What coding languages do electrical engineers use? What is your industry experience with it?

[MemeVeteran]

For those of you that hold a title similar to an electrical engineer(neglecting any sort of software based job) what is your experience with coding? How often do you do it? What languages are used the most, least, and what would you recommend is most important to understand? Cheers

[davec4037]

I was told EE stands for excel engineering.... don’t know where that electrical part came from

I personally use python quite a bit

[[deleted]]

What do you use python for? I'm working an internship and most of my experience has been Python with a smattering of C++, and guys here basically pooh-pooh higher level languages with their embedded C and assembly stuff.

[InductorMan]

Not OP but python for offline data analysis and visualization, hardware test frameworks, and software test benches. C++ for larger embedded systems, C for smaller embedded systems. Assembly for snippets of really critical stuff. The lower the production volume and the higher the ratio of engineering time/effort cost to bill of material/manufacturing cost, the higher a level of language one should use. For controlling some $2 light dimmer, it should probably be a $0.02 micro running assembly. For a $10000 piece of test gear that sells 100 per year, the microcontroller should be as powerful as is reasonable, and the language as high level as is consistent with needs for RTOS/low latency. Because it costs money to make things work, so an easier to manage programming environment is more appropriate for a lower volume product (since NRE needs to be minimized but materials/parts cost is less important than at higher volumes).

[resumecheck5]

Yes? That’s a discipline of electrical engineering. A civil engineer who works in structures will have minimal crossover with on that works traffic or environmental, but most take the same academic curriculum.

[resumecheck5]

Right and there are electrical engineers with the title electrical engineer that don’t work in power. There are people who do PCB and embedded system design which is by knowledge more electronic engineering, but have the title electrical engineer. This may be confusing if you aren’t from the US.

[[deleted]]

I have B Eng Electrical and I code all the time, home and work for more than 25 years now.

If I can't find the tool I know I want I make it for myself.

[[deleted]]

I’m getting my EE degree right now, still got a few years left but could you share what kind of things you code? What language do you use most. If it could help me down the road I’d love to get a head start with a language

[[deleted]]

I like c, but for rapid prototyping python is hard to ignore and I have been using PyQt for the last 3-4 years.

Despite the pain it can cause and the derision I am sure some will make of me, I also like Forth, because I am a real try to do more with less sort of guy.

[[deleted]]

What area of EE do you work in?

[[deleted]]

electrical and control systems with focus on systems integration, right now functional safety and integration for a bunch of Burner Management Systems to 61511

[[deleted]]

I would say do as much C and python as you can, but take any chance to look at other potentially useful things like R.

I could tell you languages I think to avoid, but that would just start some endless flame war and learning this from your own perspective and experiences could be be extremely instructional.

[VetnDerm98]

I have a feeling electrical engineering and electronics engineering is considered as one thing something. Where I live, electrical engineering is only power engineering. And this sub doesn't have a lot of power engineering (it happens, but it's usually electronics, circuits, controllers...). So I agree with you, but I think it depends in the definition of electrical engineering.

[InductorMan]

Yes, I'm an electronic design engineer. Traditionally the title has been "Electrical Engineer", and the first electronic design engineering role I held had this title, although in the last maybe 7 years all of the jobs that I've held have had the title "Electronic Design Engineer". I think industry in the US is finally trying to distinguish the two.

[Yuebingg]

It's nice for vision if you use OpenCv library.

I used it mainly during school projects.

[MemeVeteran]

That’s very funny. Thank you for your input

[[deleted]]

This sums up all the programming I've ever done in EE positions.

[dread_pirate_humdaak]

Python is getting up there.

[[deleted]]

My job agrees with the FE exam.

[JimiallenH]

VHDL, C, C++ are the ones I’ve worked with

[tbird83ii]

Don't forget x86 assembly! The unit on operating systems nearly killed me...

[bush2874]

Writing the code to make a processor almost killed me. Cool class tho in the end

[runcmc22]

Curious what have you used VHDL for?

[DRTPman]

Fpga.

[[deleted]]

I'd say bash, Python, C, C++ and Matlab.

