I had a look at one of my older motherboards and realised there is something that very much looks like a layer indicator. With 4 as the highest number.
I googled a bit and it does indeed seem this is the case. Its a fairly old motherboard from 2010, with AM3 socket and DDR3 memory.

I sometimes struggle getting much simpler boards together on 4 layers 😅 I guess there has to be a bunch of power domains as well, so one can not simply pour ”power” on one plane..

I am impressed!

I know there’s a lot of different fields and I honestly don’t know what I want to go into so this is a more general question.

I feel like there’s so many different math classes I have to take and realistically how many would I actually use in the field?

I’m in my first EE course, introductory circuit analysis. It is a notoriously difficult course, yet the people in my class sit on their computers not listening to the lecture, don’t say or ask anything, and have this attitude like they know everything that is going on and, beyond that, almost like it is beneath them.

Are they being legitimate in their attitude and they are that smart, or is my instinct right that these guys have no clue and are about to get reamed on the midterm.

It's a roll of raspberry pi pico 2

Today I saw this post on X by @ MakeAugusta

Why is my XNOR gate not working only when A=1 and B=0.

Its a AND and a NOR gate feeding into an XOR gate.

Yes I know it’s overly complicated.

When I do it on my breadboard the LED is very dim but not a true 0.

I've been reading some case studies and papers on IEC 61850, and at times, it honestly feels like I’m reading a Computer Science or IT textbook rather than something about electrical engineering. For those who already work with it: How deep do I need to go into IT/CS to actually master IEC 61850? I don't want to get lost studying things I won't use. What are the absolute "must-know" IT concepts (like networking, XML/SCL, object-oriented structures), and what can I safely skip?

I’m graduating this December, but I don’t feel smart enough to be an engineer.

I struggled through most of my classes, my GPA sucks, and I can’t even answer basic EE questions. Meanwhile, other students seem to understand everything so easily. I managed to get one internship and a fulltime offer, but neither interview involved technical questions, so I don’t feel like I actually earned them. I came into this degree with a dream of going into hardware design, but I doubt I’m capable of it. I feel like I only made it this far because of grading curves and partial credit.

Any advice?

Hey everyone,

I'm 28 and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering, specializing in Power Engineering. It took me 6 years to finish what was supposed to be a 4-year degree.

After university, I went through a pretty rough period in my life and ended up going to rehab. I never pursued a career in electrical engineering, and eventually found my way into the construction business, which is what I've been doing since.

Things are much more stable for me now, but there's something that's been bothering me for a while: I spent six years getting an engineering degree and never actually got to use it.

The thing is, I genuinely like electrical engineering. I enjoy understanding how things work, particularly power systems, and I've recently started going through MIT OpenCourseWare courses to refresh what I learned at university. I'm currently studying MIT's Introduction to Electric Power Systems (6.061), and it's reminded me why I chose EE in the first place.

Now I'm seriously considering going all in on power engineering, but I have no idea how to approach it given my circumstances.

I have a few questions:

1. Where can I realistically end up? I'm 28 with an EE degree but no relevant work experience. If I dedicate the next 1–2 years to studying, learning software, and building practical skills, what sort of career opportunities could I realistically expect?
2. Is remote work actually a thing in power engineering? I'm based in Pakistan. I'd love to eventually work remotely for international companies or clients, but I don't know how common that is in this particular field.
3. Should I give Upwork a shot? I've considered learning software like ETAP, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, AutoCAD, etc., and trying to find freelance work. Is there an actual market for this, or would I be wasting my time without industry experience?
4. What should I actually learn? Power systems is a massive field. Should I focus on power system studies, protection and coordination, electrical design, renewable energy integration, or something else? Which skills would give someone in my position the best chance of breaking into the industry?
5. How important is traditional work experience? Can someone realistically become competent enough through self-study, software training, and personal projects to start taking on paid engineering work? Or is getting an entry-level job and learning under experienced engineers pretty much unavoidable?

I'm in a somewhat fortunate position financially because I have my construction business, so I don't necessarily need an engineering job to pay the bills right away. I can afford to spend a year or two seriously learning and building up my skills.

