Is circuits, amplifier, BJT applicable in current market?

Hi there.

I have gradated last with a Bachelor Degree in Electronics Engineering. After joining the work force, I find that those analogue stuff, circuits analysis stuff are not as useful or important as I thought. Is that true?

I see many things are done by programming. MCU, DSP, FPGA and Visual Basic, C++. I see some people don't really border much about circuits and mostly don't really know much about it, or not border to go further.

I am interested in circuits and electrical signal because I think it is the most basic element that connects. But looking at the industry, more functions can only implemented by having Know How on MCU and other programmable stuff. And that doesn't really need very deep understanding on circuits, as the supplier and vendor could provide help, application notes and others. So the value that we can add is programming, I assume.

Is that true? What do you think and do you have any doubts as I do?

Reply to
Jeffrey Chee
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It's true that much of the "heavy" systems work has migrated towards software techniques. That trend was beginning when I graduated in Electronics in 1968! In the end, though, it's an analogue world (until you get down to the quantum level, where it's merely uncertain). I've seen some horrendous hardware interfaces, fairly recently, which no amount of software tinkering can ever fix. If you've been taught worst-case design, consider yourself one of a rare and important breed. Don't abandon your electronics; keep up with it!

Having said that, you will need to gather some software skills to enhance your career opportunities and to understand software issues, which will come up all the time. Important keywords for you, I suspect, are "embedded" (as you know) and "DSP". Software is much easier to learn than Electronics, as I know, having done both. That's not to say it's trivial!

Congratulations on entering your career from the right end (in my opinion).

Regards,

Peter Bushell.

Reply to
Peter Bushell

I think having knowledge of circuits is very helpful in the embedded world. I'm a software guy and I wish I had that knowledge. I'm working on it. As it is, I must work with good enginers/technicians to solve problems.

Applications notes and datasheets have been know to be very wrong or incomplete. Likewise, technical support is not always all that helpful. The more you know, the better.

Reply to
Gary Kato

analog design enginneer and the most valuable of these is the rf design engineer.

Ian

Reply to
Ian Bell

This is a bit like saying that learning the alphabet is not useful or important for learning philosophy :)

Electronics knowledge is *invaluable* for an embedded developer. You have the easy path ahead of you; I started in software and learned hardware later; starting with digital hardware. I am still learning about analog issues; I wish I had learned things the "right way up" because it would have been much easier.

Reply to
Lewin A.R.W. Edwards

You could contact companies doing

- analog integrated circuit design

- high power audio/switching mode power supply design

- designing products for high frequencies (f > 1 GHz)

Paul

Reply to
Paul Keinanen

All the digital/software stuff you mentioned is huge and (long-term) a growth market, but 'general hardware knowledge' including analog is still important. Just page through the book "High-Speed Digital Design" and you'll see a lot of the basic analog stuff (pulses through RC and RLC circuits) stuff is used. Post this on sci.electronics.design and see what response you get.

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Reply to
Ben Bradley

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