Two new job postings at Apple show the company is beefing up its CPU creation/enhancement abilities. The jobs are probably for taking the A4 chip in the iPhone 4 and iPad to the next level, but you have to think that Apple may at least be considering developing its own Mac processors down the line.
One job posting (http://macte.ch/zf8LR) is for a CPU implementation engineer. Here’s what Apple says about the position: “Looking for an experienced and well rounded CPU design professional to work on the definition, design, and implementation of a CPU core. The candidate will be responsible for taking a design from specification or RTL through physical design using both custom and semi-custom implementation techniques. Will be expected to work closely with architects in product definition and feasibility analysis. May also be involved in definition and/or implementation of design methodology. The he ideal candidate will have experience across a broad range of disciplines, including micro-architecture, RTL, gate-level implementation, and custom circuit design. Excellent written and oral communication skills are a must.”
The second job posting (http://macte.ch/riVtH) is fora CPU microarchitect. Here’s what Apple says about the position: “ooking for experienced qualified engineers to work/lead the microarchitecture design of a CPU. The job includes designing microarchitecture according to performance and functionality requirements.”
The candidate will need: a minimum of five years of industry experience and Bachelor, Masters, or Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science.
— Dennis Sellers