09/25/2026 updated
100 % available
Senior Embedded Systems Engineer | Hardware & Firmware Architect
Guimarães, Portugal
Only remote
Engineer's Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EQF 7, Master's level), UnicampAbout me
Senior embedded engineer with more than 20 years across hardware and firmware. Led the ARM/Linux Automated Fare Collection platform first deployment alone spanned 3,000+ buses, 2.2M passengers/day. Chartered Engineer. Working remotely from Portugal through my independent consultancy Dixt Technology.
Altium DesignerARM ArchitectureC++ (Programming Language)CAN BusDevice DriversElectrical System DesignEmbedded CEmbedded SystemsLinux On Embedded SystemsEmbedded Operating SystemsEmbedded SoftwareEthernetFirmwareField-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)FreeRTOS
Embedded Systems Design
Expertise in full-cycle embedded systems design covering both firmware and hardware, analog and digital domains, from specification and prototyping through EMC certification and production handoff across automotive, industrial, medical, and mobility sectors.
Embedded Linux & Firmware Development
Deep knowledge of Embedded Linux on ARM platforms, including Linux device drivers, device tree, Yocto, BSP, U-Boot, custom bootloaders, secure boot, OTA firmware updates and bare-metal firmware in C and C++.
Hardware Design & PCB Layout
Proficiency in circuit schematic design and multi-layer PCB layout, including impedance-controlled routing, EMC and ESD compliance, using tools such as Altium, KiCad, LTspice, and precision analog and digital design techniques.
MCU / SoC Architecture
Hands-on experience with ARM Cortex-A (NXP i.MX, TI Sitara), ARM Cortex-M0/M3/M4/M7 (STM32, NXP LPC), STM32, 8051, and PIC microcontrollers and system-on-chip platforms for mission-critical embedded applications.
Connectivity & Communication Protocols
Broad knowledge of connectivity interfaces including RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, PoE, CAN, SPI, I2C, I2S, USB, UART, MIPI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G/LTE, and protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, J1939, and DeviceNet.
RFID / NFC & Security
Experience with RFID and NFC technologies at 13.56 MHz, MIFARE, EMV contactless, ISO 14443, UHF 900 MHz EPC Gen2, as well as security implementations including ISO 7816 SAM secure access modules, cryptography, OpenSSL, and Mbed TLS.
Peripherals & Imaging
Integration of peripherals including GPIO, ADC, DAC, PWM, DMA, GPS, GNSS, QR-Code readers, cameras, and touchscreens into embedded platforms.
Sensors & Instrumentation
Design and integration temperature (PT100, PT1000, IC temperature sensors), current (shunt, Rogowski coil), motion (accelerometer, gyroscope, IMU), presence (PIR), magnetic (Hall effect switch), strain gauge, piezoelectric cable, pH, analog optical, image sensors
Bring-Up & Debugging
Skilled in hardware bring-up and debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer, VNA, JTAG/SWD, GDB, strace, ftrace, and Wireshark.
Team Leadership & Full Product Lifecycle
Leadership of six-to-ten-person engineering teams through the full product lifecycle, covering specifications, prototyping, testing, EMC and ESD certification, and production handoff.
Consulting
Sole client-facing engineer on consultancy engagements
Experience
Professional experience10+ years
Freelancer since2003
Languages
EnglishFluentPortugueseNative speaker
Project history
Independent engineering consultancy delivering full-cycle electronics: hardware architecture, schematic and PCB design, board bring-up, and firmware (bare metal or Embedded Linux), from specification through prototyping, EMC testing, and production handoff. Projects include an industrial machine vision inspection controller, a home automation platform with CAN bus and 32 lamp channels per board, chemical and lab instrumentation, RFID access control, medical audiometer, pH meter, tri-vision prismatic signage, and automotive and industrial automation boards. Sole point of client contact throughout all engagements.
Led a hardware team of 6 to 10 engineers through the full product lifecycle covering fare collection terminals, telemetry units, Ethernet switches, cameras, and video recorders running Embedded Linux. Identified scalability ceiling of incumbent architecture and led migration to ARM and Embedded Linux end to end. First deployment of the new platform reached 3,000+ public buses serving 2.2 million passengers daily. Designed RFID reader onto the motherboard for cost reduction, developed a wide dynamic range camera for public bus deployment, extended the terminal platform with contactless EMV payment, QR code reading, 4G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, GPS/GNSS, touchscreen RGB LCD, audio, PoE Ethernet, CAN J1939, and ISO 16750 power supply. Maintained Yocto-based Linux image, device drivers, and device tree. Contract was remote from 2021 to 2025.