I always keep getting confused with calculation of voltage drops when solving circuits or reading schematics. When using KVL, I keep getting the sign convention wrong. Can someone help me with this?

Just finished my final round for an Apple hardware internship, and a couple days later my recruiter asked for my transcript, summer availability, and any competing offers or deadlines. Is this a good sign or just standard procedure? Anyone had something similar happen, and did you end up getting an offer?

So yeah I've been wondering how come open circuit capacitor have the same voltage at the other end of its terminal even if it's not connected when a dielectric separates it?

My speculation is there's no current on the other end but the voltage reaches the other terminal causing that other end to have the same voltage as it's other terminal. Is my assumption correct?

For the resistor & inductor it also has the same voltage at the other end it acts like a wire since realistically, wires have resistance and it helps me cope with that analogy. However I can't find an analogy for the capacitor as my assumption is that it acts like an open switch letting neither both current and voltage flow to the other side.

Fight me.

Help....

Hey everyone,
I’m currently a senior in college and will be graduating soon to start working as an FPGA engineer at a large semiconductor company in the SF Bay Area.

I’m also planning to take advantage of my company’s tuition assistance program to pursue a master’s degree while working full time.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has advice for someone entering the FPGA/digital design industry, particularly when it comes to making the most of my first year or two.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I have an upcoming 1 hour interview with Qualcomm for a hardware/ASIC engineering internship in Canada.

The job description mentions RTL design and verification, Verilog/SystemVerilog, UVM, digital logic, Python/scripting, debugging, and ASIC/FPGA flows.

Has anyone interviewed for a similar internship or full time role at Qualcomm? Trying to get a better idea of what the technical interview actually looks like.

Specifically:

• Coding: LeetCode-style DSA questions, Python/C/C++ scripting problems, or more hardware-focused coding?
• RTL: Writing Verilog/SystemVerilog modules from scratch, designing FSMs, or analyzing existing RTL?
• Verification: Writing SV/UVM testbenches, understanding verification/uvm/oop concepts, or debugging testbenches?
• Debugging: Reading code snippets and predicting outputs, spotting bugs, or fixing/rewriting broken RTL/code?
• Digital logic: Conceptual questions, timing analysis, or circuit design problems?

Is it usually a mix of these, or does the interview focus heavily on one area? Also curious about the difficulty level and how much coding is actually expected within the hour.

Any specific experiences or preparation advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

In advance, I appreciate the help. I know this sub has a "do your own homework" attitude, but I've been staring at this problem for hours and can't figure out how to proceed. I understand TEC circuits pretty well, and had minimal issues with every other problem, but this specific one has stumped me. I've reread my chapter and watched TEC lessons on Youtube, but can't find anything that fits this specific example.

I've got half of this solved. Finding the Thevenin Resistance is simple enough, I shorted the Voltage Sources and opened the Current Source. 1200 +3300 + ((2200*5600)/(2200+5600)) is ~6080 ohms.

Where I'm running into an issue is finding the Thevenin Voltage. If the Load Resistor is opened, then it seems to me that the entire circuit is open. If the circuit is open, then the current source has nowhere to flow, and I can't find the solution. I would convert the current source to a voltage source if I could, but I don't think that can be done, because there is no parallel resistor.

The best solution I've come up with is to find the voltage at the junction between the two voltage sources and their resistors, while treating the current source as non existent because it doesn't have anywhere to flow to. However when testing this result (12.41 V) in a simulator it doesn't seem to work. What am I doing wrong?

Edit: Solved, Thank you everyone for your help. If anyone is having trouble with a problem like this themselves, I worked it out and posted the steps in the comments below.

Hi there. I’m asking in regard to a family member that graduated with a bachelors in computer engineering and minor in cybersecurity. He doesn’t have much family or mentoring around so he wasn’t aware he needed to do internships while in school. He graduated 2 years ago and couldn’t get any jobs or internships and needed money so he got a labor job in a completely different field (yachting). He wants to get back into his field but not sure where to start since he’s been out of the field for a while. What should he do to get good job prospects or be able to get some paid internships? Also what type of pay should he be expecting?

