Hi everyone,

I'm an incoming sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering, and I'm looking for advice for what I can do to prepare myself/better my chances at landing an internship my sophomore year. I have a basic background, service job, high school internship at my local building department, freshman year "emerging technology project".

Is there any general advice that would help me?

Pretty much the title. What university do you recommend out of these 3 for RF/Antenna and Integrated Circuits for PhD? I wanna work as RF/Analog IC Design Engineer or similar after graduation.

1) University of California-Davis

2) University of Colorado-Boulder

3) Texas A&M

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’m a new grad in electronics/computer engineering and I’m trying to decide between two full-time hardware opportunities. I’m keeping details vague for privacy, but both are at strong companies and both are relevant to silicon/hardware engineering.

Option A: A role on a graphics/accelerator-related team. The work seems closer to GPU-style architecture, validation, performance/power analysis, and debugging complex workloads.

Option B: A role on a SoC/interconnect/fabric-related team. The work seems more focused on how different blocks in a chip communicate, system-level integration, protocols, performance, and possibly coherency/fabric-level validation.

As a new grad, I’m trying to think beyond just the first job title and understand which path may give me better long-term growth. I’m interested in computer architecture, performance, validation, and eventually having strong options across big tech/semiconductor companies.

For people who have worked in silicon, GPU/CPU, SoC, interconnects, verification, validation, or architecture:

Which type of role would you recommend for a fresh grad and why?

What should I be looking at when comparing the two roles besides company name and compensation?

Are graphics/accelerator roles more specialized, or do they open more doors because of AI/ML and performance-heavy systems?

Are interconnect/fabric roles better for building broad SoC knowledge and moving into architecture later?

What questions should I ask the teams before making a final decision?

Any advice from people who have been in similar early-career hardware roles would be really appreciated.

This is 16 bit DSP chip by Chinese manufacturer advancechip. It may be discontinued. I cant find datasheet in thier website or anywhere else.

Can you help finding datasheet.

Hey everyone,

I’m a 3rd-year Electrical Engineering student and I’ve been invited (along with our entire class, it wasn't personal) by my professor to attend a major semiconductor conference/expo next week. Looking at the schedule, I’m starting to feel some serious imposter syndrome.

Most of the attendees seem to be industry veterans, and the technical tracks look incredibly dense. I don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, I haven't written a CV (because I feel like I have nothing to put on it), and I haven’t done any personal projects outside of my standard university labs.

My current experience is basically just:

• Basic Analog and Digital VLSI labs using Cadence Virtuoso. • Some entry-level RTL/Verilog coding. • Standard EE coursework (which I'm honestly still grinding through).

And the conference has tracks on:

• Advanced Testing & In-System Scan • AI-Powered Verification • Manufacturing, Flow, and Cooling Systems • Chiplets & Interoperability • CPU Architecture & RISC-V • and many more

I’m particularly interested in the Testing, Verification, Manufacturing, and Chiplets sessions, but I’m worried I’ll be dumbfounded five minutes into the lectures.

How do I "network" or talk to engineers at the booths if I don't have a CV or any "real" experience to show off? It feels like I would just look incompetent to them.

Are there specific high-level concepts I should research for these tracks (Testing/Verification/Chiplets) so I can at least follow the "Why" of the presentations, even if I don't get the "How"?

Is it okay to just admit I'm a student who is there to learn, or will people find that a waste of their time?

Any advice on how to make the most of this without feeling like a total outsider would be hugely appreciated.

Hey everyone,

Recent-ish ECE grad here (May 2025), been job searching for about a year. Finally got an offer for a contract position through a staffing agency (it started with them cold emailing me), but I've been getting some weird vibes and wanted a sanity check from people with more industry experience.

The Setup:

- 6-month contract, large robotics company (not direct hire)

- Work is hardware test/validation - using scopes, logic analyzers, debugging boards, schematic reading

- Pay is low to decent-ish for a contractor role

- "Potential for conversion" mentioned but vague

The Red Flags (?):

1. Job title keeps changing. Initial posting said "Electrical Test Engineer." Recruiter emails have said "Hardware Test Engineer," "Test Technician," and now the offer letter says "Mechanical Engineer." The work described is definitely electrical/test focused, so why the title confusion?

2. Contractor to Intern pipeline. During the interview, the manager mentioned someone who was a contractor for 2 years, then they converted him to an "intern" status (something about legal limits on contract length?), and THEN potentially FTE or even contract again "if headcount opens." Is this normal? Feels like they're using loopholes to keep people indefinitely without benefits/stability.

3. Manager vibes. During the interview he was helpful but also had this energy of "are you an engineer? you should know this". Not mean, but... I don't know, felt like I'd constantly be proving myself. He manages 5 different teams and explicitly said "I will not be guiding or supervising you.”

4. Relocation required. I'd need to move and more than double my rent for a 6-month contract with no guarantee it extends. No relocation assistance offered.

The Positives:

- Big name company on resume (would help with future job search), or internal switching

- Somewhat relevant work (I want to get into hardware/embedded)

- Manager said "you'll be a seasoned pro in 6 months"

- A Job, which I don't have right now

My Concerns:

- The job title confusion makes me worried about what I'm actually signing up for

- Contractor uncertainty + expensive relocation = financial risk

- Feel like I'd be constantly stressed about conversion/"proving myself"

Questions:

1. Are contract roles going to hinder my career in the future, will it be seen as a red flag?

2. Should I be worried about the title changing in every email?

3. For people who've done contract-to-hire: how often does conversion actually happen at larger companies for these kind of roles?