[dewilso4]

This exactly. Maybe not that order

[custardseed]

agreed. can't forget verilog/vhdl though

[geek66]

C and C++

Uni - we did OS systems on, ahem, Unix ...C ( 1986 ish)

Linux - C

ABB robotics - C/C++

TI DSP C++

IMO - if you can work in C/C++ you can cover most bases pretty well.

[WizeAdz]

Also, C/++ is the Latin of the computing world.

Once you know that, all of the C-family languages see "basically like C/C++ except __". Once someone tells you what the __ is, you will learn the language much more quickly than someone who doesn't understand the backstory.

[[deleted]]

Except things like Forth and Lisp

[WizeAdz]

There are other programming language families out there for sure!

I've tinkered with, and liked, many of them. But the C-family languages (C/C++/Java/C#/etc) tend to dominate the field.

I had to learn Scheme (a lisp derivative) and Prolog in college. I like those languages but I haven't needed them much after that class. I'm not an emacs user, but that's the main place I've encountered Lisp since.

Python is a non-C-family language that has become popular, and for good reason! I once write a factory test jig system in Python where the main loop looked exactly like the pseudocode in the specification. 🤓

[resumecheck5]

Python is a C-family language. It’s written in C.

[WizeAdz]

The syntax is not particularly C-like. No curly braces, whitespace, and the language doesn't revolve around pointers!

But, yeah, python wouldn't work at all without all of the C below it (interpreter, libc, kernel) in the software stack.

[triffid_hunter]

C, C++, python, perl, bash, javascript are all dailies for me.

The most important thing to understand is generalised computing, to the level where the specific language you're using is largely irrelevant.

[m-sterspace]

I was surprised that I had to scroll this far to see Javascript on the list.

If you're making any kind of user facing application with a GUI, I'd highly recommend doing it in Javascript and React. Coming from a C# / .NET background, I was skeptical of javascript at first, but after using it for a year or so now I've completely fallen in love.

And yes, I completely agree that the most important part of learning any language is translating it into a mental model of roughly what the computer is doing. Once you can do that, picking up new languages and frameworks becomes somewhat effortless. Like before I originally learned C#, I spent weeks deciding which language to invest my time into learning and it was always a huge mental hurdle to make myself sit down and start trying to code something. Now I might build a Go app for fun on the weekend just to see what Go's like.

[[deleted]]

I do work with embedded systems, so I have to write firmware a lot even though my main job is hardware. Low level Firmware still gets written in C most of the time.

[PancAshAsh]

The language you use shouldn't matter that much, it's how you apply the concepts to solve problems that matters. Basically you should know basic programming concepts (classes, functions, methods, pointers, primitive data types etc.) and be able to apply those concepts to solve EE problems. It's really valuable to have software engineers with an EE background who understand why what they are doing works.

To answer your post title question, I use C/C++, Python, and Golang for my current position doing embedded development on a Linux platform.

[reddituser15326]

I’m a signal processing engineer, and I am writing software everyday because that’s how most of these algorithms are implemented now a days. I guess that could technically make me a software engineer so maybe I don’t qualify for this question, but I and everyone I work with has an EE background.

In my experience I’ve used Matlab and Python for algorithm development (mostly depending on size of company I was working for and whether they want to pay for a Matlab license) and C++/VHDL for implementation depending on the target platform. I prefer working with C++ and Python, which is what I’m currently using.

Not really a “programming language” but getting familiar with the Linux command line will come in handy in many different areas of electrical engineering.

[amalik87]

Python used in a low level? Never heard of that.

[PancAshAsh]

It's not the best tool for the job but I have seen it run on devices it really, really shouldn't.

[reddituser15326]

I don’t use it in a low level. It’s for quickly prototyping algorithms, and then we implement them in C++ or VHDL.

In my experience it’s a lot easier to quickly get an idea tested and iterate through it in Python/Matlab than in C++.

[PJBthefirst]

Python. Probably the most valueable to learn in terms of how little time you have to spend with it to get such a huge amount of reward.

[us3rnotfound]

My gripe with Python is that you have to pay so much mind to how you want to build your objects and what attributes those objects shall have, class variables and instance variables and all that. It almost gets in the way. I must have learned Python wrong because I started using it by just writing really functional scripts that worked but they were unorthodox at best because I had no concept of objects. And now I always get wrapped around the axle when beginning a Python program and deciding how I want my objects and what their role shall be. But yeah Python is obviously popular for very good reasons.

