So You Wanna Be an Embedded Engineer: The Guide to Embedded Engineering, From Consultancy to the Corporate Ladder
By addebook • Aug 31st, 2008 • Category: Engineer •
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So You Wanna Be an Embedded Engineer: The Guide to Embedded Engineering, From Consultancy to the Corporate Ladder (Embedded Technology)
So You Wanna Be an Embedded Engineer: The Guide to Embedded Engineering, From Consultancy to the Corporate Ladder (Embedded Technology)
By Lewin Edwards
Publisher: Newnes
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2006-07-18
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0750679530
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780750679534
Binding: Paperback
In this new, highly practical guide, expert embedded designer and manager Lewin Edwards answers the question, How do I become an embedded engineer? Embedded professionals agree that there is a treacherous gap between graduating from school and becoming an effective engineer in the workplace, and that there are few resources available for newbies to turn to when in need of advice and direction. This book provides that much-needed guidance for engineers fresh out of school, and for the thousands of experienced engineers now migrating into the popular embedded arena.
This book helps new embedded engineers to get ahead quickly by preparing them for the technical and professional challenges they will face. Detailed instructions on how to achieve successful designs using a broad spectrum of different microcontrollers and scripting languages are provided. The author shares insights from a lifetime of experience spent in-the-trenches, covering everything from small vs. large companies, and consultancy work vs. salaried positions, to which types of training will prove to be the most lucrative investments. This book provides an experts authoritative answers to questions that pop up constantly on Usenet newsgroups and in break rooms all over the world.
* An approachable, friendly introduction to working in the world of embedded design
* Full of design examples using the most common languages and hardware that new embedded engineers will be likely to use every day
* Answers important basic questions on which are the best products to learn, trainings to get, and kinds of companies to work for
Summary: Somewhat biased and technically dated but useful reading, especially for people without college degree in EE
Rating: 3
It may be a four-star book for those readers who migrate to embedded engineering without traditional EE training. The book has a lot of good advice for such people.
On the downside, the tecnical portion of the book seems to be too strongly relied on the author’s personal experience, some of which is probably dated and irrelevant. For example, PIC microcontrollers are out of favor based on “weird architecture” of a mostly obsolete PIC, which the author had to probram in assembler. Some of other microcontrollers and development tools discussed in the book are neither available or not recommended for new designs.
As a reader, I would mostly focus on one-time reading of the nontechnical parts of the book relevant to one’s experience and goals. For practical embedded projects, I would not rely on this book.
Summary: An Invaluable Guide to Entering the Embedded Field
Rating: 5
A friendly easy to read book which covers all aspects of entering the field of embedded engineering from an author with real experience treading the path himself.
The technical information is detailed and well presented but I would recommend that those readers who are particularly interested in the detail should also read the author’s first book - Embedded System Design on a Shoestring: Achieving High Performance with a Limited Budget - which goes into a lot more detail.
There is also a lot of invaluable information for anyone looking to move into self-employment as a consultant and a lot of good detail about the tax implications of doing so.
In summary, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Embedded Engineering and who is looking to make a career from it. Final year electronics/computing students should especially read this as it will really help focus their job hunting on graduation.
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