Digital Systems Technician

Spectrum Control•Marlborough, MA

3d•$35 - $45•Onsite

About The Position

At Spectrum Control, most departments operate on a 4-day, 10-hour work schedule in exchange for a 3-day weekend . We offer competitive wages and PTO, plus our benefits begin on day 1 of employment. Come join a workforce where we put you first! The Digital Systems Technician is part of a multidisciplinary manufacturing and test team responsible for the bring-up, test, troubleshooting, and repair of complex digital electronic assemblies used in commercial, military, and aerospace products. The majority of products consist of single-FPGA or processor-based PCBs with established automated test flows and well-defined bring-up procedures. A smaller subset of advanced VPX-based systems requires deeper system-level integration, judgment-based troubleshooting, and close collaboration with engineering.

Requirements

Associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology or equivalent practical experience in digital electronics test and debug
Ability to read and interpret electronic schematics, block diagrams, test procedures, and technical documentation
Solid understanding of basic DC and AC electronic theory, including passive and active components
Understanding of power regulation, sequencing, clock distribution, and reset architectures in digital systems
Basic knowledge of computer architecture concepts (CPU, SDRAM, non-volatile memory)
Experience using electronic test equipment such as multimeters and oscilloscopes for circuit verification and troubleshooting
Familiarity with Ethernet networking in Linux environments, including IP addressing, subnetting, SSH access, and basic connectivity diagnostics (ping, ip/ifconfig, ethtool)
Ability to work from documented procedures while exercising independent judgment during fault isolation and system bring-up

Nice To Haves

Experience testing and debugging FPGA-based digital systems in a production or lab environment
Familiarity with automated test systems and software-driven diagnostics
Experience with VPX or OpenVPX architectures, including backplane interfaces and module-level integration
Exposure to multi-FPGA systems and complex power sequencing
Experience working with embedded Linux on custom hardware platforms
Basic scripting or programming experience (C, C++, Python, Bash, etc.)
Experience working in ESD-controlled manufacturing or laboratory environments

Responsibilities

Receive assembled PCBs from manufacturing and verify proper operation of power delivery networks, including voltage accuracy, sequencing, current draw, and fault conditions prior to device programming
Program and configure FPGAs, microcontrollers, and embedded processors using JTAG, SPI, Ethernet, or vendor-specific tools; manage production firmware and software images
Execute automated hardware and software test suites, interpret test results, and diagnose failures using test data and electrical measurements
Troubleshoot digital and mixed-signal hardware issues to the board or component level and coordinate or perform corrective actions as required
Bring up embedded Linux systems to a functional login state, verify basic system operation, and diagnose common boot or configuration issues
Configure and verify Ethernet connectivity for embedded systems, including basic network setup and connectivity diagnostics
Maintain accurate test records, configuration logs, and nonconformance documentation in accordance with quality and production procedures
Collaborate with engineering to improve test processes, manufacturing yield, and product robustness
Assist with the construction, validation, and maintenance of production and engineering test stations
Support advanced VPX and OpenVPX systems as an escalation resource, including complex power-up behavior, multi-FPGA configuration, and system-level debug
Assist with deeper Linux bring-up and integration issues on custom hardware platforms when automated diagnostics are insufficient
Provide detailed failure analysis and documentation to engineering for complex or design-related issues