Learning in ECE 156A,B
A Brief Summary
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
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
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
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
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
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
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
Three Types of Skill
• 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
Implementationskills (programming)
Theoreticalsense
Applicationdomain
knowledgeExperience
Self-drive
Knowing the limits
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
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
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 Things We Should Learn(ECE 156A -> ECE 156B)
My Informal lecture
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
10. Design means “constrained optimization”
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
9. Design is based on models and models are not reality and they are never 100% correct
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
8. No perfect design; you just need to be better than your competitor
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
7. It is all about efficiently handling the complexity
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
6. More important to put yourself into the right vision and perspective
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
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
4.Understand your problem; If you understand it well, the solution will come
to you
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
3. When something does not make an intuitive sense to you, it probably does not make sense
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
2. All practical answers are simple; Only simple answers are practical
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
1. A good engineer is always honest to the truth
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
Finally, there is no spoon(click on the link below)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=dzm8kTIj_0M&vq=small
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
Do not try to solve a difficult problemThat is impossible
What truth? --- There is no problem
Then, you will see …it is not the problem that you solve
It is only yourself!
Instead … only try to realize the truth …