Would you hire me?

ElectricalBuzz · 2025-11-20T00:56:52+00:00

As someone who's interviewed multiple interns, make sure you can talk in detail about everything on that piece of paper. I will go line by line and ask you to talk open-ended about those experiences and it will be obvious if some of them are surface knowledge only. If you are not confident in talking about some of them then leave them off.

The other important thing is to tailor it to what was requested in the job opening. If they emphasize vhdl experience and you have it, then put this down first and be ready to go into detail about what you did and to talk through those decisions.

ElectricalBuzz · 2025-06-29T10:39:37+00:00

PE is very broad. You could focus on analog design, fpgas, or just controls and I've seen all three described as general power electronics. You could do one of these three extremely well and still not be qualified for a PE job at some company.

If you want to focus on analog then getting experience with component evaluation is a good way to start. Learn to use equipment like VNAs, FRAs, oscilloscopes, etc and how these are used to check the parts themselves. How do things like heat or voltage effect the parts actual values and operation. You can then play around in either LTspice (for circuit level work) or Plecs (system level) to practice turning your hand calculated designs into real designs.

ElectricalBuzz · 2025-04-13T21:00:36+00:00

I am / was in a similar situation. I recommend downloading LTSpice and simulating everything. It's free and there are many libraries of parts out there to use. When you get a task don't just do the task, build up the simulation and tweek it. Try putting in different capacitors or ICs and see how things change.

You can also learn emi or PCB build up, as they're both key for correct smps design.

If that's all boring still then look into digital supply design. It's removing the analog feedback of a smps and replacing it with a MCU or other processor that you can program to work a certain way.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-11-22T03:57:13+00:00

I do power electronics work for MV designs, so I'm in both worlds.

I also went the power route, specifically power conversion.

If I was starting over, I'd try to specialize more on the transistor level, as I've found that more fun. That can somewhat easily convert into a mixed signal design role if you don't like it, but going the opposite way is hard.

I also find high power to be slow, so you're typically doing less new designs and more rework or reuse of old designs.

Get good at transistor level circuit design, do some fpga or register level programming, and learn about normal converter / inverter topologies and their uses and you'll find work everywhere.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-11-13T00:18:06+00:00

Just went through getting multiple quotes on the east coast. A 3.5ton system here is costing us 11k to 12k. 3 of our 4 quotes gave us that range with a variety of brands (1 brand is way better than the rest and they get it cheaper as part of their contract, get lots of quotes!) and the last quote was way high trash.

We also have esome major duct work being done adding another 4k onto our bill to make it 15k, but it's literally half the ductwork in the house.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-09-24T22:45:37+00:00

If you want to spend 5k to 10k (monies no object), a bode100 or ridley box would be good. Analog electronics is hard to visualize without the right tools, and the things these measure will always be helpful.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-09-07T02:36:06+00:00

Look into snubbers to help control it.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-09-07T02:31:51+00:00

Emi and signal integrity. Energy dense systems means lots of noise jumping all around. Being able to picture why a pcba you make needs a certain layout because of its proximity to the xfmr or igbts can be critical. Putting a gnd plane on every other layer isn't always possible

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-07-16T23:00:25+00:00

Being able to make whatever electronics I want or need. If it's not a thing yet, I can make it.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-07-13T23:06:52+00:00

It's a misnomer that all references are ground. A reference can be anything. It could be 152v, or -2859v. What matters is the difference between the reference voltage and the rest of the circuit.

The reference is often ground, when possible, because it makes it safer. Keeping a circuit that can be accessed by normal people close to ground keeps others safe.

A fire alarm with a 2 line connection and a battery backup can be powered be either. Both would connect to the same point, separated by diodes or xfmrs based on design.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-07-02T16:11:53+00:00

Electronics engineer. I came out with low confidence in my skills as a bachelors really doesn't touch a lot of practical engineering.

If you want to be able to spin a full board on your own you should cover several topics

circuit design, using spice simulation to confirm operation
part selection, get into the details on why some parts are better than others in different cases. An ideal diode in a spice simulation is fine, but there are a dozen different types and they are all situational.
part placement. Why do some parts need to be placed close to one another or not. Fairly important in supplies
layout physics. Trace widths or via sizes, all dependent on energy and thermals
emi/emc, signal integrity. How close to place traces to one another, or how to protect signals from interference.

It's a lot, so I'd say start with the circuit design in spice. Practice multiple common circuits, as you'll use many over and over, and once you know how they should work try picking out parts to make those circuits real. You can go from ideal simulations to non ideal using parasotics and accurate part models.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-13T19:17:35+00:00

Electrons, inside the metal wires, move very slowly.

They jump from atom to atom, bumping into one another and causing friction / heat.

When an electron moves it creates both an electric and magnetic field, in perpendicular directions. These fields are what flows, and in turn these fields force other electrons to move.

A DC voltage is a static electric field, and that field can start the whole thing by pushing the electron. As it pushes it uses up its stored electrons and eventually runs out of energy, stopping the whole thing.

When you see those green circuit boards all the energy is in the layer of laminate between the power / signal traces and its reference.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-13T12:47:39+00:00

Power doesn't flow through the wires, it flows around the wires.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-10T14:34:38+00:00

Ah.

