Digital Systems Technician

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.

Compensation Range: $35.00/hr - $45.00/hr

Primary 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

• 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

• 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

• Ability to communicate clearly with engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams
• Willingness to learn and grow into advanced system bring-up responsibilities over time
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail
• Comfortable escalating complex design-level issues with clear data and observations rather than speculation

• On Site, Full Time