I met Jim Williams when he and Walt Jung worked together at Linear Technology. He was a master at circuit design. We usually attribute exceptional designers like this as having intrinsic 'Circuit Sense'. I have it, I suspect that Nelson has it, Charles Hansen has it, etc.
"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all". - Oscar Wilde
"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of the mystery that we are trying to solve." - Max Planck
"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of the mystery that we are trying to solve." - Max Planck
I am schooled as a Engineering Technologist, but have learned to design thanks in part to people like Jim Williams, Bob Pease, Walt Jung and many other known & unknown EE's. App notes/eval pcb's are a great help to people like me who have a hard time figuring.
Quiet frankly, the Network Theory book by Skilling was at/above my academic limit.
First job was at Motorola, 1980, I was only one out of the college that got one because, I guess , I passed the test, it was mostly bjt biasing/RF theory. Knowing that, 10 years ago I designed a 10/2/1 Gbit/s Fibre Channel PCI test card (16 layers in 0.062") BGA pkgs etc. We used it to test some big switches. I learnt XAUI, IBIS, Eclips ECL.
I know it is digital, but is it really at 10 Gig? No it is having the CAD tools, knowing a bit of transmission line theory and having a very expensive scope/probe.
Circuit sense comes from years of working on the bench, building/testing, not in the office/computer. or sorry to say, in many cases, in forum like this.
This why I admire these folks mentioned, do their willingness to help other's like me figure things out.
Enjoy your day, as I am, since these folks, have in part allowed me, to retire/take it easy, early in life.
Quiet frankly, the Network Theory book by Skilling was at/above my academic limit.
First job was at Motorola, 1980, I was only one out of the college that got one because, I guess , I passed the test, it was mostly bjt biasing/RF theory. Knowing that, 10 years ago I designed a 10/2/1 Gbit/s Fibre Channel PCI test card (16 layers in 0.062") BGA pkgs etc. We used it to test some big switches. I learnt XAUI, IBIS, Eclips ECL.
I know it is digital, but is it really at 10 Gig? No it is having the CAD tools, knowing a bit of transmission line theory and having a very expensive scope/probe.
Circuit sense comes from years of working on the bench, building/testing, not in the office/computer. or sorry to say, in many cases, in forum like this.
This why I admire these folks mentioned, do their willingness to help other's like me figure things out.
Enjoy your day, as I am, since these folks, have in part allowed me, to retire/take it easy, early in life.
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I was told that I had 'circuit sense' in 1967, by my first boss at Ampex. He said that I did not know much about electronics design (at that time) but I DID have 'circuit sense', and that is why he hired me. I believe that 'circuit sense' is intrinsic, and not learned.
oh well, staring at the ground again for me, guess I just dont have the genetics for electronic design/circuit sense.
just hard work, lots of building and lots of reading for me, but I guess without that genetic coding, i'm lost, cant be learned
just hard work, lots of building and lots of reading for me, but I guess without that genetic coding, i'm lost, cant be learned
Most worthwhile human activities involve:
- ability
- training/education
- hard work
To a limited extent an excess of one of these can compensate for a partial lack in one of the others. Bragging about one of them can also be an attempt to hide a lack in another.
- ability
- training/education
- hard work
To a limited extent an excess of one of these can compensate for a partial lack in one of the others. Bragging about one of them can also be an attempt to hide a lack in another.
Of course hardware for today's blinding-speed digital is very complex and difficult, and is also something that won't typically be learned in a four year course. Putzeys argues for the distinctive characteristics of digital (versus analog) as making it properly called the symbol domain (others have said the numeric domain). How the symbols or numbers manage to be represented by signals is another matter --- as long as they can be processed, stored, recovered, they are properly classified. The conflation that many make between switching and digital is at the root of so much confusion.
Everything matters, but success in audio design requires 'circuit sense', or Intuition. So a PhD might not do as well in audio design as a college dropout with the 'right stuff'.
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Only genetic coding I have, to benifit EE, is being myopic ( I hate glasses, but I bless God now because I can solder SO-8 with no glasses on.
I was the wrestling star in high school, lot of girls wanting to watch me wrestle, as soon I got glasses, well the tune changed with the girls.
Figured , no career path with wrestling, as it is, so better to study my math and play with electronics.
Come on, you attended Stanford? Probably was taught by Prof. Skilling
I was the wrestling star in high school, lot of girls wanting to watch me wrestle, as soon I got glasses, well the tune changed with the girls.
