Transcript Learning in ECE 156A,B - University of California, Santa

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
Three Types of Skill
Implementation
skills (programming)
Self-drive
Knowing
the limits
Theoretical
sense
Application
domain
knowledge
Experience
• 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
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB
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
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 problem
That is impossible
Instead … only try to realize the truth …
What truth? --- There is no problem
Then, you will see …
it is not the problem that you solve
It is only yourself!
Li-C. Wang, ECE, UCSB