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I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
mainly signal processing  and DSP or do another engineering field,
which is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get
into finite element analysis and solid mechanics).

The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter
design and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more
practical field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more
places. digital communication is everywhere for example.

But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.

I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been
able to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do
a PhD. So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with
for many long years to come.

Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
it fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now?  If you
had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?

Steve

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On Feb 25, 6:40=A0am, steve nospam <steve.nosp...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
> mainly signal processing =A0and DSP or do another engineering field,
> which is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get
> into finite element analysis and solid mechanics).
>
> The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter
> design and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more
> practical field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more
> places. digital communication is everywhere for example.
>
> But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
> analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
> wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
> software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.
>
> I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been
> able to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do
> a PhD. So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with
> for many long years to come.
>
> Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
> it fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now? =A0If you
> had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?
>
> Steve

wo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

---Robert Frost

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On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:40:06 -0800 (PST), steve nospam <s...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
>it fun? 

Absolutely.

>Would you still recommend one to enter this field now?  

That depends. If you want to enter the field because it fascinates you, then by
all means; yes. If you want to enter the field for career stability, monetary
gain, glamour, fame and fortune, then look elsewhere.

>If you had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?

I can't imagine "doing" anything else. 

And that says it all.

Greg

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>On Feb 25, 6:40=A0am, steve nospam <steve.nosp...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
>> mainly signal processing =A0and DSP or do another engineering field,
>> which is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get
>> into finite element analysis and solid mechanics).
>>
>> The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter
>> design and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more
>> practical field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more
>> places. digital communication is everywhere for example.
>>
>> But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
>> analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
>> wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
>> software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.
>>
>> I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been
>> able to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do
>> a PhD. So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with
>> for many long years to come.
>>
>> Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
>> it fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now? =A0If
you
>> had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?
>>
>> Steve
>
>wo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
>And sorry I could not travel both
>And be one traveler, long I stood
>And looked down one as far as I could
>To where it bent in the undergrowth;
>
>Then took the other, as just as fair
>And having perhaps the better claim,
>Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
>Though as for that, the passing there
>Had worn them really about the same,
>
>And both that morning equally lay
>In leaves no step had trodden black
>Oh, I kept the first for another day!
>Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
>I doubted if I should ever come back.
>
>I shall be telling this with a sigh
>Somewhere ages and ages hence:
>two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
>I took the one less traveled by,
>And that has made all the difference.
>
>---Robert Frost

One of the great poems, but how is it relevant? The original poster is
trying to choose between 2 paths both of which have been well travelled.

Steve

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On Feb 25, 7:40=A0am, "steveu" <steveu@n_o_s_p_a_m.coppice.org> wrote:
> >On Feb 25, 6:40=3DA0am, steve nospam <steve.nosp...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
> >> mainly signal processing =3DA0and DSP or do another engineering field,
> >> which is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get
> >> into finite element analysis and solid mechanics).
>
> >> The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter
> >> design and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more
> >> practical field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more
> >> places. digital communication is everywhere for example.
>
> >> But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
> >> analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
> >> wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
> >> software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.
>
> >> I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been
> >> able to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do
> >> a PhD. So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with
> >> for many long years to come.
>
> >> Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
> >> it fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now? =3DA0If
> you
> >> had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?
>
> >> Steve
>
> >wo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
> >And sorry I could not travel both
> >And be one traveler, long I stood
> >And looked down one as far as I could
> >To where it bent in the undergrowth;
>
> >Then took the other, as just as fair
> >And having perhaps the better claim,
> >Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
> >Though as for that, the passing there
> >Had worn them really about the same,
>
> >And both that morning equally lay
> >In leaves no step had trodden black
> >Oh, I kept the first for another day!
> >Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
> >I doubted if I should ever come back.
>
> >I shall be telling this with a sigh
> >Somewhere ages and ages hence:
> >two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
> >I took the one less traveled by,
> >And that has made all the difference.
>
> >---Robert Frost
>
> One of the great poems, but how is it relevant? The original poster is
> trying to choose between 2 paths both of which have been well travelled.
>
> Steve

It was my way of saying that this is too personal and philosophical
for me to answer.

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steve nospam wrote:
> I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
> mainly signal processing  and DSP or do another engineering field,
> which is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get
> into finite element analysis and solid mechanics).
>
> The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter
> design and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more
> practical field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more
> places. digital communication is everywhere for example.
>
> But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
> analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
> wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
> software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.
>
> I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been
> able to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do
> a PhD. So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with
> for many long years to come.
>
> Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find
> it fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now?  If you
> had to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?
>
> Steve

Are you asking the "right" question?
What do DSP, finite element analysis, etc.have in common 
(especially considering your preference for NOT bench work)?
Should math (pure or applied) be added to your list?

I am reminded of stories my father told of choosing an ME 
degree over EE in the 1920's. At that time the ME degree 
gave a much broader background than one in EE. Post-WWII his 
career was strictly EE.

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On 2/25/2012 7:46 AM, brent wrote:

   ...