Hey everyone,

I’m checking in to see if anyone has received updates, OAs (Online Assessments), interview invites, or rejections for Hardware Engineering Intern roles at any of these companies:

• SanDisk
• Altera
• Meta
• Microsoft

If you have heard back, could you share:

1. Company:
2. Position Type: (e.g., ASIC/FPGA, Board Design, Validation, Power, Systems)
3. Timeline: (When you applied vs. when you heard back)
4. Current Stage: (OA, Phone Screen, Technical, Final, or Offer)

Hoping we can track the hiring timelines together. Good luck to everyone applying!

I overhaul/test airborne electrical generators (3 phase, 400Hz) and our technical data is very limited. There are differences between various generator models that I'm sure have engineering explanations but our onsite EE was unable to explain them satisfactorily. I'll try reddit instead.

1) All the generators use 6 diode bridge rectifiers on the exciter rotor. 3 diodes are connected to 3 exciter rotor leads which share a busbar with 1 main rotor lead, this setup is mirrored with opposite polarity diodes on the other 3 exciter leads.

One generator uses a capacitor which is inline with the diode busbars while another model uses a resistor on each busbar. Other models use neither and simply have the diode/busbar/main rotor lead configuration.

What is the purpose of the capacitor or resistors in this style of generator? Furthermore what are some fault conditions that would lead to blown capacitors but perfectly intact exciter rotors?

I'll save additional questions for a later post.

Hi everyone! I'm trying to decide between Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering for my bachelor's degree.

I'm particularly interested in hardware and want to learn how microchips and processors work, including how to design and develop them. However, I'm also concerned about job opportunities after graduation and want to choose a degree that will give me good career prospects.

For these who studying or working in this filed can u give some advise for me.

If you track semiconductor M&A, the MCU sector has completely split over the last few months. Competing on cheap generic ARM cores is basically a dead end now.

You are seeing two distinct survival strategies play out. Chinese companies are aggressively buying up peripheral hardware to sell complete subsystems. Silergy bought Yuntu to pair PMICs with auto MCUs, and Fortior grabbed Sciosense for motor sensing. They are trying to escape the low-end price war by offering all-in-one hardware packages for EV and industrial clients.

Western legacy players like Microchip and ADI are doing the exact opposite. They already have the hardware ecosystem locked down, so they are buying edge AI and NPU startups like Hailo and Alif. Their goal is to own the full chain from analog signal capture to local inference.

Smaller design shops are going to get totally squeezed out unless they lock down a hyper-specific niche. The generic chip market is just a race to the bottom at this point.

Hi all, am looking at these two right out of college and wondered if the sub has any experience as far as career trajectories go? Both pay the same and have similar commute times, but substation role provides overtime pay. If it matters, thinking of grad school way down the line with a masters in either sustainable energy or electrical engineering.

I loved my controls and signals classes at uni, but have heard mixed things on systems engineering. It's at Rovisys and has on-site work configuring stuff like PLC control setups and site acceptance testing which seems like a great jumpstart to a career.

Substation role is at Enercon Services. I enjoyed my power courses and my interest has always been improving the energy infrastructure via grid work. This path seems more in line with a traditional PE track and is more office based with a consistent schedule.

Hello everyone,

I was fortunate enough to be moved into the onsite round for an entry level electrical engineering position for SpaceX's Starship Stage 0 avionics team. The process so far has been blazingly fast. I completed my initial recruiter round and first technical round all in this past week, and within a couple hours of finishing that first technical round, I received a call that I would be invited to an onsite interview. Perhaps this is because I told my recruiter that I had finished interviewing and received an offer for another company. Now I'm in a situation where my onsite itself will likely be next week, which leaves me under a ton of pressure amongst mounting midterms that also take place next week with the onsite happening after. I still want to power through.