Figured , no career path with wrestling, as it is, so better to study my math and play with electronics.
I confessed, I am simple, could not make it to get a BSc, do you have an app note for me ;-)
Come on, you attended Stanford? Probably was taught by Prof. Skilling
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The qualifications for designing a world class computer are far different than designing a world class preamp or power amp., and the qualifications for success are different too. This is why many criticisms from people less qualified for a given area of design, mean so little.
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It sounds like many of us have had the same experience in our own areas of work experiences. How many times we have seen a young engineer right out of school who has no ability to apply all that book knowledge while someone with less schooling is looked down on but can run circles around that new hire. Practical experience is needed to apply that book learning, those that appear to have that ability out of school were usually the ones who loved what they were doing and more than likely had a very good understanding before ever entering a college classroom. I guess going to school when I did near the end of times when shop classes were still taught made a big difference as I still find that those of that generation and before seem to have a broader base of experience and understanding of how things work. So few can even open the hood of a car and identify any of the parts under the hood, or take apart a piece of equipment and can put it back together. It is a real problem the way our public schools have dropped the ball telling all that the days of needing to understand mechanical and physical phenomena are a thing of the past.
In the day at Mot, all green EE's, went to the factory floor, along with all the other skilled labour, to learn the way Motorola operated, made it's $. They did not see a desk for a long time until they new the way the mfg processes worked.
Looks like the only factory floors are Asia, so good luck to ya new green EE's learn those necessary skills.
Stupid ?, when how/does EE learn to solder? Sorry it is a technician joke 🙂
Looks like the only factory floors are Asia, so good luck to ya new green EE's learn those necessary skills.
Stupid ?, when how/does EE learn to solder? Sorry it is a technician joke 🙂
As much as I would love to share my 30+ years of electronics, I have no one to share it with other than members of this forum.
Kids just want to play with their handheld toys these days. God if I knew this epidemic, was coming, I might of had a chance to save everyone & blown up all the racks of new cell phone test gear that we had in 1985.
I was going to comment on definition of world class but I shall refrain.
Kids just want to play with their handheld toys these days. God if I knew this epidemic, was coming, I might of had a chance to save everyone & blown up all the racks of new cell phone test gear that we had in 1985.
Okay, but there is the possibility than one can do both of these tasks in their career. They are (digital mind), not mutually exclusive.
I was going to comment on definition of world class but I shall refrain.
I was once ask by a young student ( who was working on his phd thesis ) on an EE board if leaning to solder would help . I told him yes in a zen sort of way. The lost of tactile connection with what is made is most troubling to me.
Some Faults Mechanisms Are All Too Obvious...
...and countless repairs techs wish that product EE/designers should spend long time in warranty repairs dept to learn/see the errors of their ways.
Dan.
...and countless repairs techs wish that product EE/designers should spend long time in warranty repairs dept to learn/see the errors of their ways.
Dan.
There are many indications that the USA has fallen from the top spot or has passed its peak/prime. Just 6 percent of U.S. students performed at the advanced level on an International exam administerd in 56 countries in 2006 ! Thats below 30 other countries. Face it... we are burnt toast. Those numbers cant change - except in decades or generations.
We were like a 'sparkler' that burnt bright and fast and with glittter and glamor -- then -- poof - suddenly gone out. And, it's been out for a long time, too.
Relax. Now it's some other culture/country's turn, now.
Thx-RNMarsh
We were like a 'sparkler' that burnt bright and fast and with glittter and glamor -- then -- poof - suddenly gone out. And, it's been out for a long time, too.
Relax. Now it's some other culture/country's turn, now.
Thx-RNMarsh
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I started in 1959 with Heathkits and Eico Kits. However, I never REALLY learned how to solder well, until I was forced to, by the circumstances of working in a small company.
I just could not delegate everything.
Rsvas, I also went out for wrestling in high school, then switched to weight-lifting. The girls loved me, even with glasses, because I usually wore dark glasses, day or night, if I could get away with it. My 'gang' name was Shades.
Unfortunately, being near sighted won't help that much when you get my age. When accommodation fails, then even seeing up close is very difficult.
I just could not delegate everything.
Rsvas, I also went out for wrestling in high school, then switched to weight-lifting. The girls loved me, even with glasses, because I usually wore dark glasses, day or night, if I could get away with it. My 'gang' name was Shades.
Unfortunately, being near sighted won't help that much when you get my age. When accommodation fails, then even seeing up close is very difficult.
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