This is how outstanding electronic engineers are made

成为一个杰出工程师最重要的因素就是“热爱自己的职业”。毕竟兴趣是最好的老师，许多优秀的电子工程师都是从小作为电子爱好者的。爱好不仅要体现在行动中更要深入内心甚至深入骨髓。有许多人问：“每天应该花多长时间在学习中和工作中。”可以肯定一份耕耘就会换来一份收获，但作为工程师和科学家想取得成功并不是比赛谁花的时间最多，而是看谁付出了更多的“思考”。

Don't think that a student who sits in a study room and reads books for hours is "diligent". He may be even lazier than a student who stays in the dormitory. In other words, "diligence" is the diligence of the brain, not the diligence of the body and form. I have been studying electronics for almost 15 years and have found many problems. Once someone asked me how much time I spend working every day. I answered him: "Except for eating and sleeping, I am almost thinking every day." It is no exaggeration to say that many of my engineering ideas were born in dreams.

Inspiration may come when you brush your teeth after getting up early, on the way to work, while eating, or even when you are talking to others. Of course, the premise of loving the profession of engineer is to be able to appreciate the beauty of engineering and natural science. An excellent engineer is also a person who loves science. From scientific common sense to scientific spirit, everything will permeate his life. Once I saw a teacher in the teaching and research department arrange the order of defense. Although this teacher has written many books in the field of electromechanical and has made many achievements in the so-called "theoretical field", just from the fact that he arranged such a simple order, he is not a person with high theory. Because in my opinion, his working method is extremely inefficient. In other words, there is no scientific spirit in his life.

"Engineers are scientists; engineers are artists; engineers are also thinkers." A great engineer once made such a statement. Yes, engineers are people who use natural science to create engineering. Engineering is both material and ideological. Many immortal projects, great inventions and superb technical solutions, many people often only see their magnificence, but as engineers, they should see the soul of design. Therefore, we should have a deep understanding of "engineers are also artists and thinkers". Engineering design itself is an art and the crystallization of engineers' thoughts. A precise mechanical device, an efficient and robust program, a complex and impeccable circuit, all of these reflect the thoughts and souls of some outstanding engineers, and sometimes you even think that their lives have been integrated into the design.

An engineer and scientist are also engineers and scientists in life. After this question is brought up, we have to mention the cultivation of one's own thinking quality. This includes the habit, depth and breadth of thinking, as well as the way of thinking and the selection of thinking materials. To become an engineer, there are indeed many qualities that are innate and decisive. The training of the school and one's own efforts are only some auxiliary measures. Someone once asked me a question about inductive load. In fact, I knew very well that he did not understand the most basic physical concepts here. First of all, the understanding of inductance cannot be explained by language and mathematical formulas. Therefore, the foundation of physics and mathematics is very demanding for engineers. The physics and mathematics mentioned here refer to a basic understanding rather than staying on the surface of words and formulas. I can infer that this person is not suitable to be an engineer. In fact, the questions he raised are really present in life. Look up and see the start of the fluorescent lamp, or when you see the discharge moment of the power plug. But it would be wrong if each of these moments is taken for granted. In that case, when Newton saw the apple fall, he would also feel it was natural.

Everyone has different thinking focuses and attention areas. Many people will focus on natural sciences from an early age. Many of these children are future engineers. For example, when a 10-year-old primary school student sees a building, he will immediately think about how the building is built, how the tower crane is connected one by one, and how the glass on the exterior wall of such a tall building is installed. Another child will think that engineers are really great, and will also think of some poems to express his inner feelings. Obviously, one of the two children may be more suitable to be an engineer and the other is more suitable to be a writer. So people often say that everyone has their own strengths and advantages. Some people's strengths and ways of thinking cannot be brought into play in the engineering profession, but the dogmatism of Chinese education cannot allow everyone to do the major they like. One of my college classmates is a literature lover, has many insights into Chinese history and society, reads widely and has good writing skills, but he chose to study electronics. Isn't this a waste of talent? So engineers and scientists are engineers and scientists in life, not when they are working or holding books. Many students work hard to learn, but they can't get started. This is the reason. When they pick up a book and find a problem or the teacher asks a question, they will try hard to solve it, but when they put the book down, they will no longer ask questions or think independently.

I never think that Chinese education is real "education". Books, test papers, scores, and so-called answers are all dogmatic, just like a production line that stamps a mark of academic qualifications on every student who passes through it. Creativity and personal expertise are completely obliterated. Coupled with the long-term Great Leap Forward in education and the deviation of talent assessment standards, countless geniuses have lost their development opportunities. There are not so many educational resources, but they insist on expanding enrollment - literacy. University education is in an embarrassing situation, and the employment of fresh graduates is the best example. So please don't complain about the lack of job opportunities. China is very short of engineers! The shortage is so severe that many companies have begun to "shout". The lack of engineers is in conflict with the surplus of fresh graduates in science and engineering. So don't think that you can become a good engineer just by having high academic performance. You must clearly understand the distance between school education and social needs.