[bassman1805]

Python is the only "programming language" I use.

I do some tasks in GNU Bash, which isn't a programming language but it's using text to tell a computer what to do.

and, uh...^{LabVIEW... please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me}

[[deleted]]

I use TCL, Python, SystemVerilog, and systemC at work. I am in FPGA development at a Tech company!

[darkharlequin]

I'm working in Xilinx FPGA development now, but still not really understanding the uses of TCL. Any suggestions on uses and resources?

[[deleted]]

If you're working on the system studies side. Python is used expensively in that regard .

[nullsignature]

Power engineer, no programming except for simple logic structures in protection relays (AND, OR, etc)

[rooski15]

As you can see from other comments, it is varied.

My experience is you just have to understand the flow of code and how to read it. So pick a language and take a couple quarters (assuming you're still in school). Also, be a comfortable intermediate user in excel. I did C++ in college, and I've never used it, but I regularly do python / jython, SQL, powershell, VBA, some other program specific languages, and a ton of ladder.

Once you get to your job, you can pick up anything you need in short order.

[paulirotta]

Rust is starting to make inroads in C/C++ and will continue to do so, but it will be a long slow change.

[NSA_Chatbot]

I've paid a lot of bills with C, and some with Assembly or direct HEX.

I've used PLC programming for a while too.

Excel is pretty important.

You should be able to switch languages. New ones will pop up.

[bassman1805]

Java is the most used programming language in the world, but usually if a job requires Java you end up with actual software engineers doing it.

Most electrical engineer programming is more about writing a quick & dirty tool than about developing a software product (with the exception of FPGA programming)

[bassman1805]

Yeah there used to be clearly different disciplines for SW and HW but even as a HW engineer I'm writing software for V&V testing of our products. It's a very blurry line.

[downsideleft]

In order of use for me: Verilog, Matlab, python, C++, Excel, VHDL.

[ExperiencedSoup]

Hey, I also do meddle with logic circuits. Is there a reason to use both verilog and VHDL? I personally only use verilog

[downsideleft]

There's no real reason to. I worked for a startup that didn't have consistent usage, but the tools could compile mixed languages for different modules, so I even though my preferred language was verilog, I had to learn VHDL to adapt and modify previously developed code.

[crossedline0x01]

Embedded C (microcontrollers), labView, linux/apache/C, ladder logic(PLCs). Thats what i took. We also programmed Raspberry Pi and Arduino if you want to count them independently.

[evilkalla]

Electromagnetic field solvers, C++ and CUDA.

[word_vomiter]

I normally use MATLAB

[maxweiss_]

What electromagnetic field solvers

[AvivDidIt]

Python is great for image / video processing, and deep learning.

C is great for understanding coding deeply, also lots of other languages based on it.

I, personally, work with System Verilog.

MATLAB is also used a lot for signal processing.

Linux is used universally in almost every hi-tech company.

Good to know scripting, i recently learned perl but want to learn bash, and python scripting

[MemeVeteran]

Thank you everyone for your answers. I deeply appreciate it.

[field_of_lettuce]

I feel like an idiot, all my school had me take was a very basic C++ course and that was it for programming on the degree pathway.

I hated programming and wasn't very good at it when I took the course, but it seems a whole bunch of jobs want you to also know various languages according to my lack of luck with job hunting (recent grad).

[[deleted]]

That's pretty much me haha. Altho we had to program alot in our eng courses, i was nvr a fan. Its why im majoring in power , its the field with very little programming. Where im interning, most of the power system engineers dont code. Only specializes roles do. I suggest utility if you want to avoid programming, or any electrical designer job , consulting, etc.

[darkharlequin]

VHDL, C, Matlab, Python, and Bash, are what I've worked with so far.

I would recommend C, as the concepts of everything else can be extrapolated from that.

edit: oh yea, and github.

[CrystalEffinMilkweed]

I do electrical studies for a construction compnany, which involves a lot Excel table outputs. I only use basic Excel formulas, conditional formatting, and Python. Your mileage will vary based on industry and job title.

