Electrical Engineer Needs to Know

This article aims to help beginner engineers ensure that they have the skills most often looked for and tested during the hiring process but can also serve as a starting point for experienced engineers looking to shore up weakness in these areas.

Between the availability of almost turnkey design platforms and rising interest in the Internet of Things, opportunities for electronic product development have never been greater. To be a successful designer able to tackle a wide range of challenges, though, a developer should have a number of skills to draw upon. Here are ten of the most common and, in our opinion, valuable skills that electronic product designers will want to have:

1. Performing circuit analysis

From designing simple resistor circuits to analyzing the frequency response of complex networks, designers will need to know how to write and solve the equations of node and loop analysis to figure out how component clusters are operating. Simulation programs can help with the heavy math when needed, but knowing how to set up the analysis will still be necessary.

2. Working with op-amps

The workhorse in nearly every application that requires signals beyond ones and zeroes, the operational amplifier is a versatile device. Used properly, it is an amplifier, integrator, signal conditioner, level shifter, and many more useful analog elements. The trick is in understanding the characteristics and limits of real devices rather than the idealized behavior described in textbooks.

3. Understanding analog filters

While the design of active analog filters may not be needed in all product development, understanding the effect that components have on analog signals is still an important skill to have. The capacitance, inductance, and impedance of both components and circuit traces can alter even digital signals in ways that, if not understood and compensated for, may cause systems to fail.

4. Designing digital filters

These days, most audio, video, and wireless signaling go digital at some point in their travels, with many kinds of signal manipulation carried out in the digital domain. Knowing how digital filters work to manipulate the analog signal that underlies the data stream will prove essential to avoiding surprises, even if a developer only invokes canned functions instead of designing the filter.

5. Designing feedback control

Robots, air conditioning, autonomous vehicles, and many other systems depend on feedback control loops for their proper operation. (And such loops include filters, so see above.) Designers should know how control loops function, how to determine their effectiveness, and how to ensure that they are stable in their behavior. No one wants a system that goes “oops.”

6. Managing hot components

The power dissipation of processors is rising, as is the density of components in small spaces, so component overheating is a common concern. Designers will need to know their options for keeping things cool as well as how to analyze thermal transfer to make sure they have provided enough relief.

7. Working with RF

Not all that long ago, design in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum was a specialty discipline that most developers never had to be concerned about. But with the IoT demanding wireless connectivity and rising clock speeds turning PCB circuit traces into RF waveguides, a basic understanding of how RF signals propagate and transfer energy is proving essential.

8. Appreciating firmware

Like it or not, more than half of the design effort in the electronics industry today involves software, and most electronic systems utilize a microprocessor or microcontroller to provide some or all of their functionality. However, hardware design decisions can have a substantial impact on the ease and effectiveness of code development. So even if not directly involved in the programming effort, a developer should have some understanding of what firmware is, how it’s created, and its role in making things work.

9. Using statistics for manufacturability

Getting a prototype to work in the lab is only the first step in creating a product for market. The design must be robust enough to accommodate all of the variations in component value that will occur during mass production and the wide range of operating environments that the product will face. Statistical analysis is the tool that developers will need to ensure that their design will work in the face of this uncertainty.

10. Managing the career

Along with all their technical knowledge, developers should have some basic business and career management skills. Landing and keeping a job, growing their access to opportunities and compensation, rising in the hierarchy or launching an entrepreneurial endeavor, and maintaining long-term satisfaction in the work effort all require conscious effort as well as interpersonal and team interactions. Working toward a destination, even one that changes from time to time, provides far more reward than simply reacting to whatever comes up.

What do electrical engineers do?

Electrical engineering provides you with endless opportunities

An electrical engineer is someone who designs and develops new electrical systems, solves problems and tests equipment. They study and apply the physics and mathematics of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics to both large and small scale systems to process information and transmit energy. They work with all kinds of electronic devices, from the smallest pocket devices to large supercomputers.

