r/ECE

Background:
International student in the US. Just graduated from a MS in Communications systems and fortunately landed a firmware engineering summer internship at a big tech and a PhD at a decent school that starts spring 2027. I studied CE and then AI for undergrad, but decided to transfer to wireless as it’s more interesting to me and has less meaningless competition.

Thought:
I feel the wireless industry is quite dead now. Most of the ongoing research for 6G at either PHY or MAC layer won’t provide tremendous cost reduction to the existing cellular infrastructure, and there is no killer use case that pushes for better performance (lower latency/higher throughput). Like the whole 6G is not something really needed for now. This feeling is exacerbated by witnessing how AI has really revolutionized many digital industries. I start to worry about my job prospect since I can’t imagine why wireless industry would continue to hire more engineers.

Questions:

1. My own interests aside, what do you think I should study for a PhD in the broad topic of wireless? Can you suggest some concrete directions in that’s worth going in terms of industry/academic prospect?
2. How difficult do you think it is to find an industry job in Wireless (either UE or RAN side)? Is it getting harder or easier?
3. If I want to work on cellular, which layer (PHY or MAC) do you think will see more REAL growth/innovation e.g. Open/AI RAN, digital twin, neural network receiver etc

Hi everyone, I'm planning to do a masters in CSP as a student with CS background. Is it a wise choice to switch from CS to ECE like this?

I have 3 months before joining this program. I'm planning to self-study the below courses to make the transition easier:

• Engineering Math
• Signals & Systems
• Probability
• Circuit Theory
• Analog + Digital Electronics
• DSP
• Communication Systems
• Information Theory

https://preview.redd.it/jk14pke36b1h1.png?width=1684&format=png&auto=webp&s=08a92e3d8cd4e2ae57df5876532464dcf15cb1eb

We'll be here next Thursday 21st May, 3–5pm BST to answer your questions, with a focus on industrial and embedded use of Raspberry Pi.

Between the three of us we cover the full stack, so bring whatever you've got; board-level hardware questions, software and OS questions, the Compute Modules, RP2040/RP2350, real-time performance, interfacing with industrial protocols, or broader questions.

Post your questions now and we'll work through as many as we can on the day.

See you on the 21st.

— Eben, James & Gordon

I just want to know on average who pays significantly higher compare to each other in India.

Qualcomm vs AMD

I am going to join college this year in the ECE branch. I am not interested in gaming at all; I only need it for watching movies and coding. So, what would be a better option, and what would be suitable according to the ECE branch?

Hey all, I accepted an EE internship this summer and off the bat they got we working on wiring harness projects. During my interview I never once mentioned wiring harnesses and heavily leaned on my experience doing embedded coding and hardware design.

I’m not sure if I even have any leverage as an intern to ask for a different project, and softly implied I’d like to work on other projects. At the end of the day I emailed one employee who had tons of PCBs on his desk.

I feel like my skills will stagnate since harness wiring is the complete opposite of what I want to do, but again I am not sure if asking for a different team is something within my abilities as an intern.

Thoughts?

Edit: I’m gonna be the best wiring harness engineer EVER. Gonna knock it outta da park.

Hi,

I’ve recently been accepted into a MASc in Electrical and Computer Engineering under a professor whose research focuses on automotive sensor systems, intelligent transportation, computer vision, and driver assistance technologies.

My long-term goal is to work at companies like AMD, Google, or similar high-performance computing / autonomous systems companies, ideally in roles related to:

• Computer Vision
• Embedded AI
• Firmware / Systems Engineering
• ADAS / Autonomous Driving
• GPU acceleration / AI deployment

Currently, I have beginner experience with:

• Training custom object detection datasets (YOLO/OpenCV)
• Real-time object detection
• Thermal + depth sensing applications
• ROS + Linux
• Monocular SLAM concepts (ORB-SLAM3)
• Embedded systems / real-time sensing projects

I’m trying to choose a thesis direction that would:

1. Align well with my supervisor’s automotive/computer vision research
2. Build industry-relevant skills
3. Improve my chances for internships or future roles at AMD, Google, or similar companies
4. Potentially connect with industry-sponsored projects in Ontario or Canada

I’m very open-minded and willing to learn new technologies (C++, GPU acceleration, ROS2, embedded systems, etc.).

• What thesis topics would best position me for AMD / Google-level roles?
• Should I focus more on:
  • ADAS / perception
  • Visual SLAM
  • Edge AI / deployment
  • GPU optimization
  • Embedded vision systems
• Are there companies in Ontario/Canada that sponsor MASc students or work with industry research projects in these areas?
• What technical skills would be most sought out?

Any advice from industry professionals, grad students, or researchers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello, I'm an ECE student based in the US who just completed freshman year of college and went down a rabbit hole this morning when I discovered the concept of working holiday visas.

I always thought I'd only be able to travel once I'm in my thirties or forties and have enough money saved, and even then only for weeklong vacations at best, but finding out that I could travel every 1-2 years to different countries while working and saving money was insane!

I wanted to come on here to ask if anyone working in ECE was on working holiday visa, and if so, what is your experience on a day-to-day basis like? I wouldn't mind living frugally to save and I would also explore whichever area I can as cheaply as I can (likely backpacking trips, sightseeing, street food, and simply immersing myself in cities like an everyday citizen and not a tourist).

Lastly, I also wanted to ask what kind of positive or negative impact this could have on my career trajectory. If I am able to avoid stagnating in my skillset and keep advancing in my technical abilities, would a series of multiple 1-2 year engineering stints in different countries look bad on my resume when/if I decide to return to the US in my thirties to settle down/look for a long-term job? What could my salary progression look like? As of now, my interests lie in embedded software but I am willing to pivot in order to accommodate this lifestyle if possible. Thanks for the advice in advance!

I am working in Altium on a USB-C power supply PCB based on the INN3879C reference layout. I added an array of thermal vias under/near the high-current copper area to improve heat spreading, following the reference board pattern. The vias appear assigned to the correct net, but Altium DRC reports many Net Antennae errors.

The vias are intended for thermal dissipation. Why is Altium flagging these as antenna/dangling net violations, and what should I check to make sure the vias are electrically and thermally connected correctly?” besides net of vias

UPDATE: problem found thanks to ppl comments, i realize it was not connect on the other side of the via to make a full loop

https://preview.redd.it/bl8elhqsxt1h1.png?width=1034&format=png&auto=webp&s=cc88fcf9d9f182b4fa3fb7a18f87e624bc4078a7

https://preview.redd.it/2qhs48best1h1.png?width=1867&format=png&auto=webp&s=10222e3eb48967463688c4b81dc338b960336e8e

I recently accepted an offer at a startup in the AI/data center space, but I’m having major second thoughts and want to back out.

The startup is offering a $12k base increase plus stock options. The tech is cutting-edge and the career growth potential is massive.

However, my current job has an amazing work-life balance. I work a 9/80 schedule, and the work is actually still pretty exciting, even if it’s a generation behind the absolute newest tech.

I have a family, and I’m terrified the startup grind is going to kill my personal life. $12k doesn't feel like enough to risk missing out on time with my spouse and kids.

Am I making the right call by backing out now before I start? How should I handle the conversation with the recruiter?

I'm a senior student considering changing majors from EE to CE based on a desire to work in embedded systems and my overall strengths (coding, fpga, dsp). It would not delay my graduation (CS minor would).

I've seen a lot of chatter about how CE is oversaturated (not at my school btw, total opposite), and seem to imply that CE is a worse degree overall. Though, this idea is one I have only encountered on reddit but not in real life or in any job data.

