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 Hardware and EE
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chrisbrown




PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:42 pm   Post subject: Hardware and EE

For Nathan and anyone else who might be interested, I thought I'd talk a little bit about the things I work on.

Conceptually, hardware isn't very different from software: in both disciplines you're creating well-defined systems that behave in a certain way. The difference comes down to how those systems are implemented.

In software, everything boils down to a list of instructions at the end of the day. Regardless of the language you use, things get done by telling the CPU what to do.

In hardware you have choices, and your system will often combine more than one at a time. Software is still an option, and microcontrollers are only getting more popular. But in some cases, CPUs might be too expensive or too complicated or just can't respond fast enough. In those cases, we start looking at discrete digital systems which still use 1's and 0's but in more immediate ways than in typical computing. Beyond that we get into analog circuitry which is a fascinating domain but requires a very different way of thinking from digital. In the analog world you don't have 1 or 0 or a system clock to synchronize everything; instead you manipulate voltages and currents to create the desired behaviour.

Here's a few of my projects

#1: A very simple LED flashlight that uses a boost converter to turn 2.4 volts into 6 volts.

#2: A wireless transmitter and receiver that sets the brightness and hue of a multi-coloured LED.

#3: Prototype of an electronic load (a device used to test power supplies and other devices)

#4: Final version of the electronic load, in progress.

The home lab. My computer is on the desk to the right out of frame.



Nothing says you have to choose between hardware and software. I spent plenty of time doing web development, so once I know my way around a circuit board I made myself a control panel. Each button sends a command over the web to a server on my machine, which can then launch a program or send a signal to something else. For example, the "+ Room" button sends a wireless signal to a servo motor on my wall that flicks the light switch on.

I could go on and on about this stuff. If anyone has any particular interests I'll be happy to talk about them as best I can.
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Nathan4102




PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:04 pm   Post subject: RE:Hardware and EE

Wow, thats pretty cool! When I was talking hardware, I was thinking putting together computers or something, not this stuff. How do you make money doing this stuff though? It seems like more of a hobby.
chrisbrown




PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:48 pm   Post subject: Re: Hardware and EE

Ahh, ok. Two sides of the same coin. If we're labeling things, technicians focus on building and repairing, engineers focus on design (which is what I like to do).

I think it only seems like a hobby because hardware doesn't get the same exposure that software does. Think of all the electrical devices around you right now. Many of them will have had a programming team involved in the development process. But all of them will have had an electrical team. Everything with a battery or wall plug has been designed by hardware people.

Unlike software e.g. Windows or Facebook, hardware usually isn't consciously acknowledged. It just isn't something people notice in their day-to-day lives. But once you're in the field you start to realize what a massive industry it is. Software certainly gets more interest these days but hardware definitely isn't going away.
Tony




PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:52 pm   Post subject: Re: RE:Hardware and EE

Nathan4102 @ Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:04 pm wrote:
It seems like more of a hobby.

Many innovative companies start out of a hobby. E.g. Apple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Inc.
Quote:

Wozniak completed the machine and took it to Homebrew Computer Club meetings to show it off. At the meeting, Wozniak met his old friend Jobs, who was interested in the commercial potential of the small hobby machines.


There's a gradient of other disciplines as well -- http://compsci.ca/blog/6-degrees-of-computer-science/

In terms of assembly/repair -- the trend is that it's getting cheaper/easier to just buy a new device than repair an old one. This is due to 1) mobile devices overtaking PC sales ( http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-28/pc-market-to-decline-7-8-in-2013-as-mobile-devices-gain.html ) and 2) mobile market leaders are trending towards "very difficult to repair" ( http://www.ifixit.com/Tablet_Repairability ).
Latest from compsci.ca/blog: Tony's programming blog. DWITE - a programming contest.
Nathan4102




PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:00 pm   Post subject: RE:Hardware and EE

Your second point is a screaming business idea in my eyes. If phones these days are "very difficult to repair", why not make the investment of time to learn how to repair and work with these devices? You'd be one of few with a highly demanded skill = $$$
Tony




PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:40 pm   Post subject: RE:Hardware and EE

That's the niche that http://www.ifixit.com/ is going for, but note that they make their money in selling parts and tools, while providing repair guides for free.

Mass market (not top of the line) devices (think iPhone 4s and 5c, but not 5s) go for something like $500 new and contract-free. You can find a used 4s for $200. The repair cost must be meaningfully cheaper than just getting another device, for it to make sense.

GeekSquad that does PC repair advertises their in-home repairs starting at $129. This is arguably a low-skill job (doesn't require college education or specialized equipment -- typically involves swapping some standard part). $129 + cost-of-part is about what it would cost to get a replacement device in full. You can't control the costs of devices or parts, so the only place to cut is your own margins. Charging less than low-skill PC parts swapping, for difficult phone repairs (and new models come out annually) is an unattractive proposition.

Though there is opportunity in certain specific types of repairs. E.g. swapping cracked glass (although this now tends to be glued to the screen). If the procedure can be standardized enough such that you don't need skillful labor to perform the repair, there could be enough margins left for a business. I've seen some kiosks pop up that offer such services.
Latest from compsci.ca/blog: Tony's programming blog. DWITE - a programming contest.
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