Dmitry Mironov

Principal C++ / EDA Engineer

Eugene, OR LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/dmitrymironov1 GitHub github.com/dmitrymironov

Summary

Principal CAD/EDA engineer with 25+ years building physical-design algorithms, RTL-to-GDSII flows, and design-data tooling across commercial and open-source stacks, including tapeout/signoff (Innovus/ICC2 and Calibre DRC/LVS). Strong Linux systems background (performance, debugging, CI reliability) with a track record of delivering customer-facing fixes and stable releases.

Skills

  • EDA / Physical design: placement, legalization, congestion estimation, netlist processing, standard-cell libraries, LEF, DEF, Liberty, GDSII, Verilog, SPICE, RTL-to-GDSII flows
  • Signoff/tapeout: Cadence Innovus, Synopsys IC Compiler II (ICC2), Calibre (DRC/LVS), Static Timing Analysis (STA), SDF, SDC, Synopsys Design Compiler, Synopsys PrimeTime
  • Languages: C++, C, Tcl, Python
  • Systems: Linux, multithreading, performance profiling, debugging, POSIX/FUSE, distributed systems, storage/network I/O tuning
  • DevOps architecture and automation: Jenkins, Conan, Ansible, Terraform, Docker/Docker Compose, Make-based operational runbooks, CI/CD hardening
  • Cloud and edge platforms: hyperscalers and tier-2 regional CSPs (AWS, Azure, Cloudflare, and other regional providers).
  • Security engineering: HashiCorp Vault operations, PKI/TLS certificate lifecycle management, secret bootstrapping/rotation, infrastructure trust chains
  • IoT and secure embedded systems: device provisioning, cryptographic protocols, firmware/update workflows, JTAG-based validation and diagnostics
  • Tooling: Git, GCC, Make/CMake, Valgrind, Qt

Experience

Affinity Techworks LLC - Principal Engineer / Owner (Infrastructure, DevOps, and Applied AI) | Eugene, OR (Remote) | Sep 2025 - Present

  • Own infrastructure reliability and automation engagements for engineering teams, including AI-assisted workflows with operational guardrails.
  • Design and operationalize repeatable delivery playbooks (runbooks, automation, CI hardening) to stabilize production systems and reduce operational load.
  • Built and maintained an internal wiki/confluence platform with authoritative runbooks, topology/service guides, operations procedures, and software-development knowledge hubs.
  • Produced high-clarity system specification output for a proprietary distributed filesystem, including functional requirements, architecture, data model, protocol/security models, use cases, and test-plan mapping to accelerate implementation readiness.
  • Top skills: Linux, Automation, CI/CD, Docker, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, Technical Documentation, System Specification, Consulting

IC Manage - Senior Software Engineer | Remote (USA) | Mar 2021 - Aug 2025

  • Developed and optimized a high-performance C++ distributed filesystem platform for cloud-based and on-prem EDA workloads (Holodeck).
  • Improved performance and reliability of Holodeck EDA cloud bursting by adding I/O-driven synchronization events to support scalable cloud workflows.
  • Tuned storage and network I/O paths to meet EDA flow performance targets; performed low-level Linux/filesystem debugging across CI and customer environments.
  • Partnered with applications engineering and QA to reproduce issues, accelerate resolution, and shorten deployment turnaround; added automated diagnostics and regression coverage.
  • Top skills: C++, Distributed Systems, File Systems, Linux, Storage, Networking, Performance Optimization, Debugging, Cloud Computing, Automation

UC San Diego - OpenROAD (DARPA IDEA) - Consultant (part-time) | Remote (USA) | Mar 2019 - May 2022

  • Implemented and contributed to open-source physical design tooling (tapcell/welltap placement and row cutting, Tcl integration; validated on 16nm and 65nm designs): github.com/The-OpenROAD-Project/tapcell
  • Top skills: C++, Tcl, Electronic Design Automation (EDA), Physical Design, Build Automation, GNU Make, Open Source Software, Collaboration

Stealth prototype | Wilsonville, OR (Remote) | Mar 2020 - Feb 2021

  • Built a GPS position-aware video-analytics prototype, extracting forencis evidence and kinematics from CCTV dashcam, drone footage. https://github.com/dmitrymironov/SpaceHammer.
  • Top skills: C++, Python, Data Processing, Automation, Git, Software Prototyping, Garmin, GPS, Tapo, ZoneMinder

Siemens EDA (Mentor Graphics) - Contractor | Wilsonville, OR / Fremont, CA | Jun 2018 - Mar 2020

  • Delivered infrastructure, agent, and server improvements: build/release automation, regression environment work, and rollout of bug tracking.
  • Maintained and extended AMS/Nexys/FTDI/VIP modules; created new agents (ARM demo) and improved embedded performance by rewriting critical paths in C.
  • Designed and implemented a Rendezvous server supporting ARM demo workflows; provided peripheral support for MindSphere and Mbed Cloud.
  • Integrated cloud IoT onboarding (AWS IoT, Azure IoT) into demo/provisioning workflows and optimized ARM mbed client integration for embedded agents.
  • Top skills: C++, Embedded Systems, ARM, Internet of Things (IoT), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Linux, Networking, Automation

Siemens EDA (Mentor Graphics) - Design for Security (System Level Engineering) - Contractor | Wilsonville, OR | Dec 2011 - Sep 2012

