Kayalvizhi Rajagopal is a Distributed Embedded Systems Expert with over 10 years of expertise in designing and developing distributed embedded systems. She has a proven track record in architecting robust software solutions, developing low-level device drivers, and implementing custom bootloaders, with a strong focus on performance, reliability, and scalability.
Kayalvizhi holds a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from San Jose State University (2016-2017) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications from PSG College of Technology (2008-2012).
Currently serving as a Staff Software Development Engineer at Tesla Inc. (2023-present), she is the distributed embedded software lead and architect for Tesla's Megapack (BESS) controller and Megapack IO controller. She has architected and led the development of real-time embedded control software for Tesla's Megapack grid-scale energy storage, managing energy dispatch, thermal regulation, fault detection, and intra-pack coordination. She designed scalable, modular firmware frameworks for distributed operation across hundreds of Megapack units, ensuring high availability and seamless integration with site controllers and grid interfaces.
Previously at Tesla, as Senior Software Development Engineer (2020-2023), she led the distributed embedded software architecture and development for Tesla's mobile Supercharger system, integrating Megapack 1 energy storage with Supercharger hardware to create deployable, high-power EV charging units. As Software Development Engineer (2018-2020), she led the design and development of over-the-air (OTA) update architecture for the V3 Supercharger network, supporting 250kW peak charging across a global fleet.
During her internship at Tesla (2017), she designed and implemented a broadcast firmware update mechanism over CAN using UDS (Unified Diagnostic Services) broadcast mode for Tesla Energy products, which reduced total firmware update time from 90 minutes to under 5 minutes, a 95% improvement in deployment efficiency.
At Caterpillar R&D (2012-2015), she developed a real-time embedded software application for the engine control module's (ECU) datalink platform and developed software modules for CAN-based smart sensors and actuators' communication with ECUs.
Her technical skills include C, C++, Python, Rust, I2C, SPI, UART, CAN/J1939, Ethernet (TCP/UDP), embedded system design, distributed embedded system design & architecture, and embedded debugging.