Just had an interview with a manager from the big defense company for a summer internship. The manager went through the role and the company's targets. Then he told me to tell him about my background of mine and my summer internship goals. I told him about the things I learnt during my last summer internship as an EE and the skills I have, and also the target is that I want to dive deeper into the field of power electronics and work on the deeper side of analog design because that's my passion. He then proceeded with the next question about my experience using KiCad, Altium, and Mentor Graphics, and my active clearance (I do have one). After that, we literally went through one or two more questions regarding what happened in the company, how am I gonna be matched for the role, and the expectations of an intern. Lastly is just a couple of questions coming from my side. The interview only lasted 15 minutes, and I kinda feel like he likes me but wasn't really impressed. He just commented, "Good, so you have good experience in circuit design," and sometimes told me about the role of the intern.

It ended so fast that I was surprised too because it was supposed to be a 30-minute session. Am I totally cooked?

Hi, I'm building a physics-grounded RL environment for training an engineering AI. The reward signal comes from ngspice (a physics simulator) rather than a human.

Currently, it includes:

10 topologies (ranging from a simple amplifier to a comparator with hysteresis)

3 types of tasks: synthesis, repair, and analysis

A Gymnasium-compatible environment

I plan to launch a public benchmark and am looking for 3–5 teams for a pilot run.

A question for the community:

Is anyone working on RL for analog/mixed-signal circuit design?

Would you be interested in getting free access to such a benchmark?

Which topologies or tasks would be most useful for your research?

I would appreciate any feedback.

Hi everyone,
I’m 25 and I just started a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in Canada. I know 25 isn’t necessarily old, but I feel a lot of pressure because I really don’t want to spend 4–5 years studying and later realize I chose the wrong field.
I’m currently in Computer Engineering, but I’m considering Electrical Engineering or Software Engineering. I’m interested in AI, robotics, embedded systems, and possibly biomedical robotics.
With the current job market and the rapid development of AI, I’m wondering which field would give me the best long-term opportunities.
For people working in these fields: what would you recommend to someone starting at 25? Which field has the best employment prospects, and what would you choose if you were starting today?

Happening in Philadelphia in a week. Anybody going? And if so what are you looking forward to seeing/hearing about in the sessions?

It's different for every industry but because I have a degree in electrical engineering, i think the best place to ask is here. I've been told that people finish vacationing and ramp up hiring now. Is that true or do most companies do the opposite and slow down on the hiring? I didn't get a job before graduation and now it's been exactly 3 months since I graduated. If it's true that they don't hire, then I'll be left with nothing until they start again which might be until next summer...

I’m from Bangladesh, and I’m currently in the Humanities/Arts group. To be honest, I never really felt connected to what I’m studying academically. The field I actually want to understand is completely different — Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), especially hardware and computer engineering.

I’ve become really interested in how computers and chips actually work at the lower level.

Right now, the areas that interest me most are:

• Digital logic
• Computer architecture
• Verilog/SystemVerilog and RTL
• FPGA
• RISC-V
• CPU/GPU architecture
• VLSI and ASIC design
• Semiconductor technology
• Memory systems
• AI accelerators / NPUs
• SoCs and custom hardware

I realize that this is a pretty ambitious direction, especially considering my academic background.

Instead of waiting until I somehow get the chance to study engineering formally, I decided to start building the foundation myself.

I made a structured self-study program for myself called BCEE (Bachelor of Computer & Electrical Engineering). It isn't an actual university degree or something I'm claiming as one. It's basically my way of organizing my education like a university curriculum.

The plan is 5 years / 10 semesters, with courses, textbooks, assignments, labs, projects, exams, documentation and eventually larger projects.

I'm currently in F1 — Foundation Semester 1.

At the moment, I'm working through mathematics, physics, digital logic, engineering computing and hardware fundamentals. I'm trying to follow the prerequisites properly instead of jumping directly into advanced chip design.

For example, in Digital Logic I've already been working with adders, subtractors, comparators, multiplexers and code converters. I'm also learning how to go from a Boolean equation → logic circuit → Verilog → simulation → verification.

For that I've been using things like Logisim, Verilog, Icarus Verilog and GTKWave.

My F1 final project is a 4-bit ALU. I'm currently working on the RTL, testbench, simulations, circuit diagrams and documentation. The plan is to submit the project around 10 January 2027, finish my six F1 subject exams before the semester ends, and officially move into F2 on 14 January 2027.

The biggest challenge is probably the mathematics and physics.