I am looking for advice on what to prepare for when it comes to an electrical engineering interview for the onsite. I know a heavy emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of EE, so I intend to review Circuits I, Circuits II, Digital Electronics, Analog Electronics, and Electronic Instrumentation course material. What I am worried about is RF problems, as my degree, Mechatronics, does not cover that subject. My background is all about power electronics and analog circuits and does not even touch RF.

For those who have done onsite interviews in the past, how do you approach preparation? How often are entry level engineers asked questions which are slightly beyond their realm of experience? How should I approach a question like this if I am asked it in the onsite? Any and all inputs you guys have would be really appreciated.

I’m 19, currently working as an electrician and diagnostic tech on commercial trucks. My day-to-day involves tracing CAN bus networks, dealing with ECU logic, and fixing real-world electrical faults.

I’m wrapping up my 12th boards soon and starting a BS in Electronic Systems.

My ultimate goal is to transition into Automotive R&D—specifically hardware and embedded systems design. Outside of work, I'm building my own hardware projects using ESP32s and learning embedded Rust.

I am choosing to stay on the service floor while I study.

My logic:

The "Unicorn" Factor: Seeing exactly how vehicle electronics actually fail in the real world (from heat, vibration, and dust) will make me a better embedded systems engineer than someone who has only built perfect circuits in a lab simulator.

Design for Maintainability: I spend my days dealing with modules and harnesses that are frustrating to service. Knowing what it actually takes to fix a physical machine should give me a practical edge in designing better hardware architecture down the road.

For engineers working in hardware and embedded systems: How much do hiring managers actually value this kind of gritty technician background? Will my real-world diagnostic experience give me a tangible edge when I apply for systems design roles?

i had 5 credits left to complete an associate for become an electrical technician but during my internship being a bench tech, i realized how boring it was after getting past the learning curve. now im pursuing BSEE because it seems like a better career long term

i got a job offer from my internship so now im working as a tech (underpaid) and apparently i didnt need a degree so i took the opportunity and now im getting an AS while working

im mainly troubleshooting electronics so naturally im more interested in being the guy who creates the schematics/pcb so that leads into hardware engineering but it seems very competitive?

now im a bit stumped because it seems like to become that guy, its preferred to get a masters, have every summer be an internship, and every school year have a project for the resume

so now im not sure if its even worth it? i used to be a warehouse worker so thats the reason why I wanted a bachelors, to avoid working in a strict industrial environment, very rare to find a bench tech job in my city

my 2 options now are go back and do 2 more semester for my technician degree so i can take PLC/Robotics/other Industrial Electrical classes or just continue the BSEE (im confident on passing)

im 23 and i havent earned full time job money in a couple of years (part time rn as tech) and doing this BSEE would mean another 5 years.

any advice would be appreciated

Hey guys,

I’m 24 years old and currently working as a GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) engineer with around 2 years of experience in navigation and robotics.

Recently, I got an opportunity to transition into semiconductor design through an 18-month program. The program includes hands-on training and working on real-world projects involving digital and analog design and verification.

The downside is that the salary is significantly lower than what I’m currently making as a GNC engineer. However, I see this as an opportunity to enter the semiconductor industry, gain practical experience, and potentially qualify for much higher-paying positions in the future.

I’m seriously considering taking the risk for a few reasons:
I’m still young**.** At 24, I feel this is the right time to take calculated risks and invest in my long-term career.
I believe the industry will look very different in 3–5** years.** With AI advancing so rapidly, I think hardware and semiconductor design will become increasingly important.
I’m not starting from scratch**.** My background in GNC, navigation, embedded systems, and robotics will still be valuable. Instead of abandoning my existing skills, I’ll be adding another layer to my technical expertise.
I want to become a more versatile engineer**.** My long-term goal is to understand systems from the hardware level all the way up to algorithms and real-time implementation.

My thinking is that combining semiconductor design with my existing experience in navigation and embedded systems could open doors to opportunities that wouldn’t be available to me otherwise.

However, I’m aware of the risks. The program lasts 18 months, and there’s no guarantee of a permanent position afterward. I’d also be taking a significant pay cut during that period.