I was talking to my friend who is an embedded engineer with about 7-8 years of experience. She said, at her company the difference between EEs and CEs is so small, it effectively doesn't matter as long as the school is ABET accredited. You do need to have some actual coding experience for coding roles though.

Does anyone has any clear examples or evidence they've seen of a real preference for EEs in electronics roles in the real world?

I’m an ECE student trying to decide between pursuing Embedded Systems or going deeper into VLSI/RTL design, and I want honest advice from people actually working in industry.

Online (especially YouTube/Instagram/LinkedIn), VLSI is often portrayed as the more “elite” path in ECE:

• higher salaries
• fewer people
• harder barrier to entry
• more technically prestigious
• more future-proof

Meanwhile Embedded Systems feels much more crowded online because everyone seems to be doing Arduino/IoT projects nowadays.

The reason I’m conflicted is because I am NOT very interested in mainstream CS/software development culture. I do not enjoy things like:

• web development
• frontend/backend stacks
• grinding LeetCode all day
• becoming a generic software engineer

I’m much more interested in:

• electronics
• hardware-software interaction
• low-level systems
• microcontrollers
• debugging real hardware
• communication protocols
• embedded devices
• robotics/automation systems

My coursework is also more embedded/control/CPS oriented than pure VLSI. I have courses in:

• Embedded Systems
• Control Systems
• Networks
• Microprocessors
• Communication systems
• CPS/IoT related electives

while VLSI appears mainly as introductory and elective-level coursework.

At the same time, VLSI psychologically feels more “earned” to me because:

• the barrier looks higher
• fewer people survive in it
• it feels more specialized
• salaries appear significantly higher at the top end

So I want honest answers from engineers working in:

• Embedded Systems
• Firmware
• FPGA
• ASIC/VLSI
• Verification
• RTL
• Automotive/Robotics
• Semiconductor companies

My questions are:

1. Is Embedded Systems actually becoming overcrowded, or is it just that beginner-level embedded content is everywhere online?
2. Is the compensation gap between VLSI and Embedded really that large after 5–10 years?
3. How difficult is it realistically to enter VLSI without a top-tier academic profile?
4. For someone who likes low-level systems and electronics but is not very interested in mainstream software engineering culture, which field tends to feel more satisfying day-to-day?
5. Do experienced engineers think a hybrid path (Embedded + FPGA/Verilog basics) is stronger long-term than specializing too early?
6. Which field currently has better long-term stability and growth:

• Embedded/Firmware
• Automotive electronics
• Robotics/CPS
• VLSI/ASIC

I would especially appreciate answers from people who have worked in both domains or shifted between them.

I am a sophomore ECE student at a T20 college that isn't really known for ECE specifically. I am interested in hardware engineering and would love some clarity in how recruitment works for that sector.

I know that learning skills on my own (ex: Verilog, Quartus) and personal projects are important. But, my school is not well known for hardware and these type of companies do not come to our career fairs. How do I give myself a better shot at getting these roles? Should I be networking with alumni working in this field? I am not sure what else I can do other than just improving my resume and skills to help myself in this process.

I also realize I'm pretty early on in college and that I am just unlikely to get internships based off this fact. But I'd love any advice so I can prepare for it all in the future.

Thank you!

Hi, I am a student about to go to college, and I would really like to know how to find out if ECE is a stream I would like. What are some things I can do to understand what ECE will be like?

Life feels like its going so fast and I keep missing career opportunities. I just finished 2nd year of University in an ECE program, didnt get an internship for the summer and feeling kinda overwhelmed and worried I won't make it. Working as a lab assistant and taking a few courses to stay productive, but just feeling down seeing everyone else achieve so much and have such loving people around them. I really love learning but I feel like a headless chicken these years. Would appreciate any advice or words of wisdom from those who have spent a while in the industry/in life - about anything really. I would also love to hear about any project u guys made that rly helped u.

All feedback is appreciated.

Hi can someone suggest good resources (preferably YouTube playlists) to learn about AXI protocol.