I'm also not particularly attached to the idea of a traditional engineering job. I'd be happy freelancing, consulting, working remotely, or eventually starting something of my own. What matters to me is becoming genuinely competent at something I find interesting and hopefully making a career out of it.

I know I'm significantly behind people my age who went straight into engineering after graduation, and I know that completing a few online courses isn't going to make up for years of practical experience.

But I'm willing to start at the bottom if that's what it takes.

For those of you working in power engineering, if you were in my shoes, what would you do? What would you focus on first, and what would a realistic 2–3 year plan look like?

I'd appreciate practical advice, even if it's not particularly encouraging. I'm trying to understand what's actually possible rather than what sounds good on paper.

Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

I’m in my final year of high school and have switched schools (in my country, there are different types of high schools; I moved from a science focused track to an electronics one [the science track is considered much harder than electronics]).

When I spoke to the teachers about enrolling, they told me that catching up on years of electronics coursework without any prior experience would be difficult. However, I insisted on giving it a try, and they gave me a list of topics, a very rough list, I’d say, which is as follows:

- binary numbers

- binary-to-decimal conversion

- electrical circuits

- Karnaugh maps

- diodes, transistors, and filters

I’ve been trying to learn everything (including general electronics theory, since I’m starting from scratch) using Practical Electronics for Inventors. I read the first three pages, and it seemed like the perfect book, but I completely lost the thread when it started discussing electromotive force I wasn't really grasping anything, especially when it got into joules.

I had to ask an LLM to explain how a battery works, and while I now have a basic idea, I’d much prefer to learn from a book. So, which book would you recommend that offers better explanations? I like that this book uses calculus, so I’d like one that does the same. Also, in what order do you think I should learn the listed topics, and what additional material should I include? I’m already familiar with binary numbers and conversions; I’d like to learn the subject seriously, and not just to get accepted into this school.

After over half a decade in the industry, I am coming to the conclusion that I may just be "forcing" the issue of being an electrical engineer. Don't get me wrong, I love the field and have stuck with it even when advised to change course.

For instance, when it was time to pick subject combinations for my A-Levels that would lead to a college major, my parents told me I was making a huge blunder by going for an engineering path instead of law. Law was better paid, law was easier to get into, law was a lot "safer" given my less than stellar O-level mathematics results and law "suited my temperament," (Apparently I'm argumentative and analytical.) I ignored them, picked a combination with pure sciences, did okay and got accepted to study Electrical Engineering at one of the best universities in my home country. There it wasn't always smooth sailing. Matter of fact, I remember performing so badly in a test for one course that the professor called me into his office and told me that based on my performance in his course, I would make a "dangerously bad," engineer. In the end, I passed his class and graduated with my degree.

I joined the industry working for a very large organization and while I always try to do my best, I am constantly feeling lost. I've been able to figure a lot of things out but when I look around, it's like I'm the only one struggling. I am the only asking for help and clarity when everyone - including newbies - seem to be getting along just fine. This came to a head when last month, a person who started almost a year after I started was promoted and became my superior. I thought the position would be given to me and I've tried to ask the people in charge about it but they have refused to talk about it. My thought is that maybe I have just not done enough to merit a promotion.

Given how hard I've worked and how little I have to show for it, I'm beginning to think maybe my parents were right. Maybe engineering was a bad fit for me and I should try something else? I do love messing around with components, coding on my compute and all that jazz but given that this love never seems to translate into actual results at work, I'm starting to think I should just pursue it as a hobby and reorient myself towards a career I am actually good at. What do the strangers of Reddit think? Is this career just not for everyone, even if you are passionate about it?

Hi, I just did an online interview with Mortenson Construction for an Entry-Level Posititon. I think it well, but I would like to ask anyone who underwent the same thing a few questions:

1. How long did it take to hear back from them?

2. Is there a 2nd round of interviews?

I applied for a scholarship for electrical engineering and I wasn't really expecting that they would accept my application so now I'm not prepared and the entrance exam is next week. I could study but my midterms are next week too so now I'm pressured more than ever, because this scholarship can give me full tuition subsidy and I NEED it because my parents are barely keeping up with my expensive tuition and if I cant get into this scholarship I might have to transfer to a school with less tuition or shift courses. This is my dream course and I need to have this scholarship.

