Electronics & Communication engineering is actually one of the most (if not the most) creative branches of engineering. The basic job of an electronics engineer can vary from designing various software components, like apps, electronic appliances and products, develop effective testing procedures for electronic systems , to examine electronic equipment and ascertain whether they are up to safety standards or not.

According to global consulting firm Ernst & Young, consumer electronics industry in India will grow by 13.4% by 2020 and reach will touch 20.6 billion . The ESDM ( Electronics System, Design & Manufacturing) sector in India is salted to reach $ 228 billion at 2020 according to EY.

As illustrated above the electronics sector is slated to be one of the fastest growing sectors of India – the jobs for electronics engineer are guaranteed to increase at a high rate. But just like any other professional course, only those with relevant skills will have access to quality well paying jobs. In this essay we will highlight a few of the key skills, electronics engineers are expected to have.

• Basic Knowledge & Clear Concepts of circuit designing and digital logic block building

• Working Knowledge of Development Board and semiconductor manufacturing process

• Master the basics of troubleshooting. Troubleshooting – identifying and analyzing problems that has developed or can develop in a software or  hardware is a basic engineering skill which engineers like mechanical engineers, CS engineers, electrical engineers and electronics engineers must master. Also, debugging skills are a must.

• Have knowledge on how to operate microprocessor and controller.

• Must have a good grasp on programming languages like C language, Perl, Python, IC languages like Verilog and VHDL etc

• Get educated on latest programming languages used by the telecom industry such as Matlab and Octave

• Choose to specialize either in Analog or Digital. Then learn the nitty gritties of chosen specialization.

• Soft Skills : Try as much as you can but just can’t deny the importance of soft skills. Mastering relevant technical skills is a must for all engineers, but soft skills – effective communication skills – especially the skill of explaining technical details to non technical people, organization and management skills, time management skills, negotiation skills, ability to team work effectively are skills which engineers must have – since most of them get placed in the corporate sector, where these skills are held in high value.

All said and done, successful engineers are those who choose to specialize in a particular skill and dedicate their lives to it. According to many recruiters the main problem of engineering graduates in India is that they do not specialize and get stick in generalist mode. As a professional and technical degree, engineering is an entirely skill based industry. The more specialized skills you can acquire, the more updated you keep yourself regarding the latest skill/technologies used by your sector, the more desirable you will be to the recruiters.

The IT ( Information Technology) is one of the most competitive sector in our country. According to IBEF ( Indian Brand Equity Foundation) the IT sector employs about 10 million people every year.

So as you can see, the competition is fierce indeed- additionally engineering, specifically CS ( Computer Science ) is one of the most widely pursued courses in India- so if you have dreams of having a prosperous career in the IT sector, you have to do all you can in order to stand out from the crowd.

One of the ways you can acquire an edge over your peers is to acquire relevant job experience, and/or acquiring certifications. Having IT certifications like CISCO, Redhat, Oracle in your kitty is always desirable, as these certifications are a testament of your potential, and dedication. Today we will discuss the perks of having a CISCO certification.

The CISCO certification or the CCNA ( Cisco Certified Network Associate ) is a beginner level certification that is widely respected in the IT industry. If you are serious having a stable, well paying job in the networking domain then a CISCO certification can open multiple doors for you. We will share just a few perks of having a CISCO certification

Increased Employment Opportunities : Most employers are super keen on hiring CISCO certified professionals – not just because the certificate is very prestigious – employers get huge discounts on CISCO products if they hire CISCO professionals. Any company which uses CISCO devices will be eager to hire you.

Access to High Paying Jobs : Acquiring a CISCO certification can be a gateway to higher paying jobs. This is because having this certification basically means that you have proven knowledge about the fundamentals of networking. like installing, configuring and operating WAN, LAN, IP usage etc. You will be able to differentiate yourself among your peers

Promotion : A CISCO certification, will indeed pave the way for you to climb the IT ladder. It will fast track your career like never before. This is because CCNA certification is a difficult one and is not one which can be cracked by many. Having such a valued certification will set you a class apart from your peers.

So there you go – the benefits of having a CCAP certification are undeniable. If you are keen on having this lucrative certification in your kitty, then you must sign up, BSc or an MSc course in Hardware & Networking, provided by Brainware Engineering college. Aside from exposing you to an industry driven course tailor made for IT enthusiasts this will also include international certifications like CCNA.

Here are 9 top skills which all electrical engineers must have if they want to make it as a successful ECE.

Ability to read Electrical Measurements accurately : This is one of the basic skills an ECE engineers must have a good grasp on

Ability to Handle Electrical Tools/Machines Efficiently : You must be comfortable reading, testing, machines, how to operate drives like SCADA etc.

Circuit Designing Skills : Synthesizing, debugging electrical circuits is a must have skill for ECE engineers. Also you should have a good knowledge of some software packages like Orcad, Eagle etc.
Become Programme Language Pro : In order to become an efficient ECE, you need to master a multitude of programming languages such as ARM, AVR, PIC, Java etc

Have a strong basics on maintenance of electric power plants and how to generate electricity.