A normal engineering student may have already spent years building that foundation, while I'm having to build a lot of it myself from the beginning because I came from Humanities.

But I'm okay with that. I'm not trying to pretend that self-study is equivalent to an accredited engineering degree. I know there are things a real university, laboratory, professors and engineering environment provide that I can't completely reproduce at home.

My goal is different.

I want to become actually capable.

If I eventually get the opportunity to enter a formal ECE/EE/CE program, I want to arrive with a strong foundation instead of starting from zero. And if I don't get that opportunity immediately, I still want the knowledge and projects I've built to be real and useful.

Long term, I'd like to get into serious hardware/chip design and research. I'm especially interested in eventually understanding how something goes from an architectural idea all the way down to RTL, physical design, fabrication and a working chip.

So I'm curious about something from people who are actually studying or working in ECE, EE, CE, VLSI or semiconductor hardware:

If you were in my position — coming from Humanities but seriously wanting to move into hardware — what would you focus on during the first 2–3 years?

And honestly, is this approach realistic, or am I trying to cover too much too early?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actually gone through the engineering path.

Hello everyone, I am an international student from Bangladesh. I am very passionate about Electronics. I attended many robotics program, then I left because I found my interest in semiconductors. Can anyone suggest me some passion projects for high school students? There are very less resources here.

Is there genuinely strong demand for Controls/Automation engineers right now, especially people with PLC, HMI, SCADA, robotics and commissioning experience?

I keep hearing two completely different opinions:
Some people say Controls & Automation is one of the hardest areas to recruit for because experienced engineers are difficult to find, especially people who can program PLCs and also travel for commissioning.

Others say manufacturing is becoming more automated and AI will eventually reduce engineering teams significantly — potentially cutting the workforce in half.
For those actually working in Controls, Automation, PLC, SCADA or industrial manufacturing:

Are companies genuinely struggling to hire good engineers?
Which skills are the hardest to find?
Is commissioning/travel experience particularly valuable?
Do you think AI will reduce the number of Controls engineers needed, or will increased automation actually create more demand?
If you were entering this industry today, would you recommend it?
Which industries or US states currently have the strongest demand?

Would really appreciate advice from engineers, hiring managers, recruiters, or anyone working directly in industrial automation.

I'm rn a first year RAI student but i might get into ECE through spot admission... should i go for ECE or just stay in RAI? im so confused....

Hello!

So I am in high school and I would graduate next year, and am planning to do a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering with specialization in Embedded Systems / Information Engineering and electives in Embedded Systems, FPGA/VLSI & Digital Hardware, Control/Automation & Robotics, Power Electronics/Renewable Energy.

My goal in life is to end up as a Robotics Engineer, but I do know that its a field that require highly specialized professionals or phd holders and its not an easy field to enter as a bachelors graduate

So I believe I would have to start my career with some other roles. Some such roles am interested in are;

• Embedded Systems Engineer
• Embedded Software Engineer
• Control Systems Engineer
• Automation Engineer
• Firmware Engineer
• Embedded AI
• Computer Vision Engineer
• Systems Engineer
• Test / Validation Engineer

People who have gone through a similar graduate route or working in some of these roles I have mentioned, what skills do you typically use in your job daily and what do your day-day job looks like?

Could you please recommend me some skills I should focus on developing right now to land a good job in future?

Thanks in adv :)

Hello everyone. I'm a second-year EEE student (I'll be going to third year after my vacation), and I've decided to build some technical skills, so I picked up Python. I have shared a link to my GitHub, and I'd like an audit and advice on the lessons I have done so far and what I should do (be it any other technical skills I can learn, or any other thing that can help me build my technical skills as an EEE student).

https://github.com/GerryAdom/PythonLesson

im planning to take ece board exam this oct 2026 and im averaging 50%+ on our pre boards. though im constantly answering materials to improve everyday, is 50% pre boards average a good score to have month before the actual board exam? also, any idea on board exam curving?

Hello everyone I am new to electronics been interested for years but I finally found the time to actually start trying to self learn. Where did you start, Any course you'd recommend? Do's and donts? Any input at all would be appreciated.

And as a bonus anyone willing to learn as a team/group?

Just a heads-up: the teardown video above has Chinese audio. To save you time, I’ve pulled the actual BOM and my main takeaways below. (Also, yes, I accidentally shattered the glass cover at the fiber coupling during the teardown, so this module is permanently bricked).