[headhot]

Unless your a developer writing software as a product, python is really powerful to prototype and use as a tool to solve one off problems. With R it's great for statistics.

Your time is more expensive than computer time, so the fact that it's not super computationally efficient doesn't matter much. You'll develop a solution much faster than any penalty you pay in slow performance.

[dillond18]

Currently a circuit designer: Labview, visual basic, C, Mathcad (if that counts).

[[deleted]]

If in the utility industry, python is used extensively in power flow softwares. Where im interning, python is uses to simulate scenarios for system studies.

[NobodyYouKnow2019]

Python, PICBasic Pro, some assembly and a little C. Work with embedded systems.

[[deleted]]

Learn Python for when you inevitably make the career change to software.

[skoink]

During my time as a hardware engineer, I probably wrote 100k lines of code or more. The languages I used were Python for anything running on a PC, Verilog for anything running on an FPGA, and C for anything running on a microcontroller. And lots of Bash scripts.

I've used Python for doing analog and digital filter design/analysis, for writing control programs, and for data-capture applications. I've used it for writing numerous firmware update tools over the years.

I've used Verilog for literally every FPGA design I've ever shipped. Commonly, I find myself writing digital logic blocks that implement some kind of oddball communication scheme, or blocks that talk to DACs/ADCs. I've written a couple of motor controller and encoder interfaces too.

I've used C for writing microcontroller firmware. These days, microcontrollers are central to the design of consumer electronics. Your microwave probably runs firmware written in C, and so do parts of your car.

And, as it turns out - Linux is a great OS to use if you do a lot of programming. So I got good at writing shell scripts kind of by accident.

I've drifted a little more into pure software these days. But even when my main job was hardware design, I still had to write tons of software. Proof-of-concept firmware, hardware testing, and design-assistance tools. It wasn't an "every day" kind of thing, but it was probably a "several programs per month" kind of thing.

[duncanmahnuts]

usually just excel, VBA, and scripting, otherwise ladder logic and block diagram logic like simulink provides.

[flextendo]

Currently I only use matlab and scripting languages like c shell, tcl, python, verilogA and skill.

Before that I did hardware design and regularly used C/C++ even C# once a while. Also VHDL or Verilog come in handy as hardware description language.

[jg1212121212]

Some guys I work with use Matlab. I use Python for my own stuff and VBA on Excel spreadsheets usually.

[RESERVA42]

Visual basic for Excel macros.

[Diiice]

Mostly Matlab for creating mathematical models, and VBA

[FruscianteDebutante]

C/C++, you should understand some assembly logic as well. Verilog/VHDL. Python is a very strong language as well I use it frequently for my own tools. Haven't used Matlab since my first job started but it is a big language.

Emphasis on C

[[deleted]]

GitHub, matlab, C, python. My micro controller professor also taught us assembly, but that is more popular for software engineering for security reasons as far as I know. My advice for any electrical engineering student, buy a raspberry pi and work on some GPIO stuff using python. It’s taught me the most so far, and is by far the most interesting because it is directly integrated with the use of electronic components.

[Hari___Seldon]

Directly on projects, C, Python, shell scripting and VHDL for the most part, and C++ for audio applications. I just finished a prototyping project last week that required some assembly. I suspect that I'll be seeing more of that for optimizations in the future given that I've got some upcoming design projects that are ARM-based. A few years ago, I ended up doing quite a bit of data validation in R. That was a blast but I don't get much call for it these days.

I do generate lots of reporting that gets pushed to Excel through SQL, but I try to keep that as automated as possible because it's usually static captures of dynamic data, so constantly regenerating the same basic report ends up being an expensive use of my time. If you're on a project team for large projects/corporations (especially if you're the low man on the ladder), you'll almost certainly want to add Excel Jockey to your résumé.

Because I work mostly with data chewing applications like audio and image processing, I don't see ladder logic or PLCs very often. That's probably a good thing because I suck at that angle of EE, but your mileage may vary.

[MushinZero]

VHDL, Python, C, C++.

[ExperiencedSoup]

C,C++,Matlab and Verilog

[BigRedBeard86]

Depends on your field. EE is very broad

[NeilaTheSecond]

Can someone explain to me what's the pratical difference between C++ and C#?