  • Delivered end-to-end physical implementation and tapeout for a security testchip SoC (Pulpino RISC-V MCU + PUF + custom security IP), including power grid/filler integration, hard-IP GDS "ghost" blocks, P&R (Innovus/ICC2), STA/SDF, and Calibre DRC/LVS; supported TSMC MPW packaging resulting in functional silicon.
  • Built secure provisioning and device-authentication protocols across x86/ARM agents, JTAG-based exchange with secure IP, and a REST API backend; converted specs into UML sequence diagrams for implementation traceability.
  • Drove system bring-up and debug on FPGA prototypes and silicon using C/C++ and Tcl: JTAG/TAP automation, UART/SPI validation, and Questa DPI simulations for hardware-software verification.
  • Built FPGA/JTAG debug tooling and in-house CAD utilities in C++/Tcl to accelerate bring-up and validation.
  • Top skills: Physical Design, ASIC, Cadence Innovus, Calibre, Static Timing Analysis, FPGA, JTAG, C++, Tcl, Cryptography

Nangate A/S - Head of Representative Office | Moscow, Russia | Dec 2005 - Nov 2011

  • Established and led Russian R&D for automated standard-cell library generation/validation, scaling the team to 30+ engineers by 2011.
  • Built Xvalid standard-cell library semantic validation suite and parsing pipeline (C++/Lex/Yacc/Boost.Polygon, SWIG/Tcl) to cross-check Liberty/LEF/GDSII/Verilog/SPICE views and enforce pin/area/geometry consistency; validated libraries with Cadence and ICC2 flows.
  • Supported customer-facing library delivery and acceptance, balancing engineering execution with partner coordination.
  • Top skills: Standard Cell Libraries, Electronic Design Automation (EDA), VLSI, ASIC, C++, Tcl, Lex/Yacc, Regression Testing, Computational Geometry

Selected Consulting Engagements

  • Supported 30+ client and partner organizations across consulting, EDA, infrastructure, and product-development work.
  • Runtime Design Automation (RTDA) / Runtime Inc. (2013-2015): built FlowTracer grid-based design-space-exploration pipelines; composed distributed EDA flows and extracted QoR metrics from tool logs (WNS/TNS, congestion, routing, power, HPWL).
  • Nangate (Sep-Oct 2015): fixed library acceptance-test failures in Xvalid (GDS ingestion, geometry/text-label and pin checks).
  • Kerrisdale Capital (Mar 2016): authored biometric fingerprint sensor research and forward-looking market analysis.
  • Silvaco (Oct 2017): stabilized and benchmarked Fabrix flows (build/config management, reference P&R runs, 3-layer support, partitioned modes).

Earlier Experience (Select)

  • Synopsys / Gambit Automated Design (1993-1999): Joined a P&R startup as an intern while pursuing an Engineer Diploma (M.S.-equivalent) in semiconductor CAD engineering at MIET (completed in 1997), combining education and professional engineering work; grew into a Principal Engineer role contributing high-performance CAD C++ code and architecture across placement, floorplanning, legalization, CTS/ECO, and timing-driven optimization, with team execution contributing to the company’s acquisition by Synopsys.
  • Arcadia Design Systems (1999-2000): Delivered major Mustang datapath placer improvements, including macro pin-to-bus alignment techniques that significantly reduced routing violations/shorts and improved overall placement quality.
  • Tera Systems (2000-2001): built datapath block placement for rapid virtual prototyping (RTL-to-gates with Design Compiler, STA with PrimeTime, SDC timing budgets, fast routing approximation and 2D optimization) and Visual C++/MFC GUI.
  • AmmoCore Technology (2001-2003): refactored and optimized Fabrix detailed placement for a distributed HPC/grid P&R system; improved performance and code safety.
  • Silicon Valley Research (Silvaco) (2003): CAD/EDA algorithms and UI; cross-platform C/C++ porting (Sun/HP-UX).
  • Charles Schwab (CyberTrader platform) (2003-2005): software QA project management in finance (via Allied Testing), including test strategy, documentation, and transaction-validation workflows with dev/ops coordination.
  • AMCAD Engineering (2013-2014): served as General Director, representing the company to the Space Cluster Administration and leading government relations and commercial operations; defined a small-scale PCB fab pilot stack (Mega-UK/FTX, Bungard, Limata LDI, AccurateCNC, Fisnar, Dynamask/Laminar) alongside RF/microwave and satellite-communications initiatives.
  • Archon Design Solutions - Contractor (C++/Tcl) | San Jose, CA (Remote) | Dec 2011 - Nov 2017: modernized and stabilized Fabrix RTL-to-GDSII flows (portability, profiling, concurrency, build/regression reliability, and format/toolchain upgrades).

OpenSource Projects

Education

Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET)

Engineer Diploma (U.S. Equivalent: Master of Science in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering)

1992 - 1997

Verification Authority: Foundation for International Services, Inc. (FIS)

Evaluation Report ID: 81933/WEJ | Verified on May 3, 1999

Focus: Semiconductor physics, IC CAD algorithms and methods

Diploma Thesis: Optimizing standard-cell layouts using ECO change-order techniques, including cell orientations, structural pin alignment, and force-directed improvements, followed by optimal placement legalization.

Immediately after graduation, entered a Ph.D. program in transistor device engineering at the Lukin Scientific Research Institute of Physical Problems (NIIFP), Zelenograd; the program was not completed after receiving an offer from a foreign company and relocating abroad to pursue an engineering career in Silicon Valley.

Certifications

  • Deep Learning Specialization (Coursera) Issued: Dec 2020 | Credential ID: LZRWTYZ7BZJ2
  • AWS Fundamentals Specialization (Coursera) Issued: Oct 2020 | Credential ID: KRJEDDPY6LS2
  • Machine Learning in Production (DeepLearning.AI) Issued: Sep 2025 | Credential ID: R1I1SAPQQCNV
  • Machine Learning (Coursera) Issued: Oct 2020 | Credential ID: 89YZ8K8MNHVC