Computer Science Internship: Exploring European Open-Source FPGA Platforms: Firmware Development and Application Integration

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Introduction

This internship offers a unique opportunity to explore a European-manufactured, open-source FPGA platform. The student will receive a development kit and use open-source toolchains to evaluate the platform’s capabilities. The goal is to assess how this FPGA can be integrated into the company’s existing firmware ecosystem and to identify potential applications for internal use.

Your assignment

• Set up and configure the FPGA development environment using open-source tools.
• Implement and test basic IP cores (UART, SPI, I2C, PWM, etc.).
• Port existing company firmware designs to the new FPGA platform.
• Benchmark performance and resource usage of various designs.
• Document the development process and create internal guidelines for future use.
• Explore integration with embedded open-source processors (e.g., RISC-V soft cores).
• Propose and prototype a small application relevant to the company’s domain.
• Create a poster for a possible conference.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain hands-on experience with open-source FPGA toolchains.
• Understand the architecture and capabilities of European FPGA platforms.
• Evaluate firmware portability and performance on new hardware.
• Contribute to the company’s strategy for FPGA adoption.

This is a bachelor/master internship or graduation (thesis) project for 3-5 days a week, with a duration of 3-6 months. The start date of this internship is as soon as possible.

Your profile

To be a fit for this internship, you:

• Have experience with FPGA programming and familiarity with open-source toolchains such as Yosys, nextpnr, or LiteX is crucial for setting up and evaluating the platform.
• Have an understanding of embedded systems and the ability to port and adapt firmware to new hardware platforms, including working with IP cores like UART, SPI, I2C, and PWM.
• Demonstrate skills in benchmarking and analyzing resource usage and performance metrics to evaluate the FPGA’s integration potential within existing systems.
• Have the ability to document development workflows and create internal guidelines.

Other requirements you need to meet

• You are enrolled at an educational institute for the entire duration of the internship;
• You need to be located in the Netherlands to be perform your internship. In case you’re currently living/studying outside of the Netherlands, your CV/motivation letter includes the willingness to relocate.
• If you are a non-EU citizen, studying in the Netherlands, your university is willing to sign the documents relevant for doing an internship (i.e., Nuffic agreement).

This position requires access to controlled technology, as defined in the United States Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. § 730, et seq.). Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to access such controlled technology prior to beginning work. Business demands may require ASML to proceed with candidates who are immediately eligible to access controlled technology.

Diversity and inclusion

ASML is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our company.

About Us

ASML is a leading supplier of lithography equipment, used by the world’s top chipmakers to print microchips that are increasingly powerful, fast and energy efficient. Working at ASML is inspiring, no matter what field you're in. That’s because we push the boundaries of technology: if it’s moving the world forward, chances are, we’re behind it. In fact, we’re probably a part of the electronic device you’re using right now.

We’re a global team of more than 32,000 people from 122 different nationalities and counting. Headquartered in Europe’s top tech hub, the Brainport Eindhoven region in the Netherlands, our operations are spread across Europe, Asia and the US.