Brunda Marpadaga
Embedded Systems — two words that have been in my life for over a decade now. I love building things, whether it's an IoT project sending data over HTTP, bringing up hardware on an FPGA board, or deploying PetaLinux on custom hardware. There's something deeply satisfying about working at the intersection of hardware and software, where you can see your code interact with the physical world.
I did a technical diploma right after sophomore year of high school, and I just loved doing calculations using Boolean logic, reading about microprocessor architectures, and playing with microcontrollers both on simulators and hands-on. What followed in my educational journey was learning the same concepts but with higher depths and nuanced analogies.
My interest in building things really took off during my bachelor's program. While the world was shutdown during lockdown, I worked on a project integrating software with hardware— starting with a single sensor and expanding to three different sensors and a servo motor. That's when I implemented hardware interrupts for the first time, which greatly improved the performance of our hardware-in-loop system. It taught me the depths of embedded systems and helped me develop a curious mind to brainstorm ways to dedicate efficient processing time to all these sensing devices with resource-constrained microcontrollers like Arduino.
I'm a first-generation bachelor's degree holder in my family, and I'm grateful for all the opportunities I've had to improve myself. After my bachelor's, I took up a job at Prodapt as an Associate Software Engineer, building web applications using Java SpringBoot and MongoDB. I enjoy programming and building websites, but I realized the nature of that work didn't allow for the kind of learning I was seeking, particularly in the long term.
During this time, I was also selected for the Research Affiliate Program—Workshop on IoT and oneM2M at IIIT Hyderabad. Working on a Smart City air pollution tracking system reminded me of what I really loved: working closer to the hardware, building systems that interact with the physical world.
I pivoted towards a master's degree at Portland State University, which I've thoroughly enjoyed—especially learning and working hands-on with FPGAs. I initially concentrated on verification of SystemVerilog designs, writing efficient test benches and validating systems. Although I was proficient at this, I didn't feel deeply connected to it.
I pivoted again towards embedded systems and took some of the hardest courses, spending the second half of my coursework working with FPGAs under Professor Roy Kravitz. I also volunteered during summer to develop new projects for the Embedded Systems Design class. That experience — bringing up Linux using reprogrammable hardware—helped me rediscover my passion. I brought myself a couple STM32s to tinker with and develop real-time applications using FreeRTOS.
What really fascinates me about embedded systems is the time criticality they need and the efficiency they must have depending on the application. I love the entire development cycle— from choosing the right hardware and software tooling, calculating bill of materials, to getting the desired results. I enjoy low-level programming on FPGAs and MCUs, reading about microarchitectures, and even programming with assembly languages.
I'm seeking opportunities in embedded firmware development, hardware-software integration, and FPGA-based system design. I want to work in environments where I can continue learning, collaborate with talented engineers, and build systems that solve real problems.
Outside of technical work, I'm a strong advocate for inclusive learning spaces. As a Student Ambassador at Portland State, I represent the university during orientations and campus visits. I've also served as a liaison for 25 exchange students from 10 Southeast Asian countries through the YSEALI program, and worked as a camp counselor for CyberPDX — a STEAM camp for Native and Indigenous high school students exploring cybersecurity and generative AI. Watching students discover their potential and helping them navigate their educational journey reminds me why I love being part of the tech community.