Hardware Engineer - IoT

Company Description

Agrayan is revolutionizing agriculture by integrating conversational intelligence and IoT technology. Our innovative conversational AI solutions enable farmers to make data-driven, strategic decisions through insightful and intelligent interactions. By blending agronomy and advanced technology, we collaborate closely with farmers to develop tailored agricultural models and strategies that enhance crop yield and productivity, paving the way for sustainable agricultural advancements.

Role Description

This is a full-time on-site role for a Hardware Engineer - IoT, based in Bengaluru. The Hardware Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and testing electronics hardware and circuit systems for IoT solutions in the agriculture sector. The role involves hardware prototyping, validation, and ensuring optimal performance in field environments. Collaboration with cross-functional teams to innovate and deploy efficient hardware solutions is a key part of the position.

Key Responsibilities :

Hardware Design & Development :

- Design and develop embedded hardware for IoT controllers used in agricultural applications.

- Create and review schematics for ARM-based microcontrollers (e.g., STM32, ESP32, nRF52).

- Select and integrate sensors (soil moisture, temperature, humidity, pressure, flow, etc.) and actuators (valves, motors, pumps).

- Design circuits for low-power, battery-operated systems with power management and energy harvesting considerations.

- Develop sensor interface circuits (analog/digital) and signal conditioning blocks.

- Design and implement wireless communication modules (LoRa, BLE, Wi-Fi) in hardware.

Prototyping & Testing :

- Develop and assemble hardware prototypes and evaluate performance.

- Conduct bench testing, validation, and field testing of IoT devices.

- Use tools like oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers for debugging and validation.

- Collaborate with the firmware team to ensure seamless hardware-firmware integration.

- Optimize designs for ruggedness, power efficiency, and manufacturability.

Power Management & Battery Systems :

- Design circuits for battery charging, power regulation, and energy harvesting (solar).

- Implement sleep/wake power modes and load control circuits to achieve ultra-low power consumption.

- Estimate and validate system battery life and current consumption under various operating modes.

Documentation & Release :

- Create detailed documentation including schematics, BOMs, PCB design files, and test reports.

- Support PCB layout and DFM (Design for Manufacturing) processes.

- Maintain revision control for hardware designs using versioning tools (Git or equivalent).

- Collaborate with vendors and manufacturing partners for component selection and PCB fabrication.

Required Qualifications :

- 1-2 years of professional experience in embedded hardware design for IoT or embedded systems.

- Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit design.

- Experience with ARM-based microcontrollers (STM32, ESP32, nRF52, or similar).

- Hands-on experience with sensor and actuator interfacing.

- Experience with low-power and battery-powered circuit design.

- Working knowledge of communication interfaces (UART, I2C, SPI, RS485).

- Familiarity with wireless module integration (LoRa, BLE, Wi-Fi).

- Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB design tools (Altium, KiCad, Eagle, or OrCAD).

- Knowledge of power supply design (DC-DC converters, LDOs, Li-ion charging circuits).

- Experience with hardware testing and debugging instruments.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications :

- Experience developing IoT controllers for agriculture (irrigation, weather monitoring, soil sensing).

- Familiarity with environmental and rugged hardware design for outdoor deployments.

- Knowledge of EMI/EMC design practices and protection circuitry (ESD, surge, reverse polarity).

- Experience with solar charging systems or energy harvesting circuits.

- Understanding of manufacturing processes and hardware reliability testing.

- Exposure to hardware-firmware co-design and embedded testing frameworks.

- Bachelors degree in Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

Tools & Technologies :

- Design Tools : Altium Designer, KiCad, Eagle, OrCAD

- Simulation : LTspice, Proteus, Multisim

- Debugging Tools : Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, Multimeter, JTAG Debugger

- MCUs & Platforms : STM32, ESP32, nRF52, ATmega, etc.

- Communication : LoRa, BLE, Wi-Fi, RS485

- Version Control : Git