On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 12:12 PM, Gerhard Fiedler <
lists@connectionbrazil.com> wrote:

>
> By the same token one could say that no EE (and by extension, no biology
> researcher) shouldn't be trusted who can't design (and manufacture)
> their own semiconductors... which would put many (otherwise quite
> capable) EEs into the "untrusted" bin.
>
> Engineering is also about being able to draw reasonable boundaries and
> build on the work of others, and "reasonable" depends a lot on the given
> situation. Just because you are comfortable with reading semiconductor
> component datasheets without really understanding all the subtle details
> about the materials used in semiconductor manufacturing that one needs
> to know in order to design a complex chip doesn't mean that this is a
> boundary that's conceptually different from other boundaries.
>

You're right. But there's a gradient. There's a huge difference between a
real EE using his skills and experience to draw these boundaries and a
biological research who knows next to nothing about circuits. A HUGE
difference.


> I guess that's a different issue, and not really related to the Arduino.
> There are some things people shouldn't expect to learn in university, so
> they should go out and try to learn them elsewhere.
>

It is somewhat related to the Arduino. It's becoming a hipster movement or
something. But I guess it's also a good thing - brings more attention to th=
e
DIY EE field.


> Not sure what you mean by "real world", but to me the Arduino looks like
> a seriously useful tool to solve problems the real world may pose to
> some, just like a hammer.




> I don't have to acquire blacksmith skills and
> be able to make my own hammer "from scratch" in order to use a hammer to
> adequately solve real-world problems... independently of the fact that
> others may use a hammer where a screwdriver would be more appropriate.
>

A hammer is a piece of metal. There's almost nothing that can go wrong. I
respectfully believe this model is an over simplification of the issue. In
contrast, a microcontroller circuit is so much more complicated piece of
equipment. There are many variables, and using such a system without
understanding these variables is the problem.
--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
.