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- Joined
- Dec 18, 2013
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Dont eat yellow snow. 
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2012
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Never tug on Superman's Cape.
the other guys comical answers for a reason .... your question is so unspecific that its really difficult to give good answers
what is your electronics background ?
have you already started diploma, BSc etc courses ?
what electronics fields interest you ?
Dave
Following are the subjects a student should know before they will be ready to progress to learning the specifics of communications engineering & electronics:
Integral and Differential Calculus
Vector Calculus
Complex Algebra
Higher Order Differential Equations
Partial Differential Equations
Boundary Value Problems
Linear Systems Analysis Theory
Network Analysis & Synthesis
Fourier Transform & Fourier Series
Fourier Integral & Continuous Spectra
Laplace Transform & Inverse Methods
Probability Theory & Random Variables
Signals Analysis & Stochastic Processes
Discrete Signals & Digital Signal Processing
Fast Numerical Transforms
Linear Algebra & Matrix Methods
Cryptography & Coding Theory
Boolean Algebra
Error-Correcting Codes
yeah, there is a lot of stuff in electronics:
digital electronics, which are low-power and low-voltage, very sensitive to timing issues, moderately sensitive to noise; a lot of this involves working with ICs. here, things like component switching times, propagation delays, ... may become significant factors. say, one has to make sure that the data bits reach the target before the clock pulse rises or falls, as otherwise the output may turn to garbage.
analog signal-processing electronics, where typically noise and precision are much bigger factors (things like noise, or component values being off, can have a significant impact on correct behavior of a circuit). one may be left considering the values and tolerances of their resistors and capacitors and similar (with resistor values that would be absurdly large in other contexts, such as needing 700kOhm for a circuit to work, but it will fail if below 675k or over 750k).
then there may be things, like dealing with signal attenuation over distances, or how long it may take something to travel that distance, ...
power electronics, where things like wire gauge, component power-ratings, and heat, become significant factors (is the wire thick enough, will this component handle this load or fry, ...). types of issues become things like, say: wires overheating due to current (melting insulation is bad), transistors overheating and/or catastrophically failing, issues due to the inductive kick from switching large coils (big white sparks and the smell of ozone aren't necessarily good, nor necessarily when these sparks blow holes in metal or ones' power transistors explode as a result), ...
then, there are subsets of power electronics, like for example, considering specifics of winding motors (wire gauge, whether to wind the coils in series or parallel, ...). and motors may be small DC motors using permanent magnets, and larger motors using field-coils in place of magnets, or induction motors using "squirrel cage" rotors, ...
likewise, to one person, "battery powered" may imply some AAs or maybe some LiON or LiPo cells (with low-voltage DC power), and "mobile" means "fits in someones' pocket". but another may well think of "battery powered" in terms of a banks of lead-acid batteries (say, at anywhere from 24 to 144 volts), and "mobile" as something mounted in the back of a pickup truck or otherwise rolling around on wheels.
and, one person may think in terms of mW, and the other of kW.
and, some projects may involve multiple types at the same time.
say, some parts are digital and analog electronics, and a lot of other parts are power electronics.
nevermind parts which overlap with mechanical systems, like gearing, solenoids, and interfacing electronics with hydraulics and pneumatics. a project may be partly software, partly electronic, partly mechanical, and partly pneumatic (at kW power-levels and above, pneumatic and hydraulic start to look a little more attractive from a component price perspective).
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When I started my career it was mandatory that I study a foreign language. At that time Germany was a rapidly rising star in engineering, so I said to myself "Was ist los mit mer?" I had studied (and failed to learn) German in high school. Same-o same-o in college. I was destined to be an engineering failure because I couldn't learn German. NOT! A few years later most colleges in the USA dropped the foreign language requirement and I skated through to an electrical engineering degree at the one I attended (part time) for ten years. Along the way I honed my English language and communication skills. Even learned how to make Power Point Presentations.
So my advice to you as an "electronics and communications engineering student" is to learn how to communicate clearly, concisely, and unambiguously in at least two languages: your native tongue for one and perhaps English or Mandarin for two. Make that three. It seems we will be communicating with the Chinese for quite some time, now that they have dragged themselves into the 21st Century.
Oh, and one more homily: Don't ever draw down against someone whose business card reads "Have Gun, Will Travel".
73 de AC8NS
Hop
Colin Mitchell
- Aug 31, 2014
- 1,416
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- Aug 31, 2014
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- 1,416
You need to start by building dozens of projects.
much agreed.
it is one thing to understand in-theory how some components or circuits may behave, but some hands-on experience building things helps give a much better understanding of how the parts actually behave, and may help point out a lot of things which one may have overlooked in their original thinking.
also, simulators may lie:
the simulated circuits do not necessarily match the behavior of real circuits.
something may work in real-life, but not work correctly or otherwise be problematic for the simulator;
other times, circuits may behave perfectly well in the simulator, but may actually be impossible in real life (say, one is operating the components well outside of what would destroy their real-world counterparts). (say, the real-word version fails with exploding transistors and lighting bolts when switching an inductive load, ...).
and, at the same time, a person might end up initially using far too much solder and overly thick wire for a given current load, later finding out they can get by with a lot less.
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