1. Learning in ECE 156A,B
A Brief Summary
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

2. Before we start …
This course (ECE156A) is an entry point to begin an understanding on how design is done in the real world
Verilog is just a tool to start
I hope to teach you more about what’s going on in the real world
But if your scope is focused on only exam questions and HWs, you will find half of the lecture materials boring and useless
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

3. All About Handling The “Complexity”
Design and manufacturing of semiconductor products are very complex processes
Design methodologies
Manufacturing methodologies
All knowledge are to overcome complexity
A good engineer has effective ways to overcome complexity in a problem
Yet, complex problem usually doesn’t require complex solution
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

4. Two Scientific Thinkings
Realists – The results of scientific discovery are real laws in nature
Find the fundamental laws governing the complexity we see
Instrumentalists – The results of scientific discovery are instruments for making good prediction. The actual laws in nature can be very different from the ones discovered
Find ways to predict the behavior we observe, without understanding the laws behind
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

5. Two fundamental approaches
Deduction
Moving from general to particular
Eg. Learn theories and algorithms, apply to solve complex problems
Eg. Develop theories, models, and algorithms, and apply them to overcome the complexity
The approach in the past 40 years
Induction (Engineering)
Moving from particular to general
Eg. Learn from the behavior, find a solution to deal with the behavior
Eg. Learn from multiple behaviors, generalize a solution to deal with a class of behaviors
The problem to face in the next 10 years
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

6. Observation
In the past 40 years, design and manufacturing processes are dominated by the thinking of deduction
Develop the theories, models first
Work well when the complexity is low
In the next 10 years, the processes will mostly be dominated by induction methodologies
Too difficult to find theories and models behind complex phenomenon we encounter
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

7. Three Types of Skill Implementation skills (programming) Self-drive
Knowing the limits
Application
domain
knowledge
Theoretical
sense
Experience
In the engineering world, there are three types of skill
Don’t have implementation skills -> marketing
Don’t have domain knowledge -> solving a wrong problem
Don’t have theoretical sense -> re-inventing the wheel
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

8. How to learn the three skills?
Implementation skill
Basic constructs can be taught
Skill to implement cannot be taught
Depend on self motivation and learning
Theoretical sense
Theories and concepts can be taught
There are only a few useful ones
Application of theories and concepts cannot be taught – It is based on experience
Application domain knowledge
Facts and phenomenon can be described
Empirical judgments are hard to teach
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

9. Lectures
In addition to Verilog, I also talk about “application domain knowledge”
Some that you can learn here are hard to get by self-study (and also most irrelevant to your grade)
Trends (facts and phenomenon)
Experience
You can always learn more by self-studying
Use the Internet
Practice your Verilog skills
Read papers and other books
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

10. 10 Things We Should Learn (ECE 156A -> ECE 156B)
My Informal lecture
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

11. 10. Design means “constrained optimization”
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

12. 9. Design is based on models and models are not reality and they are never 100% correct
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

13. 8. No perfect design; you just need to be better than your competitor
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

14. 7. It is all about efficiently handling the complexity
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

15. 6. More important to put yourself into the right vision and perspective
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

16. 5. When searching for a solution in a complex space, it is more effective to know where you don’t have a solution
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

17. 4.Understand your problem; If you understand it well, the solution will come to you
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

18. 3. When something does not make an intuitive sense to you, it probably does not make sense
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

19. 2. All practical answers are simple; Only simple answers are practical
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

20. 1. A good engineer is always honest to the truth
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

21. Finally, there is no spoon (click on the link below)
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB

22. Do not try to solve a difficult problem That is impossible
Instead … only try to realize the truth …
What truth? --- There is no problem
Then, you will see … it is not the problem that you solve
It is only yourself!
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB