Embedded systems or VLSI design?

Almost every ECE or EEE student are confused when they gonna take a Higher Degree. Embedded System or VLSI!

Electronics is basically achieved by Circuits.

Circuits can be divided into Discrete Circuits and Integrated Circuits

           If we can not put everything into an IC and if some ready made components are available, we use them to achieve Electronics Circuits, This is called Discrete. This field is called HARDWARE. We collect all the components and connect them in a PCB, Since these components are soldered to the PCB and Circuit is printed on the board, it will be difficult to change. But ultimately to make an Electronics product, HARDWARE is must. So requirement for an HARDWARE Engineer is always there.

          In ICs, three are three types.

            1. ASIC - Fixed Circuit fabricated inside Silicon

             2. FPGA - Flexible Circuit (Configurable) fabricated inside Silicon

             3. μP - Flexible Circuit (Programmable) fabricated inside Silicon

     ASIC - Low power, Cheap on high volume, Small in size and Fast . But

                 invest will be huge. Normally big companies do this 

                 activity. Requires VLSI (verilog, VHDL, C++, Digital) Knowledge

     FPGA - High Power, Cheap on Low Volume, Fast - But take more time

                  to implement. Requires VLSI (verilog, VHDL, C++, Digital) 

                  Knowledge

       μP    - High Power, Cheap, Slow. Easy to use. Requires Programming 

                   knowledge(C, C++).

      ASIC and FPGA implementation is called VLSI and μP implementation is called Embedded.

      Both VLSI and Embedded fields are having high demand. Since ECE students are generally not learning programming as part their course work, Industry is preferring CSE students for Embedded. That is the reason ECE students find it difficult to enter into Embedded field and feels that no job opportunity in Embedded field. Actually lots of job opportunities in Embedded field, but ECE students can get these jobs because they lack programming ability.

    Even VLSI field is all about programming, but this field requires Electronics knowledge also. That is the reason CSE students could not able to enter into VLSI and industry prefers ECE students. That is reason ECE students think lots of job opportunities in VLSI. 

    Actually Embedded Job Opportunities are much more than VLSI. Since ECE and CSE both enter into Embedded, Embedded Job opportunities looks less for ECE students.

   As of today both these fields are having enormous job opportunities. It is upto the student, how he prepare for these fields during their studies. If you follow our Indian University Syllabus and teaching (most of the universities), you will come out as useless with a degree paper and only eligible for IT support services and BPO jobs. So plan carefully during you degree. Utilize your time very effectively. Do not depend on your college for Knowledge or Skill on these fields.

I'll try to list down what I think are the requirements for each of them

Analog VLSI: Are you ...

• good at network analysis and circuit design?
• comfortable and familiar with device physics

good at theory and analysis and in general meticulous? (Instead of say design by trial and error)

Digital VLSI: Are you ...

• strong in digital fundamentals?
• have some domain expertise/interest (e.g. DSP, communications, processor design, computer architecture ...)?
• precise, methodical, organized and meticulous?

good at theory and analysis?

Mixed signal VLSI: If you are a mix of both above

Embedded systems: Are you ...

• good at C/C++ and programming in general?
• familiar with computer architecture?
• are comfortable working with hardware (board level stuff) and test equipment?

have a basic working knowledge across several domains (software, analog, digital, ...)

Remember: Do not choose a career because you feel it is glamorous - the grass is always greener on the other side. Choose one because you like it and because you are good at it.

It's mostly about what gives you more chills. If you love reading about designing ICs, CPUs, SoCs et cetera - go for VLSI design. If you're rather more focused on practical use of various SoCs and creating new inventions based on already-existing things - go for embedded systems. Both have a lot of opportunities and pay fairly well.

Embedded System:

A specialized computer system that is part of a larger system or machine. Typically, an embedded system is housed on a single microprocessor board with the programs stored in ROM. Virtually all appliances that have a digital interface -- watches, microwaves, VCRs, cars -- utilize embedded systems. Some embedded systems include an operating system, but many are so specialized that the entire logic can be implemented as a single program.

VLSI:

Gone are the days when huge computers made of vacuum tubes sat humming in entire dedicated rooms and could do about 360 multiplications of 10 digit numbers in a second. Though they were heralded as the fastest computing machines of that time, they surely don’t stand a chance when compared to the modern day machines. Modern day computers are getting smaller, faster, and cheaper and more power efficient every progressing second. But what drove this change? The whole domain of computing ushered into a new dawn of electronic miniaturization with the advent of semiconductor transistor by Bardeen (1947-48) and then the Bipolar Transistor by Shockley (1949) in the Bell Laboratory.

Since the invention of the first IC (Integrated Circuit) in the form of a Flip Flop by Jack Kilby in 1958, our ability to pack more and more transistors onto a single chip has doubled roughly every 18 months, in accordance with the Moore’s Law. Such exponential development had never been seen in any other field and it still continues to be a major area of research work

As per my understanding you are recent pass out and exploring the opportunities where you can build you career, at present you can choose both, both the fields are good for an electronics engineer. 

In initial few years of your career you may get chances to even change you field from embedded to VLSI and vice versa, and your experience and love for one of the field will guide you. 

Well all the advises given above are true, embedded field do have more jobs and VLSI jobs do have better pay packages at the start.

It is upon your interest.Select vlsi if you are interested in following:

• Semiconductor
• Circuit design
• Hardware Engineering
• Electronic design automation Select

Embedded if you are interested in following:

• Internet of things
• Machine Learning
• UI design
• Networking
• Operating systems
• Hardware design
• Board bring up
• Body area network
• Mobile programming
• Image processing
• Board design
• Embedded programming
• RTOS
• Linux
• Digital signal processing
• Robotics
• Customization of operating system
• Boot loader
• Data mining
• Processor architecture and design
• High performance computing
• Electronic system design
• Multimedia systems
• Cloud computing

As per the current scenario you can easily find Embedded system job as compare to vlsi. Select domain as per your interest as well!!!!

Source are Google, Quora and Wikipedia.

by Mydul Islam