Engineers should have "their own thoughts". Many students develop some bad habits in the process of studying. For example, they don't think deeply enough and can't think independently. Is it OK to be able to solve problems and take exams with a formula in front of you? Natural science is like a garden. Some scientific masters have written countless "immortal articles" to describe it. Mathematical formulas are like words and sentences in articles. Is there any meaning in just playing word games or simply reciting them? Please ask yourself how much you know about this "big garden". Can you imagine the scene of this garden with your eyes closed? I remember that I once asked a senior student who was doing his graduation project how good was his physics. He answered me "OK", but added "I just forgot the formula". At work, he saw that I could write many equations in my essays and was surprised to say that my memory was really good. I said "I have never memorized formulas at all". Because I remember what the "garden" looks like, even if I can't remember what words some masters used to describe the "garden", I can still describe it clearly. This is theory. Theory does not refer to "words" and formulas but the thoughts of predecessors.

Many students who study electronics say that analog technology is difficult to learn. I tell them that learning analog technology well does not mean learning analog electronics itself. The world is analog, and all physical quantities are analog. This is simulation. Therefore, your most fundamental view of natural science and worldview directly determine the level of simulation, that is, the level of physics. My opinion is: Don't think that you can have a fundamental change by studying analog electronics books. You must improve your understanding of things and natural sciences, and improve your ability to control analog quantities. What is important is the way of thinking and the perceptual understanding of concepts.

Thinking about problems should be done in depth. Depth of thinking is a habit. Some people always like to stop at the point, and they don't even realize that they can think more deeply. As engineers and scientists, we must cultivate the habit of deep thinking. Some students see a physics problem and think that most people think that it is good to get it right. But have you discovered the internal connection and even been inspired by the test points? Many high school students like to do a lot of exercises, but the results are not ideal. It is because these students are just "doing the questions" without putting in more thinking. So engineers should focus on conceptual thinking and then go deeper. Knowing the facts is more important than knowing the reasons.

Engineers should pay attention to practice. No matter how far natural science develops, it cannot be separated from experiments. Electronics itself is to guide engineering practice. So don't talk about empty theories. Many institutes are facing this problem now. They always talk about some empty theories, even wrong theories that they don't care about. Practice can improve our understanding of natural science and even change our worldview. Only when this understanding is improved can we create and apply valuable theories. We should not "play with theories", but we should pay attention to theories. Theories are thoughts and cognitions, not formulas and words.

On the other hand, we also need to pay attention to theory. Because you are an electronic engineer, not an electronics enthusiast. Engineers must fully control your project from the overall to the details. People are bound to make mistakes when doing things, and engineers must minimize such mistakes. Therefore, comprehensive theory and understanding of the project object are necessary. Some engineers who started out as electronics enthusiasts tend to ignore theory and think that it is enough to make something. Of course, we have to make things, but our ultimate goal is to master cutting-edge technology and promote the development of Chinese science and technology. It is impossible to take someone else's drawings and "make" it like an electronics enthusiast. IT technology is developing rapidly, and theory is also developing very rapidly. We must accept the tide of new concepts and new technologies, and engineers must have a comprehensive and solid theory as a backing. Our study of information technology is like building a building. We can quickly master popular development tools and technologies-we can build a relatively high building, but without a comprehensive and solid theory as a foundation, it is impossible to build a skyscraper.

Moreover, the theoretical system must be complete. IT technology itself is the product of multidisciplinary intersection, and it has involved too many things. Therefore, it is very necessary to master more comprehensive knowledge in this industry. People who work on hardware often tend to ignore the software aspect. Where is the hardware without software and where is the software without hardware? Moreover, an engineer must not only understand the knowledge of his profession, but also have a wide range of natural science knowledge. Only in this way can he become an outstanding engineering technician.

Cultivating your own learning methods is also a compulsory course for engineers. In the era of knowledge explosion, it is impossible to become an excellent engineer with just the superficial knowledge learned in school. 90% of the knowledge must be learned by yourself. Many students who have just graduated from schools do not know how to self-study. They take a book and read it for a while. If they don’t understand it, they grit their teeth and read it, and finally put it aside. In fact, self-study is very particular about skills and methods. Of course, everyone has their own good methods. I usually divide knowledge into several categories:

1. Basic knowledge----including mathematics, physics, chemistry and professional foundation.

2. Popular technologies - such as embedded system development, which is what everyone is doing.

3. Technologies that will be popular in the future - such as biological DSP technology, are your predictions for the future.

4. The technology I need is what you urgently need in your project.

5. Important progress in other disciplines - It is necessary to keep pace with the development of science and technology.