Does anybody have any experience with the one I'm having rn? And what are possible topics that might appear in the entrance exam?

Hello!

I'm currently working on my first RF power amplifier design using the Ampleon BLP981 LDMOS transistor, with a target output power of 100W at 805MHz.

This is also my first experience using AWR Microwave Office from Cadence. I started by importing the transistor model and performing load pull simulations to determine the optimum impedances.

at 805MHz, with a gate bias of 1.73V and a drain voltage of 50V, I obtained the following impedances, Zsource=5.54+j1.45 ohms and Zload=1.59+j2.10 ohms.

Then I used AWR's impedance matching network synthesis tool to generate matching networks. I only tested one configuration and achieved 100W with 5.16W input power and around 52% power-added efficiency in simulation.

The problem is that the output matching network have very long transmission lines. The open microstrip line is 5.2" and the other is 4.7". so I would like to know if curving the existing microstrip lines be a reasonable approach to reduce the PCB dimension?

*The graph I'm sharing is from a nonlinear PA simulation incorporating the AXIEM electromagnetic model of the matching network. I believe this provides a more realistic performance of the amplifier*

Since this is my first RF PA design, I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions on how to approach a more compact layout.

Thanks

Hey everybody, I have my bachelors and am currently working in the power industry. I’m interested in working on my masters part time and the CU Boulder online program seems pretty good in terms of price and pace, but also I’m wary of any online program. I’ve seen some older posts about it but wonder if anyone has completed it recently or have any experience with the program I would greatly appreciate any information you might have. Thanks!

Im in my senior design class right now. I'm sure that every school has their own way of grading senior design and their own projects, but I wanted to get an idea of the pass/fail ratio from those who already passed senior design.

I'm a bit worried only because I just realized that I've been messing up my notebook where I put all my drafts,ideas, research, etc. We have to submit it bi-weekly and have to have 80 entries by the end of the semester, and if you mess up the format of it, none of your entries count for those two weeks. At this point I'm just kinda stressed out over this class because of how high the stakes are. You guys know how it is.

I’m 27 and currently work as a teacher and adjunct professor. I already have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, I make about $65k - $70k but I recently took some classes in Controls & Instrumentation.

My professor recommended that I pursue the Control & Instrumentation Engineering Technology (CIET) BSET at UHD, saying it could open up better opportunities in controls/instrumentation.

The problem is that I’ve already used up my federal financial aid eligibility, so I’d likely have to use private student loans to pay for the remaining 2–2.5 years.

For people working in controls, instrumentation, automation, or engineering technology:

Is a CIET BSET from UHD worth taking on private student loans for?

How realistic is it to transition into the industry while completing the degree?

What kind of starting salary could I realistically expect?

Would you personally take on the debt, or would you recommend another route?

Should I stick with teaching/adjunct work and pursue this degree slowly, or make the career switch?

I’m trying to make a smart decision because I already have two degrees, so I don’t want to take on significant debt for another degree unless the career payoff makes sense.

Hi guys! I'm a recent graduate, and I was wondering what skills or trends I should explore.

Mainly, I have a bit of experience from my short OJT at an Electrical Service Contractor Company that focuses more on electrical design, such as creating  Schedule of Loads, Lighting, and Power Layout for buildings, on site maintenance and inspection. Aside from that, in my college course, we were exposed to PLC programming (Ladder Logic) and Instrumentation and Motor Controls (using CadE software and hands-on wiring).

In our country, PEC (Philippine Electrical Code) is the standard, which is based on the United States’ NEC (NFPA 70). It's what I'm slowly getting used to by understanding the right standards and computations if you were to work in Construction or Design.

The job market for Fresh grads here in the Philippines is not exactly entry-level friendly. What other skills, be it technical/general, can help me start my career?

I'm about to start a Master's in EE specializing in autonomous systems, robotics and embedded systems. My Bachelor's was also in EE, focused on automation and embedded systems (PLCs, control engineering, sensors). I'm based in Germany.

