Balaji Narayan Mamidala is a seasoned hardware engineer with over 10 years of extensive experience in taking cutting-edge designs from concept to mass production. His expertise spans low noise analog circuit design, capacitive sensing technology, and comprehensive schematic and PCB design. Currently contributing to the innovation at Apple Inc., Balaji is known for his precision, analytical skills, and collaborative approach in hardware development.
Education
- Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology - Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
College of Engineering, Pune (C.O.E.P)
Core Competencies
- Hardware Design: Low noise analog circuits, capacitive sensing technology, schematic and PCB design, design for EMC.
- Debugging & Testing: Prototypes, hardware bring-up, failure analysis (FA).
- Communication Protocols: I2C, SPI, UART, USB.
- Software Expertise: C, Python, PSpice, MATLAB, Allegro, Virtuoso.
Professional Experience
Hardware Development Engineer | Apple Inc.
As a Hardware Development Engineer at Apple Inc., Balaji plays a pivotal role in the architecture and design of the Main Logic Board, ensuring optimal power budgeting, thermal management, and component selection. He is also the lead designer for the sensor board used for precise temperature measurement, laser drive, and photodetector sensing circuits. His contributions include:
- Leading the hardware development of the Main Logic Board, ensuring robust architecture, component selection, and system-level integration.
- Designing custom electronics for sample testing, developing end-to-end MATLAB models to simulate noise, transient behavior, and small signal AC response.
- Enhancing system CoEx by redesigning sample detector subassemblies and sensor boards, achieving exceptional EMI shielding and meeting stringent CoEx specifications.
- Developing calibration processes to ensure frequency response matching in electronics channels, achieving high accuracy in integrated magnitude and phase error measurements.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including electrical, mechanical, optical, and firmware engineers, to deliver hardware solutions that meet stringent performance standards, such as laser wavelength locking with minimal pk-pk error.
Balaji’s work is characterized by a rigorous attention to detail, a deep understanding of complex systems, and a commitment to driving innovation in hardware design.