1. Factory Automation Systems
PLC/SCADA:
How does a PLC differ from a DCS in a large-scale factory, and when would you choose one over the other?
Describe how you’d architect a SCADA system to monitor and control 500+ I/O points across multiple production lines.
Fieldbuses & Networks:
Compare PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET in terms of topology, determinism, and bandwidth.
How do you troubleshoot intermittent data loss on a Ring Ethernet topology?
Sensors & Actuators:
Explain how you’d select and calibrate different types of proximity sensors for a high-speed pick-and-place robot.
A pneumatic cylinder is drifting—what diagnostic steps and measurements do you take?
Safety & Standards:
What are the key safety functions defined by IEC 61508/SIL, and how would you implement a SIL 2 emergency stop?
How do you integrate functional safety into a conveyor-belt interlock?
2. Mechatronics Fundamentals
Control Systems:
Derive the transfer function of a DC-motor driven axis with gearbox and load inertia; how do you design a PID for it?
Explain how sensor noise affects closed-loop performance and methods to mitigate it.
Mechanical Design:
How do you perform a modal analysis on a robotic arm link to avoid resonance at 5 Hz?
Describe how you’d choose materials and cross sections to minimize deflection under a 50 N load.
Electronics & Embedded:
What considerations go into designing a PCB for an H-bridge motor driver (EMC, thermal, current)?
How would you implement current sensing and protection to prevent stall damage?
Integration Challenges:
Walk me through integrating a new servo drive into an existing motion-control network.
What’s your process for verifying alignment between mechanical encoder feedback and actual shaft angle?
Perguntas de entrevista [1]
Pergunta 1
Technical questions (and if so, in what field—e.g., robotics vision, embedded systems, cloud IoT)
Behavioral questions
Leadership/management questions
A mix of all of the above
Just let me know the focus (and the level—junior, mid, senior), and I’ll whip up a list!
Candidatei-me online. O processo levou 4 semanas. Fui entrevistado pela Apkudo (Buffalo, NY) em fev. de 2023
Entrevista
The interview process was rather slow but here is how it went: 1. Call with a recruiter who was straightforward but very nice and professional. I was pleasantly surprised to see how knew about the product and he gave me a great overview of what the company is doing and what the product looks like. 2. I was given an easy/medium Pyhton and SQL coding challenge. Deadline was set by me during the call with the recruiter. 3. First technical round was with a team lead, he was interested in knowing my past experience. Smooth connverstation. 4. Next round was again technical, which went smoothly but so far no in-depth questions were asked on the technical front. A lot of discussions on what the company's plan is going forward and how they are planning to scale up. Got detailed feedback which was nice. Overall, had a positive experience but I wish they asked more technical questions to actually assess the skillset. I believe the right mix of conversation and scenario-based questions is important. The recruiter was super nice.
Perguntas de entrevista [1]
Pergunta 1
1. How do you rate your Python skills? 2. Describe your experience on AWS.
The interview process starts with a take-home coding challenge. The challenge was easy, but they rejected valid SQL schema with the wording that "The schema won't work". I tested the schema before submission.
Perguntas de entrevista [1]
Pergunta 1
Process a file in python, create SQL schema to store data.