Critical Thinking Skills : What most engineers often neglect to remember, engineers have to think up creative solutions to technological problems that are faced by laymen. So critical, problem solving approach is a prized trait all engineers whether mechanical, electrical or otherwise, must develope.

Up todate Knowledge : Engineering, no matter its branch, is heavily technology based. So constant learning and getting uptodate with latest technological developments is a skill which all engineers must have. If you do not update yourself regularly and educate yourself on technology daily then you will lag behind competitors – energetic, dynamic engineers who are always updating themselves.

Soft Skills : This is one area which engineers often neglect. Most engineers become so complacent thinking that mastering technical skills will be enough for them. Unfortunately mastering good communication skills is not optional anymore today as you have to demonstrate or explain products and apps in a lucid way to non technical clients.

Budgeting Skills : The best technology ( at least from the point of view of companies) is one that’s cost effective. So some basic budgeting skills, financial analysis skills is a must have for engineers.

Troubleshooting Skills : An ECE is always expected to diagnose and manage system so that they operate smoothly.

For several years in the past, fifth generation (5G) wireless communication has been actively discussed, both in the academia and the industry as a means of providing various mobile convergence services. Many 5G project groups have been established to propose service scenarios and target performance metrics. In the coming years, the amount of mobile data traffic is expected to increase tremendously .

Given this fact, one important application that most 5G project groups are likely to support is high data rate communications.  A key enabling technology to support a high data rate service scenario appears to be a small cell network. When a network is in the interference-limited regime, it is known theoretically that spectral efficiency per area increases linearly with the number of small cells.

From a spatial domain viewpoint, however, huge differences can be found in the wireless channel characteristics of small cell networks (e.g., outdoor-to-indoor or indoor-to-indoor) and those of conventional macro cell networks. Various channel environments may occur in a small cell network, since the space constraint for cell deployment can be greatly mitigated, thanks to the reduced deployment of time and cost.

in 5G cellular networks, a promising technology is one that exploits three-dimensional (3D) beam control. In practical situations, BSs and users are distributed in 3D space, such as in the urban cell scenarios . As the elevation angle of the ray propagation becomes influential, the 3D beamforming can increase both the cell average output and the 5-percentile user throughput.  A critical issue in addition to the 3D beamforming design is the performance evaluation method that reflects the 3D space accordingly. When it comes to 3D beam-forming gain, more elaborate simulation results may be produced by generating BSs and also produce users in both horizontal and vertical domains, rather than considering only a two- dimensional (2D) distribution.

In general, we do not consult any physician for health check up until some symptoms of ailment are observed. Similarly for RCC structures health assessments are performed when some abnormalities are observed in the structure or when quality control tests give poor results thereby failing to satisfy acceptance criteria.

The life of a concrete structure varies between 50-100 years. So a huge number of RCC structures are found to be completing their life span and subjected to different types of distresses. Complete demolition and rebuilding are difficult decisions to take. To improve performance and functional appearance different retrofitting and rehabilitation measures are taken.

Any such repair work is to be proceeded by health assessment of structure by which problem is diagnosed. After proper investigation the remedial measures can be adopted. In order to assess the health of any structure, basic protocol must be followed. As a thumb rule, we should follow the investigation steps while going for forensic study of concrete structure.

The prime objectives and procedural steps of retrofitting work are:

• Finding the geography of the area where the structure is located
• Knowing the history of the structure
• Going thoroughly through the technical report
• Performing visual inspection
• Selecting non-destructive and semi-destructive tests that are needed to be performed on strength
• Identification of the location of the spots for test
• Determining causes of defects, analysis of the test results with proper engineering knowledge
• Locating the area of weakness and prescribing the remedial measures to rehabilitate the structure
• Making a list of repair and rectification works and reasoning to maintain the structure in future from similar problems/distresses

Proper maintenance extends the life of any old or existing structure. It can be classified as routine and special maintenance. The routine maintenance is performed at every one and two year’s interval to maintain aesthetic and functional requirement of the existing building. Special maintenance is required to restore the structural integrity whether any indication of abnormality is seen in the building.

Structure are made up of different construction materials such as brick, stones, concrete, steel, timber and combination of many others. In general, failures of these structures are not same and also the steps taken for rehabilitations will also not be the same. Merely knowing rehabilitation technique will be of no use to engineers. Prevention is better than cure. It is always desired to identify the reasons behind any failure and to eliminate them altogether, so that failure do not occur at any stage.

But it is practically impossible to eliminate all reasons behind the failure of the structure. Even if we have done good design, performed construction in the best possible way and time to time maintenance work is carried out, the structure cannot be declared as free from failure. The failures need to be analyzed, the nature and extent of damage should be assessed and then proper rehabilitation measures are to be undertaken. The repair and rehabilitation measures vary according to locations of damage. These include restoring structural integrity of major safety defects.