Industries electrical engineers work in

Electrical engineers are usually concerned with large-scale electrical systems such as motor control and power transmission, as well as utilizing electricity to transmit energy. Electrical engineers may work on a diverse range of technologies, from the design of household appliances, lighting and wiring of buildings, telecommunication systems, electrical power stations and satellite communications. Another emerging field for electrical engineers is microelectronics - the design and development of electrical systems and circuits in computers and mobile devices.

Electrical engineering design

A few examples of the applications and reach of electrical engineering are:

• The computer, tablet or smartphone you purchased recently is a masterpiece of electrical engineering design.
• Robots are comprised of sensors, actuators, microprocessors and sophisticated feedback control systems, designed by electrical engineers!
• Space projects - deep space communications, robust control systems, extra terrestrial GPS for navigation and positioning, power generation and storage networks, imaging systems - made possible by electrical engineers.
• Sophisticated medical technology that you encounter in a modern hospital including CT, MRI and PET imaging machines, ECG and blood pressure monitors, all based off electrical engineering principles.

Electrical engineering and electronics - Germany Overview

The electrical engineering and electronics industry is multi-faceted. It produces not only electrical appliances, consumer electronics and lighting technology, but is also home to cutting-edge technology industries such as nano technology and chip production. The electrical engineering industry mostly consists of small and medium-sized companies. The industry’s product portfolio is both very broad and extremely dynamic, generating a third of its revenues with new products and innovations. More than 180.000 engineers work for the German electrical industry.

Export as a growth driver

In terms of employment, the electrical engineering industry is Germany’s second largest industrial branch, generating revenues of €178 billion in 2015. The production in 2015 increased by 1.4 percent compared to the previous year. In this context, foreign trade is extremely important. In 2015, export volumes accounted for €174 billion, of which two thirds were shipped to industrial nations. However, newly industrialised countries have also discovered the value of German electrical products, and the share of export to these countries has experienced considerable growth in the last few years, most recently increasing by 6 percent compared to the year before.

Research: looking towards the future

Particular in the emerging markets of Asia and South America, energy efficiency is an important aspect of technology which is relevant for both business and environmental reasons. German companies have considerable research competence in this area. Every year, the German electrical industry invests a total of €15 billion in research and development and offers employment for 846,000 experts in this field. Furthermore, the innovation spirit of the sector shows in the high number of patent applications, which add up to some 13,000 each year.

Electrical Projects

Major Projects

1.     Induction Motor Speed & Direction Controller
2.     Hybrid Inverter With Solar Battery Charging
3.     Digitally Controlled Home Automation Project
4.     3 Phase Induction Motor With Soft Start
5.     Wireless Mobile Charging Project
6.     Solar UPS Project
7.     Power Supply With Auto Switching
8.     Flexible AC Transmission Using TSC
9.     Switching Load By Touch
10.     Emergency Auto Led Light
11.     3 Way Failure Analyzer Reset On Temporary Fault else Permanent trip
12.     Over Voltage Under Voltage Load Protection
13.     Protecting Induction Motor From Phase & Temperature
14.     Generating DC High Voltage Using Marx Generator
15.     Advanced Wireless Power Transfer System
16.     Mini Windmill Power Generation Project
17.     Dual Power Generation Solar Plus Windmill Generator
18.     Single Phase Induction Motor With Smooth Start
19.     Checking Phase Sequence of 3 Phase Supply
20.     6 Volt DC to 10 Volt DC Converter
21.     Ac to High Voltage DC Using Voltage Multiplier Circuit
22.     Microcontroller less Four Quadrant DC Motor Control
23.     Smart Wireless Battery Charging With Charge Monitor Project
24.     Accurate Room Temperature Controller Project
25.     Industry Process Automation Using Programmable Switching
26.     Testing Life Cycle Of Electrical Loads Using Down Counter
27.     AC Power Strength Controller System
28.     System To Measure Solar Power
29.     Controlling Solar Energy Charge
30.     Single Phase Induction Motor With Smooth Start
31.     Configurable Password Security System
32.     Supervisory Controlling Plus Data Acquisition For Remote Industry
33.     Load Control System Using DTMF
34.     RPM Display For BLDC Motor With Speed Controller
35.     Multi-Power Supply Using 4 Different Sources For No Break Power Supply
36.     Cycle Switching Without Harmonics For Industrial Power Control
37.     AC Power Controller With Programmable Interface
38.     Load Shedding Time Management With Programmable Interface
39.     Lamp Illumination Control With Precision
40.     Flexible Ac Transmitter System Using TSR
41.     Device Load Monitor With Programmable Meter For Energy Audit
42.     Power Meter billing Plus Load Control Using GSM
43.     Monthly Electricity Billing Display With Bill SMS Feature
44.     Industry Power Consumption Penalty Minimization Using AFPC Unit Project
45.     Commercial Power Saver Project