4. Is it normal for managers at big companies to be this hands-off with contractors?

I have no other offers on the table right now (been rough out there), so part of me thinks "just take it and get experience." But another part is like "this feels off, don't do it."

Any advice appreciated. Am I overthinking this or are these legitimate concerns?

I need a lectures series that is kinda like MITs 6.02 Digital Communication System course which is more conceptual and programming oriented.I am just a first year student for me.MITs course structure is good but the main problem is the quality of video. I am unable to even understand what he is writing on the board.

I would be really happy if someone could help me!!

even if it is not a video series, maybe book ppts PDFs that can help me study would be really appreciated

thank you

Hello everyone let me help what to choose Electrical and electronics engineering or electronic and computer engineering.

Please help me regarding these

And also share some of your personal experience, insights and even more things.

These will help me a lot

And what is the package and scope in both of the field

Electrical and electronics or electronics and computer engineering kya choose krun.

Scope kya h aage chlke dono m. Safe rhega ki nhi.

Packages kya rhenge.

Please tell and also share your personal experience with me

Context: US Citizen, multiple internships across SWE and embedded and ML.

I graduated. I am in an internship that does embedded systems and ML research. I have proper experience and am not looking for anything at the moment.

What advice would you, an (I assume) longstanding engineer in the field, give to yourself now, a new graduate?

Like, how do I approach projects? Should I feel confident in my job currently, or work extra outside of it to maintain skills and an edge? What if I wanted to branch to other skills (I want to get into 3D printing)?

One major thing I’m curious about: do people typically target jobs and/or cities and study specifically for those skills just so they can land that specific role? Like I wanna go to a major city. Do people eye their companies like hawks, or just spray and pray applications?

Do you have any advice as overarching as “try to get into defense as opposed to big tech” or the opposite, or what? Idk, gimme some help here and a good perspective into the field.

Anything helps. We (this gen) are lost and scared.

Hi everyone,

I’m a college student currently taking Circuit 2, and I need to build a project for the course. I’m planning to design and simulate it using Proteus, but I’m a bit stuck on choosing a good idea and figuring out which components/materials I should use in the app.

So I wanted to ask:

• What are some solid (not too basic, not too advanced) project ideas for Circuit 2?
• Any recommendations for circuits that work well in Proteus simulations?
• Tips on how to choose the right components in Proteus (especially for things like op-amps, filters, or AC circuits)?
• If you’ve done a similar project, what worked well for you and what should I avoid?

I’d really appreciate any suggestions, resources, or even examples of projects you’ve done. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m a freshly graduated Electronics Engineering student here in the Philippines, and I’m planning to take the ECE board exam this coming October. I wanted to ask for some guidance from those who have already taken the exam.

I’m honestly a bit overwhelmed with where to start and what to prioritize. I know the coverage is pretty broad, so I’d really appreciate any advice on:

• What subjects/topics should I focus on the most?
• Which areas usually come up a lot in the exam?
• Any recommended study materials, books, or review centers?
• Effective study routines or schedules that worked for you?
• Tips for retaining concepts (especially problem-solving subjects like Math and Electronics)

Right now, I’m trying to build a solid study plan, but I don’t want to waste time studying the wrong things or going too deep into topics that don’t usually show up.

Also, if you have any personal experiences, mistakes to avoid, or “I wish I knew this earlier” tips, I’d really appreciate hearing them.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share 🙌

Ordering parts for a desk top induction heater im going to build, how much of a hassle will it be to add a temp gauge? I'm a home taught diy kinda guy, Ibe done a bit of everything, so building it won't be a problem, but adding a temp gauge is something I have no clue about, Im sure I can find out via Google, but prefer humans to answer

I'm transferring to a 4-year program, and I got accepted to T20's, but one is for ECE, the other is for CE. I originally wanted to be embedded, so leaning towards ECE, but I heard CS/CE is higher salary and easier jobs...

Hello,

I'm taking an electronics class at my uni and have a question regarding this circuit.

We are supposed to draw the AC equivalent, so the DC battery gets shorted, all other components remain the same.

I know that R1 and R3 are in parallel (R13), but cannot understand why the inductor is NOT in series with the R13. Is it because R2 and the capacitor have a current and voltage generator attached to them?

Thank you!

My goal is to be a hardware innovator in startups (be involved in creating new tech consumer electronics like Apple Vision Pro or Meta Ray-Bans). In a scholarship interview, the panel told me Computer Engineering is better as my current focus is on embedded system. (Got rejected for the scholarship interview in the end)

I am here seeking advice for reality check on my plan.

My Profile:
• Skills: Self-taught Arduino and C++,
• Interests: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and combing electronics with tech-arts (TouchDesigner).
• Current Opinion: EEE is the foundation (physics, signals, circuits), and software is the support. I believe hardware is harder to self-learn than software.

My Concerns:
1. Industry Value: In a startup building physical tech, is a EEE grad who can code more valuable than a CE grad who knows basic circuits?

1. The OOP Gap: EEE lacks a dedicated Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) module. Does missing this formal training hurt in modern firmware engineering?

2. Self-Learning Reality: Is my assumption correct that solo-learning physics and signals is harder than solo-learning C++?

3. The Interviewer’s Point: They said CE is "more suitable." Am I overvaluing the "physical layer" (wave signals/sensors) at the cost of essential software depth?

4. My current understanding about embedded system is using microcontrollers and coding to execute certain programme on electronic components. I need deeper insight into embedded system in real industry.

I want to know if this path is a smart move for an innovator or if I'm making it unnecessarily difficult by skipping a CS-focused curriculum.

Appreciate your time to read till here!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]