What does a DSP engineer do?

On 12 Jun, 15:34, "learningDsp" <ohS...@GMail.com> wrote:
> >Richard Dobson nailed it when he said that most people on this list don't
> >do DSP, they _use_ DSP to get other stuff done. &#4294967295;Even those of us who are
> >consultants applying DSP techniques to a wide variety of problems don't
> >"do DSP" so much as we do systems, communications, control, etc.
>
> Correct me if i am wrong,
> Basically what it means for me is, i not only have to learn DSP, also need
> to be familiar with other technologies where it is used. Hence, I have a
> lot of reading coming up.

No. It means you are approaching DSP from the wrong angle.
Don't get into DSP for its own sake. Learn and use DSP
because it serves some utilitarian purpose.

It's like banging a nail with a hammer: A total ridiculous
skill when seen in isolation, but a skill essential to woodwork.
In other words, you don't learn to use a hammer because you
think it's fun banging on stuff. You learn it because the skill
is necessary to achieve some larger goal.

So instead of searching up the tool DSP, search for applications
you think are fun. Then learn whatever skills are necessary
to get good in this activity.

Ah, yes: Don't quit your current job. 'Work' is about making
a living and obtaining an income. Quite essential to most
people. If you want 'fun', 'interesting' and 'satisfaction',
look for a hobby.

Rune

Thank you all for your quick responses. Its very encouraging for me to know
there are a lot of professionals out here who are willing to take some time
out to answer some really basic questions.

Unfortunately for me, I got lost quite a bit between posts. Maybe i should
do a little more reading and browsing, get some understanding of the
industry as to why..where..and how things are used. But, i surely will be
back for a few tips & suggestions. I understand people are here to discuss
more complex real world problems that you face, hence i will try to refrain
myself from posting any 'homework problems'.

thanks
ShaQ

Thank you all for your quick responses. Its very encouraging for me to know
there are a lot of professionals out here who are willing to take some time
out to answer some really basic questions.

Unfortunately for me, I got lost quite a bit between posts. Maybe i should
do a little more reading and browsing, get some understanding of the
industry as to why..where..and how things are used. But, i surely will be
back for a few tips & suggestions. I understand people are here to discuss
more complex real world problems that you face, hence i will try to refrain
myself from posting any 'homework problems'.

thanks
ShaQ

>....
>Don't get into DSP for its own sake. Learn and use DSP
>because it serves some utilitarian purpose.
>
>
>Rune
>

this is why i would like to know what a DSP engineer does so it helps me
understand where i stand as to.., am i taking the right path by trying to
learn DSP. 
I came across a couple of links like...http://www.dspguide.com/ch1/2.htm
(Here a few applications of DSP are described at a 'high level?'.. If i
may call it so)

It would be helpful, if i can come across links that explain DSP, maybe in
the same manner as above, but a little more in depth. Maybe, that way i
could be introduced to, where in systems does DSP come into play, & what
was achieved by going the DSP way. 

I am not necessarily looking for a short description of the system, like
in the link above.

On 12 Jun, 17:54, "learningDsp" <ohS...@GMail.com> wrote:
> >....
> >Don't get into DSP for its own sake. Learn and use DSP
> >because it serves some utilitarian purpose.
>
> >Rune
>
> this is why i would like to know what a DSP engineer does so it helps me
> understand where i stand as to.., am i taking the right path by trying to
> learn DSP.

No, you are not.

We are saying that you should find some topic you want to
learn how to work/play with, and *then* learn the tools
and trades necessary to become good or successful at this
activity. You seem to have fallen in love with the tool DSP,
and are looking for applications. Don't do that.

Would you choose to become a carpenter just because you
like to hit things with a hammer?

