I would really appreciate insightful, first-hand experience on the following:

I have a B.S. in Comp. Eng w/ a minor in Comp Sci. I am currently attempting to go to grad school (after 5 years post undergrad - been working in industry).

My dilemma is trying to determine my grad course of study. I enjoy portions of Comp. Sci, Comp. Eng, and EE. However, there isn't one branch in which I enjoy everything. For example, in Comp Sci, I don't really care for the analysis of algorithms (seems highly academic). In Comp Eng, I am not really interested in SoC design. In EE, I am not really interested in Power-related design.

Here is a list of the topics I enjoy (ranked in order of preference):

* Verilog/VHDL/FPGA programming/Digital Logic * design
* Embedded programming / RTOS(low-level C)
flight controls/feedback systems (low-level C programming) (e.g. braking systems, rudder controls, lvdt, actuators, sensors, etc).

In a nutshell, I enjoy programming something that moves However, understanding, electrically/physically, the entity that moves would be of great benefit.

I have worked a few SW Eng. contracts on DO-178B lv A closed-loop feedback systems, and I really enjoy the criticality of the work. I have found it seems harder, or there are less jobs, in digital design/FPGA-based work. Therefore, I have not worked in what is likely considered the emphasis of my degree). I have also worked in embedded crypto. I have found, that if I had more solid footing in Electrical Engineering, coupled with my previous degree/experience in Comp Eng, I might be able to be more actively involved in projects of greater complexity, as well as lean towards system engineering positions.

There are grad programs that provide specialization in Control Systems/Theory of dynamical systems. Does anyone have feedback on this field? Is it the case you study the theory, but in reality hardly any of it gets used?

If anyone has any pertinent feedback, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Really? Not one single person has a response, or rather, the interest to post a response?

 

The sort of things that you outlined are not the sort of things that typical readers here do. You're talking about embedded systems, while most people here are involved in industrial automation. You want to design the device, while most people here want to integrate the finished device in a complete large scale system. It's two different fields.

The industrial automation field has its own body of knowledge, but there is a very large disconnect between higher level academic studies and the knowledge that is actually applied in the field.

From the list you have given, it sounds like you should be looking at aerospace or automotive electronics and software. The people here might design the machines that build cars, but they don't design the products that are made on those machines.

 

Sounds like you're ideally suited for control systems platform design--developing the firmware for industrial controllers--which encompasses digital design, FPGA work, C/C++ embedded programming, and a working knowledge of control system theory and practical applications. It is a fairly rare combination of talents, and I highly recommend checking out the career sections of the major DCS vendors' and turbine controls manufacturers' websites (frequently, jobs open up randomly sometimes). Post-grad degree is nice, but not necessarily required (besides which, some companies will help pay for your masters).

 

> The industrial automation field has its own body of knowledge, but there is a very large disconnect between higher level academic studies and the knowledge that is actually applied in the field. <

You can say that again! My controls teacher in school said I did poor in his class, didn't understand the stuff, and will suck at life in the real world.

I get out in the real world and I deal with controls stuff everyday. Funny how truly disconnected academia is from the plants in the real world.

 

Thank you for the replies. Much appreciated.