Computer Hardware Engineers

What Does a Computer Hardware Engineers Do?

Research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
• 2Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
• 3Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
• 4Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
• 5Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
• 6Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
• 7Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
• 8Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.

Required Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Apache Subversion SVN
• Application-specific integrated circuit ASIC logic synthesis software
• ASSET JTAG ScanWorks
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Automatic test program generation ATPG
• Block diagram software
• Boundary scan description language BSDL
• Boundary scan insertion software
• Built-in self-test BIST debugging software
• C

Computer Hardware Engineers Salary