Rune

On Jun 12, 12:52&#4294967295;pm, Rune Allnor <all...@tele.ntnu.no> wrote:
> On 12 Jun, 17:54, "learningDsp" <ohS...@GMail.com> wrote:
>
> > >....
> > >Don't get into DSP for its own sake. Learn and use DSP
> > >because it serves some utilitarian purpose.
>
> > >Rune
>
> > this is why i would like to know what a DSP engineer does so it helps me
> > understand where i stand as to.., am i taking the right path by trying to
> > learn DSP.
>
> No, you are not.
>
> We are saying that you should find some topic you want to
> learn how to work/play with, and *then* learn the tools
> and trades necessary to become good or successful at this
> activity. You seem to have fallen in love with the tool DSP,
> and are looking for applications. Don't do that.
>
> Would you choose to become a carpenter just because you
> like to hit things with a hammer?
>
> Rune

Rune,

I don't agree.  I like doing DSP and Math.  If there is not DSP in the
job I won't take it.  I started learning DSP in an MSEE (DSP
concentration) program almost 30 years ago, then I have worked for
various companies (direct, contracting, consulting) that worked in
vastly different application areas, were I learned about the specific
application areas, learned what additional DSP or other information I
needed to know, and with a single exception, primarily worked on the
DSP part of the job.

The tools are facinating.  Learning to apply them is interesting.
What they are applied to just has to be interesting.

Dirk

On 12 Jun, 19:46, bellda2...@cox.net wrote:
> On Jun 12, 12:52&#4294967295;pm, Rune Allnor <all...@tele.ntnu.no> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 12 Jun, 17:54, "learningDsp" <ohS...@GMail.com> wrote:
>
> > > >....
> > > >Don't get into DSP for its own sake. Learn and use DSP
> > > >because it serves some utilitarian purpose.
>
> > > >Rune
>
> > > this is why i would like to know what a DSP engineer does so it helps me
> > > understand where i stand as to.., am i taking the right path by trying to
> > > learn DSP.
>
> > No, you are not.
>
> > We are saying that you should find some topic you want to
> > learn how to work/play with, and *then* learn the tools
> > and trades necessary to become good or successful at this
> > activity. You seem to have fallen in love with the tool DSP,
> > and are looking for applications. Don't do that.
>
> > Would you choose to become a carpenter just because you
> > like to hit things with a hammer?
>
> > Rune
>
> Rune,
>
> I don't agree. &#4294967295;I like doing DSP and Math. &#4294967295;If there is not DSP in the
> job I won't take it. &#4294967295;I started learning DSP in an MSEE (DSP
> concentration) program almost 30 years ago,

So you got into DSP in the mid/late '70s?

In those days DSP was a new and emerging field, computers
were the stuff of specialists and a musician had to actually
know how to play a musical instrument.

What worked for you 30 years ago, when you were a young and
curious engineer, doesn't work today. The fact that your
approach still works for you is down to your age and seniority
alone, not the field you chose for a profession.

Times change. Believe me, I'm old enough to know. Even, as it
seems, if I'm your junior by some 10-15 years.

Rune

Rune Allnor wrote:

Hello Dr. Rune,

Glad to see you again. Have you been in the sea all that time?
What a pleasure to see the real character here.

> Interesting. I don't. I see somebody who is intensely
> frustrated with people who want quick'n dirty, canned
> solutions for free, be it economics or efforts. That's
> a frustration I most certainly can recognize and sympathize
> with. Maybe it's a cultural thing; some dividing line
> down the midst of the Atlantic.

Cultural thing indeed. "We don't have bad students, we only have good 
and average students". And btw, there is no such word in English for 
something that can be explained as a combination of platitude, triteness 
and vulgarity. That simply means they don't see this as a problem :-)

I think there should be a limit of how low do you want to go. Especially 
as this is comp.dsp, not alt.idiot.student.help. The one who asks a 
question should at least know what he is asking about.

VLV

On 15 Jun, 18:21, Vladimir Vassilevsky <antispam_bo...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Rune Allnor wrote:
>
> Hello Dr. Rune,
>
> Glad to see you again. Have you been in the sea all that time?
> What a pleasure to see the real character here.

