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Tips On Becoming a Better Electronics Design Engineer
When evaluating or tuning up prototypes, write down ALL the data. Don't just log the measured data but write down all the test set-up settings, no matter how trivial they seem. Recheck the next day while it is still fresh in your mind and add missing settings.
Organize everything, design files, e-mail folders, links in your browser. Backup your organized groups. Trust me - it pays off in time saved looking for these things later.Be thorough in your investigations. Whether designing, brainstorming ideas, doing competitive analysis or looking for engineering tools spend some time and do it right. Also don't trust the marketing departments competitive analysis's. Do your own also, from an engineer's prospective.
Accuracy is underestimated in importance. Check and double-check your work. Do the check the next day when the data looks fresh and new. Going back and searching for code bugs and writing ECN's will take longer than the checking. A good rule on complex new designs is to re-review each day untilthe errors that you discover are zero for two consecutive days. There is nothing worse than the customer finding your mistakes.
When solving a difficult problem, and there WILL be tough dog problems, look at them from all angles. Use crime investigator techniques. When you think you have exhausted all possibilities, go back and recheck the same logical steps that you just ruled out. Sometimes an error was made in measurement or logic or even instrument settings. Be persistent until the problem is solved. This could take days or weeks not hours.
Draw on other's experience - do not re-invent the wheel. Save yourcreativeness for those problems that are unique to your design. Sometime a good design is nothing more than a lot of smaller design ideas taken from your previous designs and your other engineering team members (assuming this is allowed inside your organization). When starting a new design and halfway through, review past designs. Volunteer to sit in on other's design reviews. You'll learn the most from the other member's comments in the design review.
Keep up with new technology and trends - even outside your particular narrow field. Good ideas tend to cross boundaries quickly. Who thought microprocessor's would appear in toasters? OK, maybe not all trends are a good thing… Keep up with tech news on the web. Even study DigiKey and Mouser for new electronic component trends.
Learn new skills. Sooner or later there will be downsizing, layoffs or frustrating experiences with bottlenecks in other departments. Knowing programming or pcb layout or even graphics design will help these bottlenecks along. If nothing else you will have better insight into what input to give those tech specialists. Also, it makes your resume more interesting, doesn't it?
Keep the communications channel open with previous co-workers, old college friends and forum groups in your field. Networking with them may be your strongest hope of finding that next job in tough times. Linked-In hasn't grown hugely popular just because the world needs one more social networking site.
As much as you would like to forget work completely after 5 pm, doing related things such as participating in online forums will further you in your field of expertise. Pick a classy forum where participants are actually helping each other and not just fueling flame wars. Helping others will give you a sense of control that may temporarily be lacking in your job and someday you may be on the receiving end of that forum question.
- Qualifications: Over 30 years in the electronics design field as an engineer plus 22 years (1969-1991) as an active ham operator and homebrewer
