Re: Which university produces good analog EEs?

On Thu, 4 Oct 2007 20:36:08 -0400, krw <krw@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article <1c9Ni.5861$6p6.4832@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx says...
miso@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

[...]


Oh yeah, the lack of soldering skills. That would require the student
to have actually built something. These younguns just know how to
program. You've seen the posts where a pic uP is the solutions to any
task, not a state machine comprised of memory elements and
combinational logic.

For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution,
certainly over the discrete implementation you suggest.


I certainly would not say "vast". Many times I have pondered the use of
a uC in a design only to come to the conclusion that 50c is still too
expensive. It's amazing how cheap "poor-man's logic" can be.

You must have very small problems. I've never had one of those. ;-)
The project I'm working on now is in a pair of XC2V-6000s (my part)
and a couple of huge (don't know the model) Virtex-4s. I think I'm
only going to fill 5% of it (and fewer I/Os), but...

What's the most expensive FPGA you buy?



Seriously, I think you're only looking at a small niche. I do believe
uCs are the right solution for the vast majority. ...even the
birthday card I got has one in it. :-/

It's fun, now and then, to design for flat-out performance, and damn
the cost.


The problem with using a uP in such projects is if you are designing a
chip, you need to know how to do it with gates as often that is the
smallest and lowest power solution. The ability to hand craft logic is
disappearing rapidly, but is very much needed in mixed mode chips
which are not done on fine geometry processes.


It sure is disappearing, just like analog skills seem to be almost gone
in fresh grad.

I've ripped out many uC solutions for reliability and cost reasons. Same
for PALs/GALs because that's the era back in the late 80's when
mixed/discrete design skills began to tank. The topper was a system
where I ripped out so many (plus went to 100% AC terminations) that the
power supply kept tripping off and one of them blew. We had managed to
get underneath the minimum load. IIRC the PALs was guzzling 30-40mA just
sitting there. Each.

What's the old saying? If they only learn how to use a hammer every
problem will begin to look like a nail. Heck, I've seen one-shots being
done with a uC. That almost made me sick.

One shots make me sick too. ;-)/2

What? Another case of asynchrophobia?

John



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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Which university produces good analog EEs?
    ... For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution, ... smallest and lowest power solution. ... mixed/discrete design skills began to tank. ... One shots make me sick too. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Sick Bastards on FF
    ... The vast, vast majority that post on FF are utter bigoted, ... They make me sick. ... smacks of lazy point scoring and self righteous indignation to ... making sick posts using different peoples name's, ...
    (uk.sport.football.clubs.celtic)
  • Re: Which university produces good analog EEs?
    ... For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution, ... invested in software to program them than the chips themselves. ... It's fun, now and then, to design for flat-out performance, and damn ... Like I said, cost rarely, if ever, was. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Which university produces good analog EEs?
    ... For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution, ... invested in software to program them than the chips themselves. ... It's fun, now and then, to design for flat-out performance, and damn ... Like I said, cost rarely, if ever, was. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Which university produces good analog EEs?
    ... For the vast majority of applications, a uC is the right solution, ... invested in software to program them than the chips themselves. ... It's fun, now and then, to design for flat-out performance, and damn ... Like I said, cost rarely, if ever, was. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)