No, unfortunately. It seems lots of activity at sea has
more or less ended, due to the banking crisis. I had to
refocus some of my work, from interesting long-term stuff
to can-provide-billable-services-in-a-few-months kind of
things.

> > Interesting. I don't. I see somebody who is intensely
> > frustrated with people who want quick'n dirty, canned
> > solutions for free, be it economics or efforts. That's
> > a frustration I most certainly can recognize and sympathize
> > with. Maybe it's a cultural thing; some dividing line
> > down the midst of the Atlantic.
>
> Cultural thing indeed. "We don't have bad students, we only have good
> and average students".

Reminds me of a Norwegian statement a few years back:
"We want everybody to be above average!"

> And btw, there is no such word in English for
> something that can be explained as a combination of platitude, triteness
> and vulgarity.

Is there such a term in Russian? One of the guy's I met
off-shore taught me a word that might be close. The best
seaman I ever met; grew up in the middle of Siberia. He
was 17 or 18 when he saw the sea the first time.
I *think* the word was 'njevjadzde' or something like that.
(This was three years ago; I haven't heard or used the term
since, so I might be way off.)

Anyway, the term was more derogatory than 'njekulturnik'.
'Njekulturnik' was, according to my friend, a result of
up-bringing and is thus an involuntary status. This other
term was apparently more about attitude, and thus about
personality.

> That simply means they don't see this as a problem :-)

It's amazing what can be learned from mere etymology.

> I think there should be a limit of how low do you want to go. Especially
> as this is comp.dsp, not alt.idiot.student.help. The one who asks a
> question should at least know what he is asking about.
>
> VLV

I'd settle for that those who don't know, know that they
don't know...

Rune

Rune Allnor wrote:

> On 15 Jun, 18:21, Vladimir Vassilevsky <antispam_bo...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>>Rune Allnor wrote:
>>Hello Dr. Rune,
>>
>>Glad to see you again. Have you been in the sea all that time?
>>What a pleasure to see the real character here.
> 
> No, unfortunately. It seems lots of activity at sea has
> more or less ended, due to the banking crisis.  I had to
> refocus some of my work, from interesting long-term stuff
> to can-provide-billable-services-in-a-few-months kind of
> things.

Interesing. So, did they abandon the oil exploration, or just changed 
the approach?

>>Cultural thing indeed. "We don't have bad students, we only have good
>>and average students".
> 
> Reminds me of a Norwegian statement a few years back:
> "We want everybody to be above average!"

Huh. This is one of the things that broke the West.

"You can't give everything to everybody, because there is too many of 
everybody and too little of everything", as my friend used to say.


>>And btw, there is no such word in English for
>>something that can be explained as a combination of platitude, triteness
>>and vulgarity.
> 
> Is there such a term in Russian?

"poshlost"

> One of the guy's I met
> off-shore taught me a word that might be close. The best
> seaman I ever met; grew up in the middle of Siberia. He
> was 17 or 18 when he saw the sea the first time.
> I *think* the word was 'njevjadzde' or something like that.

"nevejda" - ignoramus
"neveja" - lout

> (This was three years ago; I haven't heard or used the term
> since, so I might be way off.)
> 
> Anyway, the term was more derogatory than 'njekulturnik'.

"uncultured"

> 'Njekulturnik' was, according to my friend, a result of
> up-bringing and is thus an involuntary status.

The behavior of a person is the responsibility of his own. Blaming on 
something from the past is no more then a convenient indulgence.

> This other
> term was apparently more about attitude, and thus about
> personality.

Your friend has a good literature Russian.

> 
>>That simply means they don't see this as a problem :-)
> 
> It's amazing what can be learned from mere etymology.

BTW, in Russian, there is no word for "privacy", and this leads to the 
correct conclusion, too.

I wonder what are the etymological differences in Norwegian.


VLV