initial years of struggle, you should be able to get a good job with good pay if you have learned well.
It's important to remember that at the beginning of your career, focusing on learning and gaining experience can take you further than focusing solely on money. By prioritizing growth and development, you can build a strong foundation for your future in VLSI engineering.