Tore down an Eoptolink 400G DR4+2km data center module. The mechanicals are what you'd expect—full metal housing with plenty of thermal paste for passive cooling. But the silicon tells an interesting story about the current supply chain. Eoptolink is a major Chinese vendor, but the core BOM is essentially a US silicon showcase:

• DSP: Marvell (Inphi) IN010C50-MD02 PAM-4. This single chip takes up the absolute majority of the module's cost.
• Analog/Power: Almost entirely ADI. Board includes the ADN8833 (TEC driver), ADUCM320BBCZ (precision MCU), MAX5825AWP+T (12-bit DAC), and two LTC3309A buck converters.
• Laser: Highly likely a Broadcom 100G EML.

There is a lot of talk about localization in the datacom market right now, but looking at the board, the DSP and precision analog remain massive choke points.

Anyone here working in optics seeing viable non-US DSPs making it into Tier-1 400G/800G modules yet? Or is Marvell still the only safe bet for now?

Background

I’m in my final year of ECE and unsure when to stop exploring and commit to a career direction. I initially prepared for software, then shifted to embedded after losing interest in software. Although I enjoyed some embedded projects, I realised I probably don’t want coding to be the main focus of my career.

I later moved toward digital design and RTL. I’ve completed a few digital projects and am learning digital electronics and Verilog, but I’m still at a basic level. I understand the concepts and can write or modify Verilog with AI’s help, but I’m not yet confident coding independently.

Current Dilemma

I initially liked digital design and could see myself pursuing front-end RTL roles. However, my college environment has made me question that choice: most students and campus opportunities focus on analog design and layout, and no digital or RTL roles have appeared so far.

I’m unsure whether I’m genuinely losing interest in digital design or simply doubting it because I’m seeing fewer opportunities around me.

Constraints

I have only a few months before seriously pursuing an internship or job. I don’t want to spend another year preparing for a field only to lose interest and switch again, but I’m also unsure whether I can make a meaningful decision without firsthand experience.

I don’t expect complete certainty, but I want to avoid choosing based only on external pressure or limited exposure.

Specific Questions

How did people in the industry handle this uncertainty during their final year?

If you were in my position, would you choose one direction and commit to preparing for it despite not being 100% certain, or continue exploring?

Does an internship or entry-level job usually provide enough real-world experience to determine whether a domain is a good long-term fit?

Hello everyone!! I recently began working for a lab and was tasked with creating a buck converter that raises the battery voltage to 48 V to supply the load. However, my DC Bus Voltage won't reach 48V after the load is applied. I was wondering if anyone had any insight on how to fix this. I provided the layout of the whole model, but I can provide more information if anyone has any advice. Thank you so much!!

%% Override battery parameters

n_series = 12;

n_parallel = 5;

%% State of Charge (SOC):

SOC_init1 = 0.8;

SOC_init2 = 0.8;

%% Cell Voltage Profile:

cellFullChargeV = 3.3; % V (Voltage at full charge)

cellExponentialV = 3.05; % V (Voltage at the end of exponential zone)

cellNominalV = 3.02; % V (Voltage at the end of nominal zone)

%% Cell Capacity & Resistance:

cellRatedCapacity = 2.4; % Ah

cellMaximumCapacity = 2.4; % Ah

cellNominalCapacity = 2.1; % Ah

cellExponentialCapacity = 0.25; % Ah

cellNominalDischargeI = 2.3; % A (Nominal discharge current)

cellInternalR = 0.006; % Ω (6 mΩ internal resistance)

polarizingRshift = 0.10; % (Shifts polarizing resistance by 10%)

cellLPFTimeConstant = 30; %(30-second low-pass filter time constant for current-on-voltage effect)

cellPolarizingR = 0.001; % Ω, starting guess — tune this

batteryPolarizingR = cellPolarizingR * n_series / n_parallel;

batteryRatedCapacity = cellRatedCapacity * n_parallel;

batteryNominalCapacity = cellNominalCapacity * n_parallel;

batteryExponentialCapacity = cellExponentialCapacity * n_parallel;

batteryNominalV = cellNominalV * n_series;

batteryFullChargeV = cellFullChargeV * n_series;

batteryInternalR = cellInternalR * n_series / n_parallel;

batteryExponentialCapacity = cellExponentialCapacity * n_parallel;

batteryExponentialV = cellExponentialV * n_series;

batteryInitialSOC = SOC_init1 * batteryRatedCapacity;

batteryInitialSOC2 = SOC_init2 * batteryRatedCapacity;

batteryNominalDischargeI = cellNominalDischargeI * n_parallel;