I usually allocate time evenly without neglecting any progress in any aspect. This is the only way to ensure the continuous updating and expansion of the knowledge system. This is just a macro-level allocation of energy. The specific learning process depends on the individual, but it must be carried out strategically. Engineers must plan and execute everything step by step. Logic is not only reflected in the program but also in the process of learning and life. That is, you must arrange time scientifically for everything and make plans according to your own situation. You can refer to the method of "Brain Thinking Map".

Engineers should be rigorous and realistic in their work. The Shenzhou spacecraft is composed of many complex systems. If each component has a 99.9% success rate, I am afraid that when it returns, it will not even be half safe. Therefore, engineers must be rigorous and pay enough attention to everything from the overall to every detail. This is the reason why a thousand-mile dam collapses because of an ant hole. Engineers cannot accept words like "almost". If it works, it works, and if it doesn't, it doesn't work. This is the most basic quality of engineers. Once, an engineer in the company gave me a finished ultrasonic front-end board and said that the board was OK. But when I asked him what the signal-to-noise ratio was, he answered me "almost". I understood that almost meant it was still not good enough, so I asked him to take it back and give it to me when it was not bad enough. Therefore, engineers should speak with indicators and practice. Almost is not a word that should appear in the mouth of engineers.

Engineers should also pay attention to accumulation. A good programmer and circuit designer is a good collector. Collect not only your own wisdom, but also the wisdom of others. There are countless masters and geniuses in the field of IT technology who have deposited their wisdom in modern technology. So we must continue to accumulate good practices and the thoughts of our predecessors. There will be many people around you who have many things worth learning. You should accumulate these as wealth, which will come into play one day. In addition, we learn not only simple knowledge but also the understanding of knowledge and views of engineering by our predecessors. For example, everyone sees resistors differently. You should take the initiative to understand what resistors are in the eyes of experts.

Engineers should not focus too much on development itself and not see "development" clearly. This may sound confusing, but it is actually very simple. It means to look at the entire development process from a certain perspective, and not get stuck in a specific problem. You cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because you are in it. This is the truth. Especially when you encounter a problem, it is easy to be unable to extricate yourself, and the result is confusion and everything is a mess. At this time, you need to re-examine the problem from a higher perspective and find a breakthrough, instead of getting stuck in a dead end.

Engineers should not ask others questions easily. The process and results of solving problems are equally important. Some students often ask questions to teachers, which is a good thing, indicating that certain students love to learn. But we do not advocate this. On the contrary, it is best if you can solve problems by yourself. You must learn to independently acquire information and knowledge, and make your own judgments from them. Everyone will encounter many problems at work. In school, there are teachers to answer them, but who can answer them at work? Or when you are working on the most advanced technology, who can you ask? So engineers must have the ability to handle problems independently. Don't be a lazy person in thinking. Chinese education often requires students to get high scores, and answering the right answer is a good student. So just remember the answer the teacher tells you. But can the answer the teacher tells you show that you have the ability to solve the problem? Please don't believe such a score, at least it cannot reflect your true level.

Engineers should have the spirit of "Sword Drawing". In Du Liang's words, ancient swordsmen knew that their opponents were the best swordsmen in the world, and they would still draw their swords even if they knew they would die. If they don't have this ability, they should not be swordsmen. "Even if the enemy is strong and we are weak, even if we are surrounded, we must draw our swords." Engineers should also dare to challenge their opponents and dare to defeat themselves. If a project is not even dared to be done, can it still be successful? Success is a habit, a confidence that comes from oneself. Strategically despise the "enemy", and tactically pay attention to the "enemy".

Engineers must have both personal heroism and the ability to integrate into a team. Outstanding personal ability and personality charm are so valuable. When we admire Gates and Jobs, we should not forget the huge and efficient R&D team behind them. Heroes who accomplish hegemony with a single halberd no longer belong to this era. Therefore, teamwork is the only way to create a legend.

Engineers must have a vision for development. They must not only be able to handle complex technologies and markets with ease, but also have an accurate outlook on future development trends. Only by thinking further than others can you go further than your competitors. Of course, this is inseparable from a solid foundation and diligent thinking. In today's IT industry where many competitors are competing, I'm afraid it takes more courage to do it. You must constantly pay attention to the development of technology, the market and other fields. When you relax this attention, you will be eliminated by the competition.

You have to experience life in competition and problem solving. R&D and competition are the inevitable reality for every engineer. Every day, you will encounter new difficulties, but this is the life of an engineer. You have to live easily among these problems and experience the joy and excitement of success. Many engineers complain that doing R&D is too tiring. The "tired" here is a psychological feeling. The profession of an engineer is to constantly overcome difficulties and meet new challenges. When I first started doing R&D, I was also frowning all day long, but now I am doing several large projects at the same time and facing dozens of technical problems. I feel very happy and fulfilled every day because I can do such things. If I have nothing to do one day, I will feel very uncomfortable and always have to find some problems to think about.

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