Why Do Engineering Associations and Registries Exist?

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dijkarte
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Is it possible for someone to learn electrical engineering and work in the industry? How common is this? I mean coming from a the software industry I know that there are many including innovative ones are self-taught and have no degrees. Does this apply to engineering as well? How would it be different?
 
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I think it would be pretty much impossible to get a job as, say, an Electrical Engineer, without a degree, although if you have a degree in Computer Science and take some EE courses, it might be possible.

"Self-taught" is not likely to cut it these days in engineering, but it IS possible in the software field.
 
Engineering in computer chip design is really high-tech. Really, really high tech. Start Googling and find out what level of technology is required to prepare the silicone substrate, etch the chips, etc. Can't be done in your garage...
 
"Self-taught" is not likely to cut it these days in engineering, but it IS possible in the software field.

I don't understand how it's possible in software not hardware? Both are very involving subjects. Note that what I'm talking about is not a hobbyist web developer. Let's say a video game developer, and I'm aware of outstanding people who did a lot to the field, even more than "degree-holders" contribution. Both fields require logic, math, and physics, and they are related. Also note that the advances in software made to the electronics engineering industry, using circuit simulation and design software...which itself allows for someone to experiment without the need for 17th century laboratories.

I know I'm asking but at the same time I have an argument, and if you cannot prove me wrong and slam me with an instance where it's absolutely impossible to be a DELFT-TAUGHT engineer, then I can just buy it. UNLESS, "the-other-way-around" which is "self-taught" software developer is impossible as well.
These days have more technology to let us free ourselves from business demands for papers to prove ourselves capable and skilled. We got the technology!

Some people think that computer science is all about writing some code in some cheap RAD languages and that's it. I'm not even talking about this. Again I mean fields like 3D computer graphics which is more or less nuclear physics.

I'm also aware of engineering association and registries that you have to belong to to get a job, but...whatever who cares, we all know why they exist. ;)

Can't be done in your garage...

But it can be done on my computer, using some electronic design software. And as software engineers say, implementation is something easy can be handed out to anyone who has the resources and tools.
 
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turbo said:
Engineering in computer chip design is really high-tech. Really, really high tech. Start Googling and find out what level of technology is required to prepare the silicone substrate, etch the chips, etc. Can't be done in your garage...

I believe it's possible to build a primitive (8-bit) CPU at home. Surely in a course in electrical engineering, if the assignment was to do so, we could I think. It would be bulky, may take a table-top of parts, lots of wire-wrap, circuit boards, and may have to program it with toggle-switches, but I think it could be done.
 
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jackmell said:
I believe it's possible to build a primitive (8-bit) CPU at home. Surely in a course in electrical engineering, if the assignment was to do so, we could I think. It would be bulky, may take a table-top of parts, lots of wire-wrap, circuit boards, and may have to program it with toggle-switches, but I think it could be done.

Yes, I agree with that completely. I don't think it would be worth the effort, but it definitely could be done. You could buy a ROM-burner and burn in some very primitive OS stuff, but again, it would not be worth the effort.
 
Borek said:
Make it 4 bits and it could be even portable.

No sorry. 8-bits minimum in honor of the 8088 CPU. I think that was the CPU used in the first personal computers. In fact, I would suggest modeling our table-top home-made CPU on the 8088.
 
LoL. I was thinking of an infinity-bit processor with infinity-cores and the size is smaller than a quark, with negligible mass, and speed of infinity-tera flops with wireless connection to the buss made of liquid plasma, no wires...

So getting off topic makes you feel better?

Some really have the attitude of an aged man with no education when they think no farther than the class walls they live in.
 
dijkarte said:
LoL. I was thinking of an infinity-bit processor with infinity-cores and the size is smaller than a quark, with negligible mass, and speed of infinity-tera flops with wireless connection to the buss made of liquid plasma, no wires...

So getting off topic makes you feel better?

Some really have the attitude of an aged man with no education when they think no farther than the class walls they live in.
If you want to be reasonable, you might want to be odd nice person here. Not all of all us old farts are fools.
 
dijkarte said:
LoL. I was thinking of an infinity-bit processor with infinity-cores and the size is smaller than a quark, with negligible mass, and speed of infinity-tera flops with wireless connection to the buss made of liquid plasma, no wires...

So getting off topic makes you feel better?

Some really have the attitude of an aged man with no education when they think no farther than the class walls they live in.

The title of the thread was making a CPU at home. This is an engineering forum. Everything I said made perfect engineering sense and supported the title of this thread. What you said did not but was rather childish and silly. If you don't want to talk about building CPUs at home then don't title your thread "Wanna Make a CPU at Home"!
 
Borek said:
Make it 4 bits and it could be even portable.

jackmell said:
No sorry. 8-bits minimum in honor of the 8088 CPU. I think that was the CPU used in the first personal computers.

There are probably far more 4-but CPUs out there in calculators, old digital clocks, electronic toys etc than there ever were 8-bit CPUs in the early personal computers. The 4-bit Texas Instruments TMS1000 stayed in production for about 20 years (well into the 1990s)

Those 4-bit CPUs "only" had about 2500 transistors, so designing and building a "clone" shoudln't be out of the question if you want a large but rather pointless project to tackle.
 
dijkarte said:
Some really have the attitude of an aged man with no education when they think no farther than the class walls they live in.

To misquote Shakespeare, "Some are born with attitude, some achieve it, and some have attitude thrust upon 'em" :smile:
 
dijkarte, you wrote in post #4: "Some people think that computer science is all about writing some code in some cheap RAD languages and that's it. I'm not even talking about this. Again I mean fields like 3D computer graphics which is more or less nuclear physics."

So, you say 3D computer graphics is more or less nuclear physics. That seems odd. I never learned that! What is your source reference for this?
 
dijkarte, you wrote in post #4: "I'm also aware of engineering association and registries that you have to belong to to get a job, but...whatever who cares, we all know why they exist. ;)"

Will you please explain what we all know about why engineering associations and registries exist? ;(
 

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