re: Which Microcontrollers for job opportunities

Why design your own hardware at the gate level when you can buy a micro with it already done and just write some code?

Ian

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Honestly, though, how realistic is this? I have a similar background myself, and I know from past software job interview experiences that you're usually sitting across from some total drooling idiot who wouldn't know a compiler from a blender (funny how it's the drooling idiots who always end up controlling all the money, isn't it?) In the programming world, at least, the only way to get so much as a consideration is either a college degree (specifically in programming) and some specific experience (listed on your resume) with the specific technology they use. Case in point... I was once turned down for a position because they used Visual C++ 4.2 and my Visual C++ experience was with 5.0 (I swear I'm not kidding).

What are the honest odds of a "self taught" embedded systems developer actually getting paid to develop embedded systems? Do the people who hire embedded systems developers pay attention to what you can actually do, regardless of background? If so, it must be a nice world to live in.

Yes it is, and it's called freelancing - you get paid because you can deliver the results.

Thank you, John. I looked at your product line and surfed a whole intro and tutorials for PLDs, CPLDs, FPGAs, etc. I think they'd make a valuable addition to my newly acquired knowledge of PICs & TINIs, but I'll stay focused first on the microcontrollers where I can leverage my knowlege of C, C++, Java and develop a good working knowledge of a couple of uC assembly languages. Then I'll do something relatively simple with a PLD as a sort of level between, say, a PIC and discrete components ...

Thanks again :)

Phil Schlesinger

I'm a freelance software developer (contractor) and I manage to get assignments based on a history of learning new skills very rapidly and applying the context of what I already know to the new skills area. Many people take me on a trial basis and, so far, everyone has opted to keep me on the job until completion. I find professional introductions into new areas like this difficult sometimes, but once I'm in front of someone competent they seem to be able to determine my level of ability, knowlege and attitude pretty quickly. I have confidence in THEM jsut as I ask for their confidence in me. It works :)

architectures quickly, this

processor,and learning new

adapt would be better

Thanks a lot, Mike. This sounds like very good advice and I'll take it to heart. I've decided to start with the Microchip PIC in assembly language using the free MPLAB and move on from there. I'll learn enough quickly and cheaply to figure out what I need to know next ... and then branch out to another low-level processor, but perhaps using C. Thanks again :)

Phil Schlesinger

Thanks, Pete. I think I'll take your advice and try to work around the HR people and try to find ways to network directly with the Engineers and their management. I'm a frelance software contractor and in my experience those people seem quick to look at one's real ability.

Phil

been

I'm seeing this issue a lot more now than a few years ago, probably because more people are applying for a slot now than before and the harried engineering manager will take advantage of the HR group to prescreen the candidates.

When I ran into this issue before, I was happy to let myself get weeded out because my take was that I didn't want to work for a company with such broken hiring procedures. Sadly, I need the work now and can't blithely ignore the current situation. My solution has been to add bullet lists of the skills I used for each previous employer on my resume. Hopefully, this will help me get through the HR screening and talk to someone who can actually understand my skill set.

was

Ditto here. While direct experience is great to see on a candidate's resume, I like to see evidence that the person can deal with new concepts and be a good member of the team. Additionally, I tend to like to hire people that I think I can learn something from, even if I'm filling a junior slot.

Kelly

Unfortunately the answer is the odds are very small. I spent many years recruiting embedded development engineers. The problem from the recruiter's point of view is sorting the wheat from the chaff. When you get over 50 CVs a day to read from agencies or replies to job adverts, you have to develop some scheme to decide which candidates are worth interviewing. I would read every CV right through but I was mainly looking for two things:

1. Basic level of education i.e a good degree
2. Evidence of relevant experience

As a rule, unless a candidate was good in both criteria I would reject them. Only if they were exceptional in just one category would I consider them. That said I would be more likely to select an educationaly gifted person with little experience than the other way round. The reason is that someone well qualified is clearly able to learn. The w ll experienced unqualified candidate often comes unstuck the first time some heavy theory is needed in their work.

Ian

FPGA are interesting, but currently with micros we are seeing a reduction in the cost-to-performance ratio as well as an increase in the feature set. It's always advantageous for a contractor to increase ones skill set & FPGA do enjoy a niche market. However the engineers that I know that are doing FPGA design and alike, were drawn into it by an associated project, rather than on the onset, deciding to get into it. Also with FPGA, one would need a strong hardware background

-- probably back to the grassroots, AND & OR gates.

Ken.

In article , John Pham writes

As 1 in three MCU in the world is an 8051 it is obvious.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills Staffs England /\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/ snipped-for-privacy@phaedsys.org

I am self-taught in electronics, embedded stuff, programming, and lasers and optics.

I get paid to work on all these things. But of course, I also have a college degree, in sociology.

:-D

Just kidding. Seriously, it's in chemistry with a math minor.

You're probably right about the college degree, but with one in an appropriately technical field, one might be able to move around the disciplines fairly freely.

Good day!

Ian,

If you are using an FPGA, you generally don't design a processor, you use an intellectual property" core that is a CPU. If you are really lucky or really dumb you get a good free core. Otherwise you purchase (actually rent) the intellectual property. I say really dumb, because if you screw up in the selection of a free core you are likely to get fired. Also, real microprocessors take a lot of area in an FPGA so they tend to be overpriced. The positive side is that they can have all the support logic for almost nothing.

That said, I like the free core from Xil> >

the

bunch

the

bunch

look

- plus it should keep you from competing for jobs, by using a 25 year old obsolete part (go 8051 if you want to get paid)

Hmm - don't know. I usually get a blank stare when I ask them what De Morgan's Theorem is ;-)

I know that the tools are getting a lot smarter, but I still consider FPGA's to be in the realm of the Hardware Engineers.

Ken.

Hmmm - showing my age here, but I thought the 8051 was introduce (by Intel) in 1980 and the 68HC11 in 1985. This would make the humble 8051

Ken.

Yes, but the 80C51 is still VERY active, with 6 of the top 10 semi companies in the world having 80C51 variants, and the 68HC11 has been NFND for a while ( & the supplier of the HC11 just exited the Top 10 list ).

-jg

Never meant to say that it wasn't ACTIVE -- just pointing out that the

Ken.

Isn't everything ARM these days? I like ARM code by the way, looks like 6502 code to me.