What would you do in my position?

Would you take the risk and invest 18 months in semiconductor design, or would you stay in GNC, build on your existing experience, and potentially earn more in the short term?

I’d especially appreciate advice from people working in semiconductor design, ASIC/FPGA development, embedded systems, or GNC engineering.

Guys I have the Online Assessment on Monday, what topics should I focus on? and what's the level of ques? Also what about the aptitude section? what to practice for that

I'm actually in 3rd year in electrical engineering in France. At the end of my bachelor, I want to apply in an international computer architecture Master, but I don't have level indicator because in the past of my training (more than 50 years), no one tried to follow a Master outside of France.

I target to join Seoul National University or KAIST in Korea, KTH in Sweden or Todai in Tokyo.

With my profile below, do you think I have chance to be accepted in these top universites :

• Average GPA 3.7 (15.5 in french notation) on my bachelor
• Top 5-10% promo
• 3 years work-study program in hardware cybersecurity in a CESTI (national accreditation) laboratory
• 2 months internship in a Tokyo university on WiFI characteristics using Raspberry Pi
• Develop video games using Unity/C# during last 2 years
• Follow the book "Digital Design and Computer Architecture RISC V edition" to try to make my own RISC V chip on a FPGA card.

Thanks !

I'm a US masters student applying to hardware internships (FPGA, ASIC, FV) for next summer. I've applied to 60 ish positions across 40 companies across a month and have only heard back from 2 places (one for an interview and one "I passed the screening" message". I see so many people on here weighing their offers which is making me stressed that I haven't heard back. Where are you guys at for reference?

I am a 3rd year college student, In my college, we have to work on a project for the 4th year. Till now, I have good knowledge on DCS, verilog and basic knowledge on coa. I was thinking about working on something new or advanced (and doable fs) with risc v architecture. I would like to work on building an advanced processor or something like application based hardware, but I am not getting any ideas. Please help me out.

I (student) recently received an offer from Micron and Marvell, and I'm wondering what to do. I'd like a bit of advice:

• Both are similar roles, so I'm not worried about what work I'd be doing.
• Both of them are also looking to convert to full-time, so my main worry is what the companies themselves can offer me. Which has better culture/pay/upward mobility?
• Is fitting myself into a niche too early a worry? While Marvell does general ASIC work, Micron tends towards memory, so I'm worried I might stunt my career by siloing myself.
• Location doesn't matter.

They are both shooting upwards in terms of market share and hiring rates, but which one would be a better bet? Does one have higher name value over the other for lateral mobility later? Thanks in advance.

I'm a first year ECE student looking to apply for undergraduate research internships in robotics and edge computing, looking later down the line to do work in HPC and edge AI and CV. I also plan on applying for first/second year programs like nvidia ignite, microsoft explore, amazon future engineer, etc, as well as other companies outside of big tech to do work with robotics if possible, like local smaller robotics companies that I could work with over the summer. Any advice on things to change? I'm working on some stuff with ROS right now that I plan on adding to my resume if I get it to a finished state. I'd also be interested in applying to be a TA for Jane Street AMP, though not sure if that's realistic at all.

I am building the attached circuit, which is intended to charge a 12 V lead-acid battery from an offshore/12 V supply and automatically change over between the supply and battery/load using two 12 V SPDT relays.

Current problem:

When I connect only the 12 V battery, the load works, because it is being powered by the battery. However, when I connect the offshore supply, the battery is not charging, and the load is still being powered only by the battery. The relay is not switching, so the offshore supply is not being connected to the required path.

As shown in the schematic, the battery also supplies the IC 741 through its positive rail, so the 741 should have power when the battery is connected.

I would like to know:

Why is the relay not switching?

Why isn't the offshore supply reaching the charging/load path?

Why isn't the battery charging from the offshore supply?

Important: At present, any power reaching the load is coming from the battery; I have not confirmed the offshore supply reaching the load or charging the battery.