Re: What's the Toughest Branch in Electronics?

D from BC <myrealaddress@xxxxxxxxx> hath wroth:

What's the Toughest Branch in Electronics?

Compliance Engineering. The rules change as you design.

Examples:
Smps design (switchers for..everything!)
Audio design (power amplifiers, analogue filters)
RF design (radio transmitters, receivers, radar, cellphones)
Digital design (computers,microcontrollers,FPGA)

I'll guess this order of difficulty.
1) RF design

RF is magic and nothing works twice the same way. Computer models and
simulations at best come close. All RF data sheets lie. Everything
radiates, spews garbage, or picks up crud. Most designs are
unconditionally unstable. Nobody understands or follows the FCC
rules-n-regs. RF really is magic.

2) Smps design

The switcher part is easy. It's all the added circuitry that protects
the switcher from over/strange/under loads, self-oscillation,
conducted radiation, radiating RF, going berserk near RF, drift,
parasitics, and finding a place to put all the regulatory stickers, is
what's difficult.

3) Audio design

That's almost trivial. What's hard is inventing new buzzwords that
sell. Dynamic transient music power, ambience, presence, motional
distortion, oxygen free copper wire, classic tube/valve distortion,
and such are what's difficult. No unusual design expertise is
required, but plenty of marketing savvy and buzzword creativity.

4) Digital design

I sometimes design on my digits. I have 10 of them easily available
with 10 more in reserve if I remove my shoes and socks. For up to 20
items, digital design is quite simple. My 10 key xylophone sounds
like bells and can therefore do deci-bells.

D from BC

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@xxxxxxxxxx
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
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