Leading Cross-Disciplinary Projects at EmTech

I've found that cross-disciplinary projects bring out the best in every team. At EmTech, I’ve seen firsthand how blending different areas of expertise leads to breakthrough innovations

When engineers, designers, and software developers work together, they don’t just add their own contributions—they challenge each other to think differently. I’ve watched these collaborations spark ideas that wouldn’t have happened in a siloed environment.

The real challenge lies in managing team dependencies. Each group moves at its own pace, with its own priorities, and getting them to sync requires careful planning. 

But when everything finally comes together, when each team's contribution locks perfectly into place, there’s a moment where it all just clicks. That’s what makes the effort worth it—seeing an idea go from concept to a fully realized system.

Hardware Team: Designing High-Speed Boards

I’ve been working with our hardware team on a high-speed board designed to connect seamlessly with another system running both a Processor and an FPGA. This isn’t just about hardware design—it’s about making sure the data transfer speed is optimized.

  • Fine-tuning communication between the Processor and FPGA is what makes or breaks system performance.

  • By carefully refining the data protocols, we’ve seen a significant boost in overall efficiency.

  • Small tweaks in signal integrity and layout design have led to faster, more reliable transfers.

These optimizations may seem subtle, but in high-performance systems, every millisecond counts.

RTL Design Team: Developing FPGA IP Cores

The RTL design team has been developing FPGA IP cores that serve as the building blocks for the entire system. These cores need to be:

  • Modular, so they can be reused across different projects.
  • Efficient, to ensure seamless integration with the client's product.
  • Scalable, allowing flexibility for future updates.

One of the biggest game changers has been cross-team collaboration. Instead of working in isolation, our RTL designers sit down with software engineers and verification teams to ensure these cores meet real-world needs. 

This back-and-forth between teams has led to smarter, more adaptable solutions.

Software Team: Firmware and Real-Time Visualization

I’ve been working closely with our firmware team to develop the Processor-FPGA communication layer. This firmware is crucial because it enables:

  • Real-time monitoring of FPGA performance.

  • On-the-fly configuration, allowing users to fine-tune operations.

  • Inspection and debugging without disrupting functionality.

To make things even more intuitive, we built a graphical interface running on a built-in web server. This lets engineers see system performance visually, making adjustments easier and more precise. 

Seeing real-time data updates eliminates guesswork and makes troubleshooting faster.

Verification Team: Ensuring FPGA Reliability

One thing I’ve learned from working with FPGA cores is that verification is everything. No matter how well-designed a system is, bugs can creep in, and finding them early is critical.

  • Our verification team builds testbenches that simulate real-world use cases.

  • These tests catch errors long before deployment, saving countless hours of debugging.

  • Tight collaboration with RTL engineers ensures that every corner case is covered.

This isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about building confidence that the final product will perform as expected.

CI/CD Team: Automating Development for Efficiency

Our CI/CD team has been a game-changer in streamlining development. Before, running tests and debugging were time-consuming, manual processes. Now, with automated pipelines, we:

  • Catch errors early, before they become major issues.

  • Run tests automatically, so developers can focus on writing code.

  • Ensure every new update is validated, reducing deployment risks.

The result? Faster development cycles and higher-quality code. Automation doesn’t just make work easier—it makes it better.

The Power of Collaboration in Complex Systems

At the heart of everything we do is collaboration. I’ve seen incredibly talented engineers and developers tackle tough problems, but the biggest breakthroughs happen when disciplines collide.

  • Diverse perspectives lead to better solutions.

  • Tight feedback loops improve efficiency.

  • Cross-team learning makes everyone stronger.

I feel lucky to work with people who challenge each other, push limits, and bring ideas to life. When we break down silos and build together, we don’t just create better products—we redefine what’s possible.