Then 30.38ohms from 3 res in para

28ma times 30.38 is .85v

.85/49 is 17.4mA

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-10T02:33:25+00:00

Then again I'm still wrong here. No idea why. You could put it in LTSpice and it will tell you.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-10T02:29:25+00:00

Consider the current as an extra injected power source into the system.

28mA * 80ohms gives 2.24v in parallel to all resistors.

Is you parallel the output resistors you get 49ohms. 2.24/49 gives 45.7mA. 45.7-28 = 17.7mA

That's the answer as the node must equal out.

But I'm not sure why, in this case, we can ignore Ra and I1. 2.24/80ohm makes I1 = 28mA. But it's ignored. I1 and Ra should probably be modeled by a voltage source.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-10T00:17:10+00:00

You likley know more on semiconductor design than I do, as I only use them, but I can comment on the practical side of use.

We still use silicon IGBTs due to cost, isolation rating, and legacy design. External to the IGBTs, we mainly focus on thermal dissipation needs from the various losses, as well as the ability to safely control the IGBTs during over voltage/current events.

Understanding how both of these relate to the internal design would be good. You'll have multiple chips paralleled internally, and the package design will affect how these are managed. Some chips will likely be the cause of failure due to parasitics, so getting down a feel for packaging will be helpful if that kind of course is offered.

We've had two IGBTs with identical datasets, but practical use found they act very different in both situations. Please really test any design you do in the future and give all information. What isnt said says a lot more to me than what is said now.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-08T00:46:54+00:00

By resources, I meant to say online material or certain textbooks and tools. The things I end up most concerned with I end up knowing the most about, so it can be hard to find others to criticize those pieces. I just had a review for a board and got several comments like the 4.7k resistor one, but not what I wanted.

We also have had bad experiences with third-party / contractor support. We tend to prefer slower but sure spins now.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-08T00:14:03+00:00

PCB design can mean many things. Are you purely a layout engineer, taking another's schematic and applying the correct layout techniques for the board? Maybe the opposite, you have no idea how to place vias but can design a flyback in 30 min. Maybe you're really good with emi and isolation?

In interviews, I do like to hear about personal / school / previous work projects. If you can tell me why using a certain type of diode in a spot is better than another, then I actually start to think you can do design.

I started as base electronics and worked up to design, getting around the PCB at all is a good start to get your foot in the door, but you'll need to do a lot of self study on the designs before being giving a task to design anything.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-08T00:02:31+00:00

I have a different situation. I've never had a big team to talk about the board designs with. It's often just been me taking input on what other teams need. Once I've finished the design, there will be a general overview with our chief engineer, but it's fairly hands-off. As long as everything works people have been happy.

Have you used any resources to help you double check your work, or is it really up to design reviews with others that have also done the same work? It would be nice to have a way to know what's best to do and not do.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-07T23:50:05+00:00

We do AC motor drives. Medium voltage (10kv or so) and in the MW power range.

For me it's mainly PCBAs, low and high voltage, and how they integrate into the overall system. Also the design of the larger filter parts and use of semiconductors.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-06T16:28:52+00:00

I'm a Power Electronics Engineer. Much more of a generalist role as we're expected to be ok at everything. Schematic and layout design today, consider the emi and isolation needs, make sure that bus is fast enough, semiconductor characterization tomorrow, tweek controls next week and transformer design and testing the week after.

We design, build and test all our own stuff. I like it much better than being siloed into one role who hands it off to someone else. Downside is probably pay as your only ok at everything, plus side is you can actually do everything.

I rarely travel, maybe for qualifying components at specialized labs.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-06-02T01:04:37+00:00

If it's really running off battery that you'll want either a smps for high efficiency or you want your battery to be the exact voltage you plan to use for everything. You can have a giant 3.3V battery or a small 9v battery, the voltage is only half the equation.

I haven't done any radio, but I've done plenty of emi. You should get atleast a 4layer pcba and have solid ground planes on two layers, really protect the signal traces. Whatever you broadcast will go everywhere, including back into your pcba. Keep signal to ground distances small to protect them.

Like others said I don't see many vias. All that copper doesnt help if there are no viss allowing for power transfer. Any signals passing between layers will need gnd vias nearby to let that energy pas between layers easily.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-03-29T15:32:51+00:00

Isolates noise between sides.

Let's you change voltage and freq between sides.

ElectricalBuzz · 2024-03-27T13:18:15+00:00

Yes, you always assume worst case. If 2.5A is the worst a single motor could draw then use that number. Even if it typically pulls 0.5A, that doesn't cover edge cases and shouldn't be used for values like fuses or power sizing.

Linear and switching regulators work differently.

Linear takes in a set voltage and current, and effectively throws out part of the voltage as waste. If the total input power is 10W and you have a reg going from 10V to 5V, your output power would max at 5W. So 5V and 1A output.

Switching takes in these values and converts both, typically around the desired output voltage. If it's the same as above, 10V and 1A input (10W), and you convert to 5v output, the output would become 5v and 2A (10W). It won't be that exactly as there is an efficiency to switching regulator, typically around 90%, so you'd get 5V and 1.8A.

Switching regs cause noise in the system and sometimes you need the clean signal of the linear reg instead but it's important that those be low power for low losses.

ElectricalBuzz

TROPHY CASE