C
Chris Carlen
- Jan 1, 1970
- 0
Hi:
I am currently considering the design of an fuel injector driver, some
aspects of which have been discussed here already. This is a
substantial power electronics design problem, involving as well feedback
control loop design. As with most projects that I do, I have the task
of doing every aspect of it without any outside guidance, except for
what I might request, which usually happens here on s.e.d because there
are really no EEs in my facility, except for two who aren't in my dept.
No electrical engineer is over me to give me schematics to build or to
do the calculations for me. I do everything from conceptual design,
theoretical calcs. if needed, simulations and modeling, PCB design,
layout, fabrication, population, testing, and final packaging. If the
design requires uC/uP, I program it myself.
I'm just wondering if this is a typical task list for techs. out there
in other industries and institutions. Most of the techs. here do not do
any sort of design that goes beyond the level of theory contained in
ohms law, 1/(2 pi RC), and the op-amp circuits of inverting,
non-inverting, and follower. Some can program, and some are venturing
into simple uC projects, which only started after I came here and
prodded some folks. In fact, no one in my facility made PCBs until I
started encouraging it. When I came here in 1999, we were still using
only LSTTL and wire wrapping! But in terms of EE type theoretical
design work at the level of even AC circuit complex algebra, good
heavens not Laplace or Fourier, or even SPICE modeling, this just isn't
done by techs. here.
I also don't have a EE or even E-tech. background as I have a BS in
Chemistry, and got hired to be a laser/optical technologist. When I
started in 1999 I had the level of knowledge of electronics of basic
logic gates, barely understood what to do with a flip-flop, never
touched a microprocessor (though I had programmed the 8086 PC
extensively in C and .asm), basic DC, AC, and time domain circuit
analysis (I had been studying the subject of circuit analysis in an EE
text, and have just about completed it.) I've improved drastically
since that time, but still have lots of holes in my knowledge scattered
throughout the palette of topics a EE should know, since that is what
happens when you are self-taught. The best thing I did in college was
get a math minor, which has turned out to be more useful than my major.
What level of design is typically expected of "technologists", and how
would you describe the dividing line between engineer behavior and tech.
behavior?
Thanks for comments.
--
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected]
I am currently considering the design of an fuel injector driver, some
aspects of which have been discussed here already. This is a
substantial power electronics design problem, involving as well feedback
control loop design. As with most projects that I do, I have the task
of doing every aspect of it without any outside guidance, except for
what I might request, which usually happens here on s.e.d because there
are really no EEs in my facility, except for two who aren't in my dept.
No electrical engineer is over me to give me schematics to build or to
do the calculations for me. I do everything from conceptual design,
theoretical calcs. if needed, simulations and modeling, PCB design,
layout, fabrication, population, testing, and final packaging. If the
design requires uC/uP, I program it myself.
I'm just wondering if this is a typical task list for techs. out there
in other industries and institutions. Most of the techs. here do not do
any sort of design that goes beyond the level of theory contained in
ohms law, 1/(2 pi RC), and the op-amp circuits of inverting,
non-inverting, and follower. Some can program, and some are venturing
into simple uC projects, which only started after I came here and
prodded some folks. In fact, no one in my facility made PCBs until I
started encouraging it. When I came here in 1999, we were still using
only LSTTL and wire wrapping! But in terms of EE type theoretical
design work at the level of even AC circuit complex algebra, good
heavens not Laplace or Fourier, or even SPICE modeling, this just isn't
done by techs. here.
I also don't have a EE or even E-tech. background as I have a BS in
Chemistry, and got hired to be a laser/optical technologist. When I
started in 1999 I had the level of knowledge of electronics of basic
logic gates, barely understood what to do with a flip-flop, never
touched a microprocessor (though I had programmed the 8086 PC
extensively in C and .asm), basic DC, AC, and time domain circuit
analysis (I had been studying the subject of circuit analysis in an EE
text, and have just about completed it.) I've improved drastically
since that time, but still have lots of holes in my knowledge scattered
throughout the palette of topics a EE should know, since that is what
happens when you are self-taught. The best thing I did in college was
get a math minor, which has turned out to be more useful than my major.
What level of design is typically expected of "technologists", and how
would you describe the dividing line between engineer behavior and tech.
behavior?
Thanks for comments.
--
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected]