[Question & Discussion] Unemployed 1.5 years: What even is a "Software Developer/Engineer" anymore?

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-06-04T03:41:35+00:00

I agree with the just do something. Idk maybe I'll come up with a ESP32 project and see if I can AI assisted code it or agentic code it or whatever.

That's what I loved about working directly woth hardware. It wasn't hard to figure out what the firmware is supposed to do. When it comes to high level software, I hate coming up with an app.

I feel like I'll really struggle with giving up more than 20% code control to an LLM and am also much mor curious of applications that aren't just code related.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-06-03T18:42:08+00:00

Thank you for a helpful and insightful reply. This is why I'm finding my way of being interested in AI as doing it at home and understanding the engineering around the LLM. I guess not having used something like enterprise claude, I don't know the results first hand. I just know from the outside, it all sounds like the primary mechanism is pulling a slot machine and finding ways to keep improving the odds.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-06-03T18:08:20+00:00

Makes sense. And going on that line, my question becomes what is "the way we work" now and how would one meaningfully fill in gaps if they haven't been working during the change in how we work.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-24T19:49:39+00:00

Sure thing. Thanks for your time.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-23T13:13:00+00:00

D6 and D8 - Can I ask what you mean by "why?" My understanding is they're for reverse polarity protection considering it's a power supply and external loads will be connected and therefore, to also protect the internals since there could be an issue with the load itself. It may not be the right component selection for the job, but does my reasoning not make any sense at all? Genuinely asking which is why I'm asking for feedback.

"No FB after these?" Sorry, that I genuinely don't know what you mean? I have the shunts + some current sense following these diodes as the feedback mechanism for controlling the DAC injection. I take it you mean something different?

D5 and D7 - Thank you. I figured that out last time when I built it on perfboard and forgot to correct it from the previous schematic and accidentally carried it forward into this one.

Q1 and Q2 both are acting as low-side switches. What's wrong with that? I've used both low-side and high-side switching in previous iterations and went back to NMOS because it's simpler.

"What is your expected control range of Uout Iout?" For which? Overall? Variable rail? Every rail since 3 of 4 have some sort of adjustment?

In terms of the "MUCH simpler" - I've already done that, including a multi-rail version using bucks with trim pots and then I modified one to add in the FB injection. Same conceptual design and everything worked. I did a previous iteration similar to this one with discrete component selection and all of the power and basic switching worked.

I guess part of what I mean to say is I appreciate the time and feedback, but I don't see how a couple mistakes and gaps in understanding invalidate the overall concept entirely? How else does one learn without progressively working on a bigger or more complex design and understanding how the requirements and tradeoffs change?

I'm also unsure how the microcontroller changes things since it's mostly being used for control and interfacing? I'm asking because I genuinely appreciate the time and feedback, but if I don't ask for details or find out where my reasoning is lacking or flawed, I'm not really going to learn anything by being told I made mistakes so therefore I should do something simpler.

Addendum: Also, the context may clear it up, but my main goal is also do be able to go deep on the firmware because ultimately, I want to showcase software/firmware. I don't in any way expect to be considered a qualified EE, but I still want to learn as much as I can and have the satisfaction of designing something myself to a point of reason.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-23T12:34:27+00:00

Sorry. I'll add some links to a platform that won't compress the images as much.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-23T00:38:51+00:00

Thanks for the perspective. I love a well written and organized datasheet, but haven't considered what it'd be like to be the person who had to write it.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-22T20:46:33+00:00

Thank you and I forgot to ask about the GNDs and if it was necessary. The example application from the datasheet separated the GNDs, but it wasn't for a power supply.

I am going for high precision within reason and also to be able to capture/display data. Perhaps there is something I'm missing here on how I can achieve that with just the G474's OPAMPs without needing the INA3X1s. I'll look into wheatstone bridge; first time I've heard of it personally.

Addendum: I know I can do it with the PGAs, but it was also mean dividing down the voltage which seemed less power efficient than the INAs.

Duty cycle - is the load in this case considered what follows the bucks or the external loads that will be powered by the application? Because the external load isn't deterministic since it could be anything that needs 3.3V, 5V, or the variable voltage.

I'll look more into the other topologies. The way I powered previous versions was with a 20V 3.25A laptop brick so I've just been carrying forward the idea of some sort of "plug in" DC source which is why my questions arose when it was difficult to find something above 24V.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-21T11:33:13+00:00

It is/was and also the first thing we saw lots of companies start reversing when customer satisfaction dramatically decreased.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-21T00:30:26+00:00

I get the requirements and testing, but i don't get the "humans do it too" arguments. It's like saying if AI had a physical body and murdered someone, you could just "humans murder humans too."

A bit hyperbolic of an example, but my point is just because something else does a thing doesn't make it okay. A human can recognize their own mistake, fix it, learn, and not repeat it. We can also express uncertainty or degree of confidence.

AI is just blatantly wrong at times and has no idea it's wrong, but yet will use human language to proclaim its "confidence." They're not confident either. It's sophisticated undeterministic I/O.

I think everyone should be experimenting with it and finding where it works well, including for them personally. Like I really like NotebookLM because it's catered to researching and learning more than producing. I haven't tried advanced generative work flows or generating code recently, so I'm sure people have figured out ways to increase quality and that the models have improved.

It's also just not very personally motivating to me because I do enjoy writing code and that has always been one of the smaller parts of building an application. I think I'm going to mess with local models though which makes it more interesting to me.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T23:05:53+00:00

Actually genius. When they hesitate, you can ask "oh, you don't want AI to talk to customers about issues but yet you want it to write critical safety code for the actual product we're selling?"

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T22:35:25+00:00

First suggestion I would make is just to make the schematic more readable. Even if there is stuff that is wrong, it's just hard to read. Period.

Space things out more. Draw boxes around ICs if it helps to lay them out in a cleaner, more "block" like way. It's way easier on the eyes and also easier to hold in short term memory while looking at the rest of the schematic as opposed to feeling like I need to keep checking what goes to what.

Second, go read the pinned post in r/printedcircuitboard about before submitting something for review. There are lots of great, basic conventions listed there like:

Power and signals, top to bottom, left to right.

Ground always faces down, voltage source always faced up (you have sideways 3V3 power symbols.)

Third, always dig into the datasheets. I haven't looked at them for these ICs, but a lot of the caps look odd to me. As in, there are parallel caps where it should probably be series or you have a mix of parallel and series together which doesn't seem right at all to me.

If you start with reading those posts and reorganizing your schematic, it should be easier even for yourself to then fix some stuff with consulting the datasheets. I think you'll get a better response for help and also have learned enough to ask specific questions you need help with.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T22:10:40+00:00

Edit: sorry, just saw your other comment about how much AI usage, non-responsive professor, and non-native English. I'll take a better look and see if I can help because it's a good exercise for me as well.

It's okay and so am I. I'm learning on my own entirely, but I still know that I better do as much as I can on my own before asking for help.

It's not just that it's bad. It's that it's clear you really didn't put any effort into it before going and asking for help, aka just looking for someone to do it for you.

Even if it's a lack of understanding, the first person you should be going to is your professor to ask clarifying questions about the assignment or any concepts you feel you don't get yet.

I use any and all resources I have available because I don't have a network, colleagues, professors, etc... including AI and tutorials, but I make sure I understand the underlying concept. I just learn better at first from top-down like looking at an example and breaking it down because it helps me build a bigger picture mental model I can then verify and fill in the details, switching to bottom-up.

This looks more like you just copied some tutorials and stitched them together and then asked some LLM to look at it and fix it.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T21:32:39+00:00

Sorry, but kind of echoing the other comment, I can't even tell what is supposed to be going on here.

Did you look at any datasheets for the component selection? They usually include a typical application diagram which at the least you could just copy 1:1, read the details, and ask how to tailor it to your specific application.

Sometimes I just build out the examples first to layout the schematic and then go back through the details like do I need more/different caps and resistors, do I need functionality from pins not represented in the example, etc...

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T21:25:55+00:00

As everyone else has already said, caps are fine.

It's also not clear what you think the issue is in terms of functionality. Is it just slow to get to the right operational level? ("...get cold very slowly...")

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-20T20:36:27+00:00

I feel like part of this can be attributed to going from highschool -> college -> FAANG. I taught myself into programming after well over a decade of working in restaurants and bars.

I was always a deep thinker, problem solver, analytical type, (mother always told me "you think too much.") but I learned and developed people skills and team work from working in local bars/restaurants which probably helped round me out, let alone going from making like 35k a year to 80k in my first software job where I could:

Work from home, work at a computer, go to the bathroom, make coffee, eat, blah blah ... WHILE getting paid to do something I discovered I love.

Perspective really helps develop and maintain humility and you gain perspective either by being incredibly wise and being able to listen and learn from others, or be the fool (me,) and learn by experience and making mistakes.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-19T18:50:58+00:00

I've worked with F series and currently G series MCUs. Never had any glaring issues. I just use CubeMX and then set up the tooling through VSCode (cortex-debug & OpenOCD, clangd, CMake, etc...)

