Which university produces good analog EEs?

[Terry Given]

Jim Thompson wrote:




Actually getting parts is now probably easier and cheaper than it has ever
been, with ebay and lots of online catalogues. People also discard things
now that as kids any of us would have been very pleased to dismantle, and
some of us still do.

Getting datasheets is also much easier for hobbyists since the internet took
off. I remember having to make long journeys to a library that had some
datasheets on microfilm, then paying quite a lot of money to have them
printed off, and the whole process of getting one datasheet could take a
day of my time, even if I was lucky and it was one of the datasheets that
they had.

Chris

Hell yeah wrt datsheets. Here in NZ in the 80's it was a real PITA.
semiconductor reps charged a lot for databooks, unless you were a big
customer. Intel was particularly bad. Back when I was a tech, it was
prohibitously expensive to get databooks, around $50 each. Luckily I had
a cousin who worked for Nat Semi, he sent me a big box of databooks (I
still have the analog apps book).

of course the internet does have a 6-month half life, but hard drive
storage is essentially free.

Cheers
Terry

 

[Joerg]

Hell yeah wrt datsheets. Here in NZ in the 80's it was a real PITA.
semiconductor reps charged a lot for databooks, unless you were a big
customer. Intel was particularly bad. Back when I was a tech, it was
prohibitously expensive to get databooks, around $50 each. Luckily I had
a cousin who worked for Nat Semi, he sent me a big box of databooks (I
still have the analog apps book).

of course the internet does have a 6-month half life, but hard drive
storage is essentially free.

Until you hear that telltale high-pitched whine, followed by an awful
screech.

 

[Terry Given]

Until you hear that telltale high-pitched whine, followed by an awful
screech.

I have several large USB hard drives for "backup". hopefully they wont
all break simultaneously.

Cheers
Terry

 

[Joerg]

I have several large USB hard drives for "backup". hopefully they wont
all break simultaneously.

As long as they don't share a power rail and are protected from spikes
that should be a good strategy. Still, one copy should go off-site.

 

[Phil Hobbs]

Hello Folks,

Happens a lot these days, last time an hour ago: Someone is looking for
an analog/mixed signal engineer (this time low power design). I could do
it but they absolutely want to have someone on staff. Which I can't do.
So, I often try to convince them to settle for a youngster who gets
coached now and then, instead of sitting there a year from now still
trying to find the perfect candidate.

Which US or Canadian university lets off the best analog/mixed EEs? I
know, I know, many can't even solder etc. It ain't like it used to be.
But there has got to be an alma mater that sticks out. Or maybe a
particular institute at one. And please, no pissing contests.

Try out Montana State and the University of Colorado.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

 

[Tim Williams]

???

Trying to be shrewd in saying that, I sound like the person you're looking
for.

Tim

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Joerg wrote:
[..snip...]

Which US or Canadian university lets off the best analog/mixed EEs? I
know, I know, many can't even solder etc. It ain't like it used to be.
But there has got to be an alma mater that sticks out. Or maybe a
particular institute at one. And please, no pissing contests.

Don't you work in the biomedical electronics industry? There are several
universities with degree programs in this particular field. The
curriculum for this concentration requires serious course work in
several of the applied sciences, biophysics, and the supporting
measurement technology, analog and mixed signal. Graduates of these
programs are generally superior to the mass produced poorly educated
riffraff of the unfocussed EE programs that lack context, mostly
bit-heads; I wouldn't hire them to take out the garbage.

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Trying to be shrewd in saying that, I sound like the person you're looking
for.

Tim

But does modern design practice use vacuum tube logic circuits still?

 

[Joerg]

Trying to be shrewd in saying that, I sound like the person you're looking
for.

Ah, now it registered ;-)

You've got mail.

 

[Joerg]

Try out Montana State and the University of Colorado.

Thanks, that's a start. I just fear that guys who've lived in places
like that would not enjoy Bay Area life (I wouldn't). But definitely
worth a try.

 

[Joerg]

Joerg wrote:
[..snip...]

Which US or Canadian university lets off the best analog/mixed EEs? I
know, I know, many can't even solder etc. It ain't like it used to be.
But there has got to be an alma mater that sticks out. Or maybe a
particular institute at one. And please, no pissing contests.

Don't you work in the biomedical electronics industry? There are several
universities with degree programs in this particular field. The
curriculum for this concentration requires serious course work in
several of the applied sciences, biophysics, and the supporting
measurement technology, analog and mixed signal. Graduates of these
programs are generally superior to the mass produced poorly educated
riffraff of the unfocussed EE programs that lack context, mostly
bit-heads; I wouldn't hire them to take out the garbage.

We have a pretty good biomed program at UC Davis here in town. I've
worked with biomed engineers and they sure are a smart bunch. However,
most of them are not hardcore analog guys who can squeeze the last dB of
NF out of a jelly-bean transistor.

I came from the other direction, RF. Slipped into biomed by coincidence,
it wasn't planned. My former room mate's mom went to market and back in
those days they wrapped lettuce in newspaper. She unpacked it at home
and there was an ad by Squibb Medical (seriously). I would have never
seen it because it was in their local paper. Small ultrasound
department, very independent from the big pharmaceutical organization.
So I interviewed and started there because I like smaller companies.

 

[Tim Williams]

But does modern design practice use vacuum tube logic circuits still?

Ah, but don't you recall that thread Win started a while ago? Didn't his
solution involve a tube? ;-)

Tim

 

[Joerg]

Ah, but don't you recall that thread Win started a while ago? Didn't his
solution involve a tube? ;-)

The HV switch? I think he went the white-knuckle route using a FET
stack. A ballast triode would probably have been the perfect fit.
Problem is, they don't make'em no more :-(

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

My personal part bins include chips from the '60's ;-)

First run samples don't count! ;-)


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

I've got a couple of trays full of the original Fairchild RTL buffers,
gates, and flops.

Flatpack 914, and 923 marked 'NASA'.

--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Getting datasheets is also much easier for hobbyists since the internet took
off. I remember having to make long journeys to a library that had some
datasheets on microfilm, then paying quite a lot of money to have them
printed off, and the whole process of getting one datasheet could take a
day of my time, even if I was lucky and it was one of the datasheets that
they had.

Does anyone else still have a microfiche Viewer/Printer?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Terry Given]

Does anyone else still have a microfiche Viewer/Printer?

viewer. I have a stack of IEE comics on microfiche, and picked up a
viewer for $5 a couple of years back

Cheers Terry

 

[Joerg]

viewer. I have a stack of IEE comics on microfiche, and picked up a
viewer for $5 a couple of years back

Check how old the fiches are. Probably not very. But if they are really
old make sure it's not the kind of film that can spontaneously combust.
IIRC that burned down a large building somewhere in Russia where they
had stored many spools of old movies.

 

[Phil Hobbs]

Thanks, that's a start. I just fear that guys who've lived in places
like that would not enjoy Bay Area life (I wouldn't). But definitely
worth a try.

It's amazing what a W-2 form can do to motivate someone--ask me how I
know, I've lived in NY for 20 years now.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Check how old the fiches are. Probably not very. But if they are really
old make sure it's not the kind of film that can spontaneously combust.
IIRC that burned down a large building somewhere in Russia where they
had stored many spools of old movies.

If it's newer than about 1950 it should be okay.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany