The Designer's Guide Community Forum

The Designer's Guide Community Forum
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl
General >> Tech Talk >> How to attract the kids to the analog IC design ?
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1183746536

Message started by AnalogAroma on Jul 6^th, 2007, 11:28am

Title: How to attract the kids to the analog IC design ?
Post by AnalogAroma on Jul 6^th, 2007, 11:28am

Hi All !

How can we attract the kids to the exciting and colorful profession of analog IC design ?
Any idea ? How about writing a novel about the challenging life of an analog IC designer ?

With Regards,

Analog Aroma

Title: Re: How to attract the kids to the analog IC desig
Post by topquark on Jul 10^th, 2007, 8:52am

It can't be done over night, especially when there's hardly any teenager these days into radio-kits 'n stuff.
Many of them won't have any idea that "doing electronics" is as more fun than playing PS/XBOX or just idly browsing the net!

Books won't help much, we need Tv-series or short videos featuring interviews with circuit designers and their motiavtion for the profession.
Personally, I was fascinated by the books by Jim Williams [http://www.amazon.com/Science-Analog-Circuit-Design-Engineers/dp/0750670622/ref=pd_sim_b_1/105-4089368-7286817]
Of course, when I started from scratch back in school with Horowitz 'n Hill's celebrated book "Art of Electronics"- it gave a fresh look at almost any circuit i'd seen in the traditional text book!
AoE continues to inspire me..it's like a bible: you can read it everyday-just pick up a random page 'n there's aalwyas something new to learn

May the tribe grow ::)

Title: Re: How to attract the kids to the analog IC desig
Post by Unique on Jul 11^th, 2007, 5:15am

As far as i'm personally is concerned i believe that it depends on the parents. It is parents who have to set an example for their children/ If their children respect them- they will try to take after parents. It is the way, it has happened to me. My parents are the engineers, and i always want to be an engineer :)
But i have to say also that now thare is a lot of hype concerning computer games, and computer games have become a real threat, which prevents kids from learning :(

Title: Re: How to attract the kids to the analog IC desig
Post by carlgrace on Aug 15^th, 2007, 10:38am

I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s. Computer games got all the hype then too, so I learned how to program computers, not how to mess around with solder. I was a physics undergrad and I got lucky in an internship that I was to help design some instrumentation. My supervisor gave me Horowitz and Hill, and as they say, the rest is history. I agree with topquark, Horowitz and Hill is like a bible, and made it so easy to fall in love with analog. I also recommend the two books by Jim Williams on "The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design". I read those while I was still working in a physics lab and helped me make the leap to circuits.

I don't think we should be pushing kids onto analog, or anything for that matter. We should be trying to have them discover their analytical minds, get them excited about math and physics, and then let them decide what they are passionate about. Analog design is hard, and if you don't love it you are going to be mediocre.

Carl

Title: Re: How to attract the kids to the analog IC desig
Post by vivkr on Aug 16^th, 2007, 7:31am

carlgrace wrote on Aug 15^th, 2007, 10:38am:

Agree fully with you Carl on letting the kids find their own way to interesting stuff. Another point I have is the need to be cautious not to
overpraise our own field. After all, the number of jobs in analog design are still relatively few and although it is a relatively good area, the
growth is not that high. Atleast here in switzerland, I hardly know any large groups. And growth is slow as I said. I think the US has a large
demand and also the emerging markets but perhaps one has to look at the market while promoting a field.

Regards
Vivek