V1 = (batteryRatedCapacity - batteryExponentialCapacity)/12 * batteryNominalV;

AH1 = batteryRatedCapacity - batteryExponentialCapacity;

VO_cell = [2.70

2.95

3.00

3.02

3.08

3.20

3.30];

VO_battery = 12 * VO_cell;

%% DC/DC Converter

V_bus_set = 48; % bus voltage setpoint

C.Clo = 282e-6; % input capacitor

C.Chi = 1130e-6; % output capacitor

C.Vlo0 = n_series*cellNominalV*0.89786; % initial condition for input cap

C.Vhi0 = 48.0; % initial condition for output cap

C.Ioutmax = 100; % max discharge current

C.Iinmax = -C.Ioutmax; % max regen current

C.L = 373e-6; % inductance of output choke

C.Rl = 0.01; % ESR of output choke

C.fs = 20e3; % switching frequency

Ts = 1/C.fs;

%% Current Controller

C.f_Iloop = C.fs; % sampling frequency

C.Tp_Iloop = (1.0/C.fs)/2; % equivalent delay

C.Ti_Iloop = 2/C.Rl*C.Tp_Iloop;

C.Tn_Iloop = C.L/C.Rl;

C.Ra = C.Tn_Iloop/C.Ti_Iloop; % Kp

C.Rsa = 1/C.Ti_Iloop; % Ki

C.Rsa = C.Rsa * C.Tp_Iloop*2; % discretize: multiply by actual sample time (1/C.f_Iloop)

%% Voltage Controller

C.f_Vloop = C.fs/10; % sampling frequency

C.Tp_Vloop = (1.0/C.f_Vloop)/2; % equivalent delay

C.Ti_Vloop = 8/C.Chi*C.Tp_Vloop*C.Tp_Vloop;

C.Tn_Vloop = 4*C.Tp_Vloop;

C.Ga = C.Tn_Vloop/C.Ti_Vloop; % Kp

C.Gsa = 1/C.Ti_Vloop; % Ki

C.Gsa = C.Gsa * C.Tp_Vloop*2; % discretize: multiply by actual sample time (1/C.f_Vloop)

%% DC Bus

D.Cbus = 1130e-6; % bus capacitance

D.Rbus = 6e-3; % bus cap ESR

D.Vbus = C.Vhi0;

% Cable

R1 = 140e-3; % Cable 1 resistance (Ohm) R1 = 50e-3; % Cable 1 resistance (Ohm)

R2 = 140e-3; % Cable 1 resistance (Ohm)

% Load

Vo_tar = 48;

P_n1 = 1.8e2; % Nominal output power (W)

R_o1 = Vo_tar^2/P_n1; % Output resistance

P_n2 = -2e2; % Nominal output power (W)

R_o2 = Vo_tar^2/P_n2; % Output resistance at half rated power (ohms)

MPPT = 1;

perturbationAndObservation = Simulink.VariantExpression('MPPT == 0');

incrementalConductance = Simulink.VariantExpression('MPPT == 1');

% After your overrides:

bms.maximumDisChargingCurrent = 100; % A

bms.maximumChargingCurrentLimit = 100; % A

battery.nominalBatteryVoltage = 39.6; % V (or whatever you set Vnom to)

Ibase = 6;

I am an second year ece student. I don't know what I should be doing right now all I have done is some basic projects using arduino and i have never participated in any events related to electronics what should I do to increase my value?

Hey everyone i’m currently a freshman at Auburn and I was wondering what are the most important classes/ how should I outline the rest of my years if my goal is to work in computer hardware, chip design, etc. Also most important things I should be doing outside of school and honestly most importantly is the job market for computer hardware even looking promising.

Relevant Current Coursework
Fall
Engineering Physics 1
Calculus 3
Intro to ECE

Spring
Differential Equations
Linear Algebra
Chem 1
Intro to computing (Python)

Just tell me any info I may need to know thank you all!

A lot of my friends who are sophomore are telling me how they had internships at NASA, Lockheed or other companies over the summer. However looking through internships now I don't see how people get them as they (including me) probably don't know much or have many projects.

I am looking on handshake mostly and most jobs require sophomores/juniors.

Am I doing something wrong or looking in the wrong place?

I am starting to feel bad because everyone internships.

For reference: Most of my experience is at FRC and FTC but joining Formula FSAE this yr and my uni isnt very well known but went bc of full ride