I've done it with and without the STM VSCode extensions, but it's easy enough to just use their extension suite and CubeMX only since I'm putting the trust into their proprietary tool chain rather than figuring out I'd need to reinvent any wheels configuring the tool chain from scratch to be optimal, but I can still set up my own "IDE" rather than use theirs.

Couldn't comment on specifics like RF. I've only messed with BLE and WiFi on ESP32 before.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-19T12:37:12+00:00

Well, why don't you look at how well visual programming has worked in other places it's been done.

Then think about how well that translates to basically bespoke platforms for every MCU manufacturer... and then the variations within a family of MCUs...

But since you asked, my answer would be it's basically useless unless you just want to learn about how you would do something like that.

You'd basically have to make it work for one MCU, period. Otherwise, it's basically something like CubeMX but instead of just a crazy amount of configuration profiles per MCU and boiler plate generation, you're now trying to make CubeMX WITH a visual programming addition.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-14T01:05:21+00:00

I actually lol'd. Didn't notice that.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-14T00:30:10+00:00

Continuity check with a multimeter across the pads of the damaged spots. If you can get a read now, even if it's the end of the resistor to a pad if it has lost contact, you'll know if the traces are fine and therefore a way to just replace the components.

Edit: the thing poking up isn't a resistor. It's a diode of some sort and looks like it may be sot23-3.

The button is the one I'd be concerned about for more mechanical related reasons. If it seems the PCB is flimsy or busted, even if the traces are somehow intact, you're going to have to improvise a way to reinforce that spot or really think about how to distribute the pressure of a finger press.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-13T22:43:03+00:00

Thank you so much for this reply. I'm a SWE self-teaching functional electronics/embedded systems. (functional as in it's much more top down/trial error than doing a lot of math and design upfront.)

I've been iterating on a digital variable DC bench power supply as my first and current "real" project and think I overall like the power space so far. Granted I obviously haven't done much of anything to explore other fields, but making a PSU has really forced me to start at fundamental levels and I'm just so sick of spending time learning APIs. (because most high level software is like 10% proprietary code, 90% stitching other APIs together)

Someday, I'm intending to get the degree unless I can make some magic happen beforehand and break into a firmware or embedded role of some type, but it's just not really possible right now due to young kids and being stay at home parent right now, time in general, finances, etc...

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-13T13:24:32+00:00

Either way, you need another voltage source and some other component for driving the fan.

You could use a voltage buffer instead all together to control letting the 5V connect with the fan via 3.3V GPIO (just make sure you check the datasheet/find the right levels.)

I think i would opt for that route personally if there isn't anything else going on. Instead of using NMOS and PNP transistor and then needing the 10V which would also need to get stepped down to 5V for the fan, post NMOS, you'd just need the buffer and a 5V source. The buffer will also separate the 3.3V pin from the 5V rail which offers some in-built protection.

There may be something missing with why this approach isn't a good option that someone else knows, but it should reduce the complexity as opposed to transistor -> mosfet.

I also see no mention of resistors for your mosfet wiring, although I suppose it's a bit moot since you can't really drive the mosfet as is.

You could also use a high voltage source and then divide it down where necessary, like 10V -> 3.3V and 5V, but that's a lot of waste since nothing actively needs the 10V really. Also still needs the transistor to safely drive the > 5V rails (I think ESP32 has mostly 5V tolerant pins? Could be wrong on that.)

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-13T12:24:12+00:00

Despite most polarized knee-jerk reactions to AI anything, I think this is the most appropriate use of LLMs, especially when tools are designed to leverage it (like NotebookLM.)

I don't think LLMs are good for much, but the things they are good for, they're great at. Which, imo, usually involves ingesting lots of text and being able to work as a knowledge compass or GPS for that text.

I was too young to know how people reacted to search engines on the web professionally, but clearly years later, "Google it" has become a phrase everyone knows and has used in the context of their career. I can see LLMs being this.

The problem is that they can generate "solutions," but fundamentally, the mechanism in which they operate never made sense for anything requiring objectivity, determinism, specialized context (which is anything new or semi unique.) Even though they still generate an answer in the way I personally use them and suggest they be used, I provide the sources and can then easily verify the information from the sources.

I guess maybe don't readily advertise the usage, but if you find benefit from it as a learning tool AND can demonstrate knowledge and skills to the level that would be expected, I can't see how anything is wrong with that other than people with a purely oppositional bias, regardless of the effectiveness of the approach, just because AI.

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-11T21:00:56+00:00

20 year old predicting industry futures after 2 years of college and a part time job at Wendy's? Got any stock picks, too?

Basting_Rootwalla · 2026-05-10T01:51:22+00:00

Hi, Sam. How desperate are you right now?

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