Mini Projects

1.     Solar Powered Battery Charging With Reverse Current Protection
2.     Automated Night Lighting System
3.     Clap Based Fan Switching System
4.     Wireless Doorbell Calling System
5.     Synchronously Blinking Emergency Light
6.     Sound Operated Timer Project
7.     Smart Burglar Alarm
8.     Plant Moisture Monitoring System
9.     Wireless Cell Phone Detection System
10.     Wireless FM Transmitter Mic
11.     Electronic Watch Dog Project
12.     Mini FM Transmission System
13.     Auto Electronic School Bell
14.     Advanced Wireless Power Transfer System
15.     Overvoltage And Undervoltage Protection System
16.     Fast Voting Game Project
17.     Electronic Water Level Controller Device
18.     E Bicycle Locking System
19.     Automatic Smoke Detector Alarm
20.     Synchronously Blinking Emergency Light
21.     Sound Operated Timer Project
22.     Smart Burglar Alarm
23.     Plant Moisture Monitoring System

Electronics Mini Projects For ECE & EEE

ECE Mini Projects List

1.     Solar Powered Battery Charging With Reverse Current Protection
2.     Automated Night Lighting System
3.     Wireless AC Power Detector Project
4.     Short Circuit Indicator Project
5.     Weekly Task Alerting System
6.     Mini Audio Amplifier Project
7.     Driver Anti Sleep Device
8.     12 Volt Battery Charging System
9.     Clap Based Fan Switching System
10.     Wireless Doorbell Calling System
11.     Synchronously Blinking Emergency Light
12.     Sound Operated Timer Project
13.     Smart Burglar Alarm
14.     Plant Moisture Monitoring System
15.     Wireless Cell Phone Detection System
16.     Wireless FM Transmitter Mic
17.     Electronic Watch Dog Project
18.     Mini FM Transmission System
19.     Auto Electronic School Bell
20.     Advanced Wireless Power Transfer System
21.     Overvoltage And Undervoltage Protection System
22.     Power Supply With Auto Switching
23.     Wireless Mobile Charging Project
24.     Motion Based Auto Door Opener
25.     Zero Contact TachoMeter (SpeedOMeter)
26.     Automated Visitor Counter With 7 Segment Display
27.     Fast Voting Game Project
28.     Electronic Water Level Controller Device
29.     E Bicycle Locking System
30.     Automatic Smoke Detector Alarm
31.     Ultrasonic Distance Measurement Project
32.     MC Based Line Follower Robot
33.     Efficient Power Manager Project
34.     Street Light Automatic Intensity Controller
35.     Microcontroller Based 4 Quadrant DC Motor Speed Control
36.     Car Speed Checker With LCD Display
37.     AC Power Strength Controller System
38.     Load Shedding Time Management With Programmable Interface
39.     Object Counting Using 7 Segment Display
40.     Solar Panel With Sun Position Tracking
41.     Ultrasonic Object Detection System
42.     DTMF Cell Phone Based Door Opener
43.     BLDC Motor Speed Control Using Fuzzy Logic
44.     Human Speed Detection Project
45.     RPM Display For BLDC Motor With Speed Controller
46.     Charging Industrial Battries Using Thyristor Angle Control
47.     Remote Vehicle Control Through Cell Phone Using DTMF
48.     TV Remote Controlled Robotic Vehicle Project
49.     Auto Lap Time Measurement System
50.     IR Based Traffic Density Detection And Signal Adjustment Project
51.     Geo Location Guide Using RF
52.     Load Control System Using DTMF
53.     Displaying Moving Message On Notice Board Using PC
54.     IR Based Obstacle Detection Project
55.     Testing Life Cycle Of Electrical Loads Using Down Counter
56.     Configurable Password Security System
57.     Rain Sensing Automatic Car Wiper
58.     Home And Industrial Safety Using Fire And Gas Detection System

