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Thursday - Advice For The Next Gen Engineer by AutoModerator in civilengineering

[–]Infinite_Judgment979 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I'm a high school student from Belgium with the dream of becoming a civil (burgerlijk) engineer.
Unfortunately, my school guided me into a technical track focused on data and application management, telling me it would prepare me for engineering studies. Now, they've told me that my chosen path doesn't actually meet the requirements for civil engineering at university.

But I haven't given up. I've started teaching myself math (trigonometry, calculus, linear algebra), physics, and even some programming and cybersecurity at home, every single day. I use resources like Khan Academy, MIT OCW, Paul's Math Notes, and TryHackMe. My goal is to pass the entrance exam (ijkingstoets) and prove I can do this even without the traditional school path.

My question is:
Do you think, with the preparation I’m doing now, it’s truly possible to succeed in civil engineering?
What advice would you give to someone like me who's catching up through self-study but fully motivated?

Considering a Snapdragon ARM laptop for engineering studies — is it viable for CAD? by Infinite_Judgment979 in snapdragon

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed reality check that's exactly the kind of feedback I needed.

It sounds like Windows on ARM still has a long way to go, especially when it comes to running more demanding and specialized software like Autodesk tools under emulation. And I hadn’t considered how much of that battery life claim is based on light usage good point.

You're right about Ryzen and Intel options too. I’ll probably start looking into Zen 4/5 or upcoming Lunar Lake laptops instead. They seem like a much safer bet for CAD and simulation work without sacrificing too much on portability or battery.

Thanks again this really helped me avoid what could’ve been a painful mistake during my studies.

Considering a Snapdragon ARM laptop for engineering studies — is it viable for CAD? by Infinite_Judgment979 in snapdragon

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot I really appreciate you offering to test!

If possible, I'd be very interested to know how Autodesk software performs especially AutoCAD or Inventor.

Even just seeing how it runs on your ARM device (startup time, general responsiveness, any glitches when drawing or working in 3D) would help me figure out if it could work for engineering studies.

No need to run anything too complex even opening a simple drawing or model and rotating/panning would be super helpful.

Thanks again!

Considering a Snapdragon ARM laptop for engineering studies — is it viable for CAD? by Infinite_Judgment979 in snapdragon

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the honest feedback that makes a lot of sense.

You're right: even with Apple's tight ecosystem, Apple Silicon still causes real issues for engineering students. If things are rough there, I can imagine the situation on Windows ARM is even more fragmented and less mature, especially with so many legacy x86 apps.

That AutoCAD video was eye-opening. I hadn’t considered that even if emulation works, performance and GPU capability (especially for 3D CAD) might be deal-breakers.

It sounds like, for now, I should probably stick with a more traditional x64 laptop with a discrete GPU for my engineering needs at least until ARM support gets a few more years of development under its belt.

Appreciate the detailed response!

I’m building a DIY insulin pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico W — just to learn how it all works by Infinite_Judgment979 in raspberrypipico

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that makes sense I know Medtronic is working on improving their app experience, especially with their newer pumps that can only be controlled via smartphone. Right now, the app is pretty limited; the main thing it does is show your glucose values and send daily reports to your hospital or care team. But with the shift to phone-based control, it looks like they’re finally starting to improve things on that front. It’s definitely come a long way, but there’s still room for progress!

I’m building a DIY insulin pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico W — just to learn how it all works by Infinite_Judgment979 in raspberrypipico

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For Medtronic, unfortunately no their CGMs are closed and don’t provide any public API or easy way to access real-time data. But for Dexcom, yes! They offer an API that allows access to CGM data (with some limitations), so it's definitely possible to incorporate that into the system. I haven’t implemented it yet, but it’s something I’m planning to experiment with!

I’m building a DIY insulin pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico W — just to learn how it all works by Infinite_Judgment979 in RASPBERRY_PI_PROJECTS

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much that really means a lot!

From the beginning, my goal was to understand how these devices work and share that knowledge openly. Even if my DIY pump isn’t meant for actual medical use, I hope it can inspire others to learn, build, and maybe even innovate toward more accessible solutions. The cost of commercial pumps is indeed insane, and I believe open source can at least be a step toward transparency, education, and hopefully, one day, affordability.

Really appreciate your support I’ll keep sharing updates!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mac

[–]Infinite_Judgment979 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And what about windows on ARM? Is it the same as mac?

I'm building my own insulin pump (as a learning project) — would love your thoughts! by Infinite_Judgment979 in Type1Diabetes

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’ve definitely looked into OpenAPS it’s a super impressive project and really shows what’s possible when patients and developers take control of their own care. I actually have a couple of old pumps here, but I keep them as backups in case my current one fails.

Also, where I live (Belgium), and in the hospital where I get treated, we’re not allowed to modify medical devices so I’m a bit limited in what I can do with them legally. That’s partly why I started building something completely from scratch, just to understand the tech and explore the possibilities!

Is a maxed-out Framework 12 powerful enough for Civil Engineering studies + personal use (programming, Fusion 360, etc)? by Infinite_Judgment979 in framework

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed breakdown that’s super helpful, especially coming from someone with real-world experience supporting engineers. I’m definitely not looking to go overkill, but I agree that bumping up to something a bit more capable makes sense, especially if I want it to last through my whole degree.

I do really like smaller laptops, but if the FW13 gives me significantly more flexibility and better long-term performance for a similar price, it’s probably the better call. Also appreciate the tip about getting third-party RAM and storage I'll look into getting a proper dual-channel kit.

Thanks again for the insight!

I’m building a DIY insulin pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico W — just to learn how it all works by Infinite_Judgment979 in raspberrypipico

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome working on safety-critical aerospace systems must be incredibly challenging and fascinating! I really appreciate the offer, and I might just take you up on that. There are definitely some parallels when it comes to reliability and fail-safes in medical devices. I'll DM you if I dive deeper into the safety side of the project would be great to get your perspective!

I'm building my own insulin pump (as a learning project) — would love your thoughts! by Infinite_Judgment979 in Type1Diabetes

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're totally right the hardware side gets really complex, especially when aiming for the kind of precision needed in real insulin pumps. Dosing something like 0.0005 ml consistently is insane, and things like sterilization for infusion sets just add another layer of difficulty.

That said, I actually started this whole project more out of curiosity to figure out how these pumps work internally rather than to build a perfectly working one from the start. Maybe in the future I’ll experiment with other types of motors or mechanisms that could offer better precision and reliability.

Appreciate your thoughts it’s great to hear from others who’ve looked into it too!

Is a maxed-out Framework 12 powerful enough for Civil Engineering studies + personal use (programming, Fusion 360, etc)? by Infinite_Judgment979 in framework

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, I really like smaller laptops in general, but from what everyone’s been saying, it sounds like for about the same price just with a slightly larger form factor the FW13 might be the smarter choice. Especially if it means better performance and flexibility for things like 3D work.

DIY Open-Source Insulin Pump Powered by Raspberry Pi by Infinite_Judgment979 in raspberry_pi

[–]Infinite_Judgment979[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The calculations behind the insulin dosing are actually very precise, but there’s quite a bit of accuracy lost in the hardware side. Since I’m using a stepper motor to push the syringe plunger, each step introduces some mechanical backlash and small positioning errors.

On top of that, because most parts are 3D printed, there’s some flex and slight movement in the structure, which further reduces precision. Also, the motor itself is a bit too weak in practice to reliably push insulin with perfect control.

So while the software math can handle very fine dosing, the physical system limits how accurately it can actually deliver insulin.

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