One of the biggest problems today is not knowing how to start or not being able to start. But starting in hardware design is just a preview of future problems :)
There are some things you need to know before you start.
First: It's a difficult field.
- Hardware design is truly one of the most difficult areas in Electrical - Electronics Engineering.
Okay, I have to ask you something. Didn't you know this? You probably could have guessed it even if you didn't know. Since you're reading this blog post right now, you want to learn it even though it's hard. So let's continue :)
Second: It is an field that requires a lot of time.
- The first designs will probably be those that can be created within a week at most, but over time the duration of the projects will increase significantly.
Time is our most valuable asset in this age and we should use this valuable asset properly. As you progress, you will come across hardware projects that take years to build despite huge teams, and as you do, you will understand that the time is really normal and worth it. However, one of the difficulties of this field is that the work done in such long projects cannot be displayed immediately.
Third: An expensive field
- Yes, as it is written in the description of the article, you don't need expensive test equipment to get started, but it is definitely not a relatively cheap field like software work where you can see the product you are doing on the screen. Even if you don't need expensive equipment, you definitely need to buy components for the PCB, and especially in advanced designs, the prices of the materials increase exponentially.
In fact, this field has many more difficulties that can be counted, some of them are even depressing difficulties, but which field doesn't? Everything that we see easy from the outside becomes difficult when we get into it. I don't know how you approach the difficulties, but in this field, it is necessary to ignore the difficulties to some extent.
"Okay Ekrem, we understand that this field is difficult and we must confront the difficulties. So how do we start? Won't you tell us a way?"
The purpose of writing this article is to share experience, first I want to inform you about the difficulties of the field so that later on we will not be responsible for accidentally starting someone who reads this article into a field they do not want to :) Anyway, let's get started.
Generally, the biggest problem in the beginning is choosing the wrong project. Especially those who are introduced to this field at university want to enter into mid-level works through competitions, but since it is not possible as a first project, they get tired of the field. Let me tell you a simple but long plan.
Flip Flop circuits are very suitable for the beginning. Since it contains passive components, it is the most basic component selection that can be started with. This circuit structure, which is suitable for single layer design, can also be produced at home. (Please take precautions against necessary dangers.)
Generally, the biggest problem in the beginning is choosing the wrong project. Especially those who are introduced to this field at university want to enter into mid-level works through competitions, but since it is not possible as a first project, they get tired of the field. Let me tell you a simple but long plan.
You have simply drawn and produced your first circuit, so what will you do in the future? Actually, if I tell you what will happen, you will always make the same and uninnovative designs for a while. Some of you may not enjoy it, but these simple designs are necessary for both manual skills and understanding the basics better.
Development board designs, black lightning circuits, maker circuits and more may not be things you want to do, but they are things that will improve you immensely in the beginning.
Once you pass these levels, you are not actually in the target audience of this article. You are now in a position to do sufficient work for your electric vehicle team, rocket team, and drone team.
Now the real work begins... While this is happening, time flies, and with the influence of your university courses, you start to focus on a sub-branch. You realize how little you know, and what kind of pool you will drown in. Still, you enjoy it. As a result, you are now making designs, solving problems, and working on projects like an engineer.
I would also like to talk about ECAD, or PCB design applications.
One of the biggest problems for you who are just starting out is choosing an application. You can search in many places and still not find a solution. Remember, applications are just tools. All of these applications serve the same purpose: PCB Design.
Some applications are old, some have very expensive licenses, some applications are behind their competitors, etc. Yes, one application is better than all of them, but that doesn't mean it can't be compared to the others. The world's biggest companies have used the application you didn't like before, maybe now, and maybe they still use it.
In my opinion, Altium Designer is the best option at the moment, but there may be license issues. On the other hand, its usage (especially on the library side) is a bit complicated because it has too many features. You can start with the free alternative KiCad, if you have difficulty, you can try EasyEDA.
Based on my experience, I have used all the applications in the image for a long time, and if you bring an application from outside the image, I will use it. Because they are all applications with the same logic. Some of them have interfaces that look like they are from 1980 and their capabilities are very limited, but they do the same job.
It is not really my place to make such recommendations, but I still want to address my student friends who are stuck in the middle. You may think that this field is not suitable for you and that you only want to focus on it because of job opportunities. The opposite may also be the case. Or you may just be curious but you may always think negatively about the field or your own potential. No matter what, there is only one way here and that is to start, to want to start. Inaction is worse than even the worst action. You never need to be at the people and levels you compare yourself to at the beginning, just start and test.
Best regards, see you in the next article.
Stay open source.
Ekrem Turan Fırat