Electrical Wire and Cable Conductor Types

Electrical wire is used to carry electrical current from the power source to the end user device, like an outlet or light. This wire is really a conductor but is referred to as wire in most instances.

There are three different styles of wire. Bare wire is just what the name states, non-insulated. Insulated solid wire it a solid piece of wire that is coated and encased in a plastic coating. The last is insulated stranded wire.

This has many smaller sized strands of copper and is also wrapped in a protective plastic coating. Type NM cable, as it is often referred to, is sold in pre-cut lengths like 50', 100', 250', and 1,000' spools.

There are two different types of cables that are commonly used. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable has two or more insulated conductors and usually a bare ground wire. They are all wrapped in an outer protective plastic sheath. The other is armored cable in which there is a black, red, white and green insulated wire inside of a protective flexible metal housing, often called a cord. Usually,m armored cable is cut to length, but you may buy a precut length roll.

In-home wiring that implements nonmetallic sheathed cable (NM), the outer sheath color indicates the wire gauge or size and amperage rating of the wire within. Most NM-B cable, made after 2001, is sheathed with different colored wire sheathed to make identification easier for both consumers and inspectors.

This color coding of the wire sheath is strictly voluntary, but most manufacturers have followed suit in producing such a color scheme.

The Five Basic Colors Of Nonmetallic Cable

The five basic color schemes used primarily in home construction are white, yellow, orange, black and gray. Actually, black is used twice, but it is used for two different wire gauges, so beware when selecting the appropriate wire size.

These colors are the solid color of the insulation housing cover that coats the insulated and non-insulated individual wires within.

White-Colored Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable

The white color-coded wire sheath houses 14-gauge wire. This type wire is used for 15-amp circuits in your home. Lighting circuits are normally the primary use of this sized wire.

Yellow-Colored Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable

Yellow color-coded wire sheath encloses 12-gauge wire that is rated for 20-amp circuits. General power for outlets and appliances is the main use for this sized wire feed.

Orange-Colored Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable

The orange-colored wire sheathing is set aside for 10-gauge wire. It is able to handle 30-amp circuit loads. These loads include air conditioner, water heater feeds, and any other 30-amp loads.

Black-Colored Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable

As far as black-coated wire, this is shared for both 6- and 8-gauge wire. As you may know, 8-gauge wire is good for 45-amp circuits and 6-gauge wire is capable of handling 60-amp circuits. The 6-gauge wire is better for a feeding a sub panel, an electric range, or a double oven, depending on the amperage rating listed on the appliance.

Gray-Colored Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable

Now there is another colored sheathing that has more to do with installation areas than with wire size.

This would be gray-colored NM wire. It is used for underground installations and comes in varying sizes. It has water-resistant qualities and is sometimes resistant to other things like oil and sunlight.

Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable's Outer Jacket Labeling

As with all nonmetallic sheathed cable, the outer jacket is labeled with letters that show how many insulated wires are concealed within the sheath. This wire count does not, however, include the non-insulated wire that is used as a ground wire. For instance, if the cable lists 12-2 WG, it means there are two insulated 12-gauge wires (a black and a white wire), plus a ground wire. If the label says 12-3, this is a three-conductor, 12-gauge cable with a bare copper ground wire included.

