硬體工程師 Hardware Engineer
我是一個電子工程師，平常上班的情況，有點像電影裡鋼鐵人那樣，桌上有一堆線、小小的零件、半導體晶片、一閃一閃的小燈，全裝在一塊電路板上，再連上電腦，跳出一個個小視窗顯示出不同的內容。 有時候不小心，真的會像電影裡演的，冒煙冒小火花，但是不會爆炸啦，很有趣吧。 作一塊電路板有點像是在玩樂高玩具，先畫好一張張的設計圖，找到合適的零件，然後擺在適當的位置，這個很重要啊，如果放錯地方就真的會像前面講的，一通上電就放煙火囉!
電路板的心臟，是一種特別的晶片，可以很多的功能在裡面。我可以放一個可以通網路的電路，或是放一個計時器，甚至放一個電影的播放器。可是如果想要的功能找不到現成的電路設計，就只好自己寫啦。自己創作所需要的功能，把設計好的電路用特別的軟體程式，轉化成可以放進晶片的檔案，下載到晶片裡面。簡單的講，有點像把很多相片燒在光碟片上。最厲害的地方是，以前要一台機器才能做到的事，現在只要一個小小晶片就能完成! 這也是為什麼智能手機，電腦，都可以越作越輕巧，但是功能卻更強大。
雖然所有的工作都是需要電腦來完成，但我們是硬體的工作。 舉個例子來說，手機上有許多有趣的遊戲，那是軟體工程師創造的。可是把手機設計出來，讓這些遊戲可以執行，有音效被聽見有畫面被看見，那就是硬體工程師的努力成果。
以前要一台機器才能做到的事，現在只要一個小小晶片就能完成啦! 這也是為什麼智能手機，電腦，都可以越作越輕巧，但是功能卻更強大了。 The coolest part of this new technology is that it replaces a whole room of machines and parts but today only a single small IC!
我的老闆會把兩三個人聚在一起，討論怎麼把產品做出來。 比如說，大家會在一起想想，有什麼新的主意可以讓大家的生活更方便。 很多現在大家天天在用的東西就是這樣一個個想法做出來的。在討論的階段，大家都要去找很多資料，像在學校作一個研究專題一樣。 當新的點子差不多成熟以後，就會開始分配每個人的工作細節，訂下時間表。 然後大家就分頭開始行動。 雖然在工作上百分之九十學校老師都沒有教過，可是學校的訓練教會我如何解決問題的步驟，如何有條理的把一個很大很複雜的問題分割成一個個小的簡單問題，一步一步來解決。
辦公室裡同事之間有時候會有爭執，碰到這種情狀，我都會想到聖經上的教導來警惕提醒自己 : “你們不要論斷人，免得你們被論斷，因為你們怎樣論斷人，也必怎樣被論斷。 為什麼看見你弟兄眼中有刺，卻不想自己眼中有樑木呢” 想到自己還有很多要學習的地方，其實也沒有什麼好爭執了。 或是有時候會有遇見不公平的情況，想到 “這是為主做的，不是為人做的” 心理也會覺得被安慰，因為知道有神在看顧著。
我覺得工作有趣的地方是，當客戶有困難或問題不知道該怎麼辦的時候，就會回來找我們幫忙。 幫他們解決問題的感覺真的很棒! 還有，當電路板不會動的時候，就要找找看是哪裡有錯誤。 這個過程有時甚至要一到兩週，但是最後修好的感覺，是很美妙的。有的時候和人交流， 有的時候是和機器交流。看到自己做的產品在公司的網頁上，被很多人使用著，覺得能夠幫助到別人，使人的生活更美好，真的很開心。
I am an electrical hardware engineer. My daily work looks similar to the scene in the most sci-fi movies, such as “Iron man”. On the table there are wires, cables, electrical parts, ICs, blinking LEDs…, all locate on a PC board. The board is connected to a computer through a USB connector. On the computer monitor there are several pop-out windows showing data and info extracted from the PC board. If I am careless, the board will start smoking and even catch on fire! Don’t worry; it will not explode. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Designing a PC board is like playing with Legos. We draw pages of schematics, find the proper parts, and put them in the right location. This step is crucial because if we put the parts in the incorrect location, and you switch on the power there is a 99.9% chance you will see the fireworks I mentioned earlier. Then everyone in the office will stare at you.
The heart of a PC board is a special type of Integrated Circuit(IC), a square black chip with many “legs”. We can put many modules with different functions in it. For example, I can install an internet module so that through this IC I can get on internet; or I can install a clock to count time; furthermore, I can put in a video player to play a movie file. However, if the function I need cannot be found, I will have to design my own custom modules. First I create the special function I need, and then I transfer my own design module into a file which can be downloaded into this IC through special application software. An easier way to look at this step is kind like burning the tons of pictures taken onto a CD.
The coolest part of this new technology is that it replaces a whole room of machines and parts but today only a single small IC! This is the main reason why your smart phone or your computer can stay the same size but it can contain more and more features. Most of my job needs to be completed with computers; however I am not a software engineer but a hardware engineer. Let me explain in order to be more clear: You have games on your phone, which is designed by software engineers; To make this game run on your phone, this would need hardware engineer’s hard work.
My supervisor will gather together a group of engineers to discuss how to implement an idea into a real product with new technologies to make life more convenient. Actually, most of the devices we use everyday are brought into reality from ideas created by engineers in the meeting room. At the discussion stage everyone will have to do some research and collect information and data just like you do for school projects. When the idea is settled and the structure is built, we will split the big project into small tasks with a schedule, and then we assign them to the engineers. To be honest, 90% of the tasks we do are never learned at school. However, I learned the steps to solve a complicated problems by narrowing down the size of the problem from school. Simplify the problem and make one factor vary in each step so that I am able to take down the tasks one at a time.
Sometimes there are arguments between engineers. The conflict may turn ugly. I then remind myself with the Bible verse “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. When you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:1~3)” I realize the learning process is never ending; there is always something I can learn from others. There is really no big deal to argue about. Sometimes there may be an unfair situation, while thinking of I am working for God, not for the world, I will have peace and comfort in mind because I know God is definitely taking care of me as he promised.
One fun part of my job is called “debugging”. When my PC board is not functioning I need to figure out what is wrong with it. It could take weeks of suffering but when I finally manage to fix it, man does it feel really good. The way I see my job, I have to communicate between machines and humans. Clients will ask for my help when they have problems which they have no clue on how to fix it. It feels really cool that I can help them solve the issues. When I see that the product with my contribution is displayed on our company’s website, I feel really happy about it because I know it’s useful for other people and it helps makes their lives better.