> It was my way of saying that this is too personal and philosophical
> for me to answer.

That was a rather long non-answer.

Jerry
-- 
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

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On Feb 25, 12:05=A0pm, Jerry Avins <j...@ieee.org> wrote:
> On 2/25/2012 7:46 AM, brent wrote:
>
> =A0 =A0...
>
> > It was my way of saying that this is too personal and philosophical
> > for me to answer.
>
> That was a rather long non-answer.
>
> Jerry
> --
> Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
> =AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF

I would say a rather short non-answer :-)

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On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:40:06 -0800, steve nospam wrote:

> I am trying to decide for my Masters degree if I should go study EE,
> mainly signal processing  and DSP or do another engineering field, which
> is completely different (engineering and mechanics, may be get into
> finite element analysis and solid mechanics).
> 
> The problem is that I like both subjects. I took course in filter design
> and in DSP and these were fun. I think DSP might be more practical
> field, right? Since one can use it and apply in many more places.
> digital communication is everywhere for example.
> 
> But I am not into hardware as much as the software and the theory and
> analysis part of the field. I do not see myself in the lab connecting
> wires and cables, but more in an office in front of a computer writing
> software for signal analysis or doing some research in the subject.
> 
> I need to decide in 2 moths where to go, and so far, have not been able
> to decide. I'd like to stay at school after the MSc degree and do a PhD.
> So what ever I decide on now, will be something I stick with for many
> long years to come.
> 
> Some here have worked in this field for many years. Do you still find it
> fun? Would you still recommend one to enter this field now?  If you had
> to do it all over, wold you still do DSP?

As has been stated here before in other threads, there aren't many jobs 
for "DSP Engineers" out there -- but there's lots of jobs for guys who 
can do DSP to perform some specific task.  Go look through the jobs pages 
and see what you can see, and use it to guide what courses you take.

Ask your profs, too.

Ditto "FEA Engineers", although you're much more likely to have to get 
your hands dirty if you're in industry working as a mechanical engineer.  
The ones that I knew were highly valued if they could do FEA, but always 
had cubicles filled with assemblies and bearings and motors and stuff.

For that matter, "Control systems engineers" do get some work, but they 
still need to have some domain knowledge of the things they're 
controlling.

If you're absolutely, positively going to get a PhD and teach (or really, 
to do research and teach), then either path is going to make you equally 
happy (you might want to look into control systems theory, too -- there's 
a lot of similarity between that and signal processing), and should have 
equal prospects.  If you go into industry and you really have an aversion 
to doing real things, then you'll probably have more job prospects doing 
something that uses DSP.

-- 
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com

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On 2/25/2012 4:34 AM, Greg Berchin wrote:
> That depends. If you want to enter the field because it fascinates you, then by
> all means; yes. If you want to enter the field for career stability, monetary
> gain, .... snip .....

Greg,

I know all about "do what you love" and I think I completely understand 
it.  And, I agree with it philosophically.

My daughter has a Masters degree in Dance.  She is qualified in the 
"rest of the world" to be a waitress maybe.  That is, when it comes to 
making a living.  That's because only a rare few actually make a living 
in dance.  Brings to mind the notion of "2nd career".

So, choosing a field of education for career stability, market demand, 
monetary gain, etc.  might just be really important ... as long as it's 
something you can be good at and might even enjoy!  [exercise to the 
student .. or is that stupident? ...  :-)   "Define enjoy"]

If I were flipping burgers (no offense to those who do) and making 
minimum wage then *I* wouldn't be enjoying life as much as I might.  And 
that's about making informed choices I think.

I chose engineering because:
- someone suggested I might consider it
- there was an obvious market demand
- it was better financially than any of the other alternatives I'd 
considered.
- I wasn't afraid of the work involved.
And, it was a very good choice for *me* in all respects.

But, one might have studied economics or world history.  Nothing wrong 
with that until you start translating that into "finding a job" and then 
the idea of "2nd career" comes to mind again - well at least it did when 
I was entering the working world.  These days I'll bet this same notion 
makes a bit of sense.

So, after all this, my answer to the OP would be:

"Who said that DSP is a "field"???  I agree when you added "signal 
processing" which seems a bit more to the point or at least headed in 
the right direction.

Any more the idea of hooking up wires, writing code, looking at a screen 
are all a bit fuzzy.  One is much the same as the other in my view.  You 
might be asking yourself if you can get a real job that avoids any of 
these things in contrast to asking if you should choose an imagined job 
that is doing one of those things in isolation.

It *is* a good idea to ask "what do you enjoy?"  At the same time maybe 
you don't have the experience to know.  .. an age-old conundrum.
Sometimes making a decision is more important than the decision you 
make.  Flip a coin if you must.
Or, try this:
Talk to the professors.  For a Masters degree you'll likely need an 
advisor, committee chair .. whatever they call it.  So "shop" for that 
person (even if the school doesn't let you choose) and let the chips 
fall where they may.  You will likely know when you find the right 
person but you have to do a bit of work.  Two months is plenty of time.

Fred

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