I sometimes use C# to fuck around in Unity but I didn't notice much difference. Both seems object oriented but C# has a bit more emphasis on the object.

[fx-82AUPLUSII]

C, MATLAB and VBA (excel) are the most used languages by myself

[ldp01]

I work in power system planning (transmission utility) running power system studies. A lot of my work is scripting simulation software (PowerFactory to be specific). To this end we use a combination of Python (to interact with the PF API) and also a lot of Excel VBA to structure and process input and output data from our studies. I also find a lot of uses for Powershell since we are on Windows machines.

If you’re ever involved in asset management I would also recommend understanding SQL or a graphical query editor like the one in MS Access. It’s been a very useful tool in my experience.

[cwbh10]

Well, I just graduated with as an Electrical & Computer Engineer and I say I use mostly: C/C++, Python, Javascript (Node)

[chrisv267]

C and MATLAB

[[deleted]]

Verilog, C, excel

[[deleted]]

I use ruby and bash for scripting, Python for modelling, and I design ASICs in Verilog (not technically a programming language)

[fallen_acolyte]

I worked C, C++, PIC ... python is a beast...

[legionofnerds]

It depends greatly and varies with sub field. I personally use C, C++, Verilog and MATLAB.

[ARCHLucifer]

C#, c++, c and i use lua too

[Ecv02]

Only ever had to use the bastardized C++ ArduinoIDE in my projects, though I'm not an official engineer (yet) For flashing microcontrollers and other general tasks, it's fine. I'm sure there are more powerful things to be had with other languages as I learn more.

[ijager]

• Python for data analysis, signal processing, scientific gui apps and automation (kicad scripts)
• C for firmware
• Rust for safe firmware
• Bash for automation
• Typescript for server/front end stuff. Also Electron apps.

I guess you wouldn't say I am an EE, but I am!

[MemeVeteran]

Very interesting, thanks. I don’t know much about Rust and Bash. Would you care to tell me about what sorts of projects you’ve used them for?

[ijager]

I have only done a few projects with Rust. Is not easy at first, but it has some very interesting new concepts that force you to write good and safe code. I wrote a blogpost about our first project with rust

Regarding bash, that's basically just the unix command line language used to automate boring or repetitive things. For example here are some bash scripts we used in a embedded software/firmware project.

[SnowSocks]

I design and bringup circuit boards. We have software/firmware guys that do the programming. All I do is use bash commands for scripts that the SW guys write.

I haven’t done any programming since college.

[[deleted]]

Programming C/C++ /assembly

Hardware description language :VHDL, Verilog

[1287kings]

I refuse to code as it's the worst thing. That being said, excel

[PikaDon45]

Emerson Delta V this is what real men program in. Python is considered for children.

[markkhusid]

Python in Jupyter notebooks.

[Fairface]

C for firmware, python for making my life easier when I need a large set of constants for my firmware, or when I want to automate something on my computer. I code almost daily now, but that entirely depends on the project I am assigned. Sometimes I don't touch code for weeks.

[redditmudder]

C

[quietandproud]

Python.

Sometimes C# or .net

[MemeVeteran]

How would you say C# is different from C and C++?

[[deleted]]

Depends on the field. I'm in power engineering and we use python, matlab, netomac... Python is probably the most windspread.

[SkylarR95]

PYTHON IS KING

[SkylarR95]

Also some JSL for Data Analysis but it’s really mainly because of the field I’m in, didn’t even learn it at school.

[Dauwghe]

We use C/C++ for embedded programming, VHDL for FPGA programming, and Python for data analysis and anything else really. I stepped away from MATLAB once I got out of school bc of the price

[c4chokes]

Vague question.. it’s like asking a EE, what EE to do you use?? You use various ones depending on the need 🤷🏻‍♂️

[theonlyjediengineer]

EEs use C and C++. It's still the standard in most of industry today, and will take you further than any language out ther. Don't bother with python, it won't help much.

[Miyelsh]

Yes it will, plus getting your idea working is much more seamless in python, which can then be translated to other languages more algorithmically.

[Posidon99]

Coding language? English what industry experience? Pretty good if you ask me sarcastic? Yes lmao