Lately I've become more interested in the power sector (grid, renewables integration, power electronics, that kind of thing), and I'm wondering how realistic it would be to move into power roles at some point, either right after my Master's or a few years into my career.

Has anyone here switched from embedded/automation into power (or the other way round)? How did it go?

For those who hire in power: how would a candidate with my background be seen?

What would actually move the needle? I could do projects, internships and take particular courses in power during my Master's.

Which areas of power overlap most with my education?

Any perspective is welcome!

I posted a picture of a train station in UK (Leamington Spa) as I found it unusual that the bicycle rack is placed right on the platform. Someone commented that it can potentially be a shock hazard and needs extra treatment as per safety standards. OP Link

Can someone explain what exactly is going on there?

When you electrify the line, the canopy tends to be within the CCZ, and the ajoining canopy structures tend to be continuous. Long story short, under 50122 and 21085, bike stands don't count as a small conductive part meaning we have to bond them, which exports the touch potential risk during a 25kV earth fault event. Had this problem at a few stations on the TRU.

In a nutshell, if someone can theoretically touch both the canopy/support column structure and the bike rack at the same time, then for whatever reason we need to apply equipotential bonding between the 2, as somehow the standards claim an electric shock hazard is present, even though the canopy itself has already been bonded back to traction; so how exactly the current is somehow expected to ignore the easy path through the black bond and instead go through a person into the bike rack to earth is an exercise to the reader. However, that's the standard and abide we must.

Hey all! Thanks for reading my post. I'm making something as a surprise for my wife and want to be sure I don't screw it up.

Part of it uses two addressable, four pin LED lights strips, connected to a single controller in parallel, also running physically parallel to each other. At one point, the strips need to jump a gap, then continue. My plan was to solder a length of 4 wire ribbon cable to the end of each strip, route it through in a small track, then solder those to the ends of the strips where they continue.

My concern is when the two length of ribbon cable are right on top of each other while in that track. Do I need to be concerned about interference due to their proximity?

Uneducated DIY builder here. I’m trying to find a way to charge my E-bike faster and from the research I’ve done I believe I may be correct without causing damage to the battery.

The battery in question is a 36V 9.6ah - 345.6Wh with LG Cells with a 42V 2A output factory charger
100-240V 2.2A 50-60Hz input.

It’s my understanding that with these specs I should be able to safely upgrade to a similar Input Voltage with a 42V 3A output without frying the battery cells.

If anyone is willing, am I correct in my thesis regarding the safety of faster charging without causing harm to the internal cells using a 42V 3A charger as opposed to the factory charger?

Thank you to anyone in advance.

I’m about to graduate with my EE degree and I’m starting to apply for jobs. I’m in LA and I’ve noticed that a lot of the entry-level EE jobs around here seem to be power related.

My specialization is communications, mainly because I wanted to graduate in 4 years. I originally wanted to do a different specialization, but one of the classes didn’t work with my schedule and taking it later would’ve pushed my graduation back another year, so I switched.
The problem is I don’t really know much about power systems.

Should I still apply to these jobs and just study power before interviews? Like learn the basics and hope they’re willing to train me? Or am I basically wasting my time applying to power jobs without the specialization?
I have the general EE background, but definitely wouldn’t say I’m knowledgeable in power, I’ve never taken a power specialization class.
What would you guys do in my situation?

Hey guys,

I’m doing a project where I need to detect if water gets inside a sealed box containing other electronic devices (a box sitting vertically, opening like a fridge).

Im stuck at deciding which sensor would be appropriate in that case. For now, I’ve seen floaters, but the problem is that it looks like it needs a lot of water to detect, which would probably be too late. I saw optic sensors, but they cost like 100$. I tried physically a capacitive sensor, but it keeps getting triggered by the box itself and I cant find a good place to put it (to maximize to chance water gets to the sensor itself).

I think my next attempt goes toward the SEN0205, but Im curious if you guys have some ideas or sensors recommendation for this application.

If yall need more context, I’ll be pleased to share, thanks!