Errol Pascua

Embedded Software Engineer — Cryptography & Security

📍 Chandler, AZ
📧 errol.pascua99@gmail.com

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Objective

Embedded software engineer specializing in cryptography and security-focused development, with experience building, validating, and automating hardware-accelerated crypto systems for production microcontrollers. Seeking to contribute to secure, high-reliability embedded platforms.

Professional Experience

Microchip Technology Inc. — Chandler, AZ

Embedded Software Engineer — Cryptography & Security
January 2022 – Present

Cryptographic Hardware & Firmware Development

  • Ported and integrated cryptographic hardware drivers across multiple Microchip device families (MCU32, dsPIC).
  • Implemented and validated support for AES (ECB, CTR, GCM, CCM, XTS), SHA-1 / SHA-2, CMAC, HMAC, GMAC, ECDH, ECDSA, RSA, ChaCha20, TRNG, and PKE primitives.
  • Designed wrapper layers aligning device-specific drivers with Microchip Crypto v4, supporting both hardware accelerators and WolfSSL software backends.
  • Mapped hardware registers, implemented ISR helpers, validated DMA interactions, and debugged cryptographic state machines.
  • Authored benchmark, demo, and validation applications to verify cryptographic performance, correctness, and reliability.
  • Strengthened secure boot robustness by migrating cryptographic key storage from volatile RAM to non-volatile, ROM-backed storage.
  • Created and maintained Crypto v4 API documentation, detailing cryptographic flows, backend selection (HSM vs software), and integration guidance for customer applications.
  • Integrated and supported ARTEMIS automated testing infrastructure to execute regression and validation testing across cryptographic drivers and applications.

Unit Testing, Verification, & ASPICE SWE1–SWE3

  • Designed an end-to-end host-executed, hardware-mocked unit testing framework using Unity, CMake, GCC/MinGW, and Python.
  • Built extensive unit test suites for AES, SHA, ECC, TRNG, PKE, DMA, and ISR paths using hardware mocks.
  • Implemented GCOV-based code coverage with HTML reports to support ASPICE and ISO-21434 compliance.
  • Authored full ASPICE work products including requirements, architecture, detailed design, test specifications, and verification matrices.
  • Ensured MISRA-C compliance through automated static analysis and structured design reviews.

Build Systems, Tooling, & Automation

  • Created Python-based build infrastructure automating:
    • Device configuration
    • Template generation (FMPP)
    • Static library builds
    • Host-executed unit test builds
  • Developed and maintained device-aware CMake toolchains, including special compiler modes (e.g., no-short-double).
  • Built a Python GUI integrating Cppcheck Premium and MPLAB X MISRA-C CLI to streamline static-analysis workflows.
  • Implemented automated regression testing systems to reduce manual testing effort and improve reliability.
  • Developed the Firmware Metadata Tool (FWMDT) used by external customers for HSM provisioning and firmware signing.

Southwest Engineering Concepts — Chandler, AZ

Engineering Intern
September 2021 – January 2022

  • Developed a wireless pop-time measurement system using accelerometer and gyroscope data to detect pitch release timing.
  • Engineered vinyl film monitoring systems with sensor-based low-level and empty detection to prevent production downtime.
  • Designed and prototyped an inductive rifle chronograph capable of accurately measuring muzzle velocity.
  • Modified schematics and PCB layouts to integrate additional hardware features and improve existing designs.
  • Implemented embedded firmware in C for STM32 and Microchip microcontrollers, working directly from datasheets and reference manuals.
  • Sourced components from Digikey and Mouser, assembled prototypes, and performed board bring-up and validation.
  • Created customer-facing documentation, schematics, and test notes to support deployment and handoff.
  • Gained hands-on experience with through-hole and SMD soldering, electronics prototyping, and hardware debugging.

Education

Arizona State University — Tempe, AZ
B.S.E. Computer Systems Engineering (Cybersecurity)
May 2021

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

  • C, C++, Python, Java, Assembly

Software & Hardware Tools

  • Git, Jenkins, Atlassian Suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
  • Polarion, Tridion Docs Publication Manager
  • MPLAB X IDE, Segger Embedded Studio, STM32CubeIDE
  • Logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, Segger J-Link
  • Hardware bring-up, debugging, and soldering (TH & SMD)

Focus Areas

  • Embedded Cryptography
  • Hardware Security Modules
  • Secure Boot & Key Provisioning
  • ACVP & Cryptographic Validation
  • MISRA-C, ASPICE
  • Test Automation & CI for Embedded Systems