Brief History of Home Electrical Wiring

Wiring methods have changed over the years from knob and tube to flexible armored cable (Greenfield) to nonmetallic cable (NM), conduit (EMT), and underground feeder (UF) cable. From about 1890 to the present, wiring methods have become much safer due to the installation types of wiring and the addition of ground wires. Between 1890 and 1910, knob and tube wire was all the rage in home building.

Individually insulated wires were held in place by porcelain insulating brackets.

They also passed through wood in porcelain tubes that protected the rubberized cloth fabric from damage. This practice had a hot wire and a neutral wire that were run separately for safety and so they could be spliced together. To do this, the insulation was stripped back, a wire was wrapped around the exposed bare wire, and the splice was soldered together before being taped to cover the splice. The downfall was the wire was exposed to everything and there was no ground wire utilized.

In the 1920's to 1940's, electrical took a turn to a more protective wiring scheme, flexible armored cable. Flex, also known as Greenfield, was a welcomed addition to home wiring because the flexible metal walls helped to protect the wires from damage. Even then, this wiring method had its troubles. Although the wire is protected and the outer flexible metal cover acts as a ground, there still was no separate ground wire.

If the flexible covering didn't make contact with the next piece or it was cut, the ground connection was severed.​

In the 1930's, a quicker installation method was developed. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable was born and it incorporated a rubberized fabric coating sheath, much like knob and tube wiring, but a hot and neutral wire were run together in this one sheath.

It also had its drawbacks due to the lack of a ground wire.

Luckily in the 1940's, finally came the age of metal conduit. This invention allowed users to pull many wires in the same enclosure. The conduit itself is considered a grounding method, but also leaves the possibility of space for a ground wire to be pulled. Conduit has been in use ever since those days and comes in many different types and sizes to be used inside and outside of your home.

The newest addition to wiring was introduced in the 1960's around 1965. It was an update to NM cable that incorporated the use of a third wire, a bare ground wire run with a hot and neutral wire. These three wires are all concealed in an outer sheath made of plastic vinyl. This update made the cable inexpensive and very easy to install. It is very flexible and is used still today.​

Along with NM cable for interior use, a similar type cable was also invented. Underground feeder wire(UF) was invented to be buried directly under the ground without having to be placed in conduit. This type of wire has a hot, a neutral, and a ground wire embedded in a solid plastic vinyl sheath that protects it from damp areas, water, and materials underground.

This was an inexpensive addition to running power underground to things like yard lights and outbuilding feeds.

As you can see, things have certainly changed over the years for the better! You see, the rubber-coated wire would only hold up for 25 years or so before the rubber would dry out and start cracking. This left exposed bare wires that could cause a multitude of problems. Plastic vinyl has been shown to last the life expectancy of your home and is a much better method of wiring. 

The Difference Between Residential and Commercial Electrical Wiring

Commercial and residential electrical wiring are completely different in terms of energy needs, load demands, and equipment setup. They also require different classes of materials and procedures. Integrity Power and Electric specializes in Commercial and Industrial electrical work. Let's look at some of the differences:

- Residential electrical wiring is always completely covered within sheath insulation. This is meant to protect residents from electrical shock. From a technical aspect, most residential wiring are single phase and 120 Volts, consisting of three wires, positive, negative, and neutral. For some more demanding appliances, such as air conditioning units, refrigerators, washers, and dryers use a two phase circuit of 240 Volts. In commercial applications this wiring is normally run through conduits or ceiling rafters where it is easily accessible to service. For residential applications, the wiring is normally hidden from view within walls and attic crawl spaces.

- Commercial electrical wiring normally uses a three-phase design. In three phase electrical systems, there are two smaller legs running 120 Volts each and i wider leg running 208 Volts. This setup allows each wire less workload, while creating a higher output when they work together. This leads to greater efficiency and longer lasting equipment. The higher voltage requirements are due to the increased power demands in an office environment. Commercial wiring often has a higher level of insulation, known as TTHT (Thermoplastic, high-heat resistant, nylon coated). This helps to protect the electrical wiring from corrosive gases and liquids. In some cases, special outlets may be installed for power-hungry or especially sensitive equipment.