Your opinion

[Lunat1c]

Hey,

Can someone please give me an elaborate yet not too detailed description of what VLSI actually involves? I'm at a point in my undergrauate studies where I could choose to specialize in this field. Which industries is VLSI mainly used in? Is it essential if lets say I wish to work in the aerospace industry? or would
a specialization in communications (RF, EM theory, radio systems etc...) be more suitable for such industry?

I thought I'd ask here since it seems this forum has quite a good number of people that are in the electronics design industry and might probably know a lot about such fields.

[JohnS_AZ]

VLSI, or Very Large Scale Integration is simply the process of making integrated circuits that are amazingly complex and contain a staggering number of gates and junctions. Most microprocessors (ie. Pentium) microcontrolers (ie. Pic), most current memory chips, and a whole lot of other integrated circuit devices qualify as VLSI. Consider that the very first integrated circuit had two gates (two junctions). A 60s/70s era TTL chip might contain a hundred or two. Modern microprocessors can literally contain billions of junctions.

Specializing in VLSI as an engineer pretty much aims you at a career with one of the big semiconductor fab companies (ie. Intel, AMD, etc.) where knowledge of physics and chemistry will be as or more valuable than any knowledge of electronics. The parts you produce would be used in everything from satellites, jet fighters, and jumbo jets, down to the next set-top box, iPhone, and flat-screen TV. You'd be making the lego bricks : other folks would use them to build products, including avionics.

It sounds from your question like you WANT to work in the aerospace industry. If that's where you ultimately want a career, I really don't see the value of of learning about VLSI technology. There are probably other guys hat could tell you better what would make sense of you're headed into aerospace. I'm an old Ex-Motorola Semiconductor guy.

Here's a decent jumping off point to learn loads about VLSI...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very-large-scale_integration

John

[Lunat1c]

Thanks for your input JohnS_AZ. I think I was a bit vague when I mentioned I'd like to get into the aerospace industry. Specifically, I'm interested in avoinics systems design, vision systems  (like for example 3D computer vision used for surveillance and the like), space system applications etc... Thing is I'm still quite young and still got 2 more years to finish my degree. From what I read about VLSI and from what you told me, I think that it's good to know VLSI if I want to work in research in the above mentioned fields (I plan on furthering my studies with a masters and perhaps a phd after I graduate) and hence would like to know if having good knowledge of VLSI would be considered an asset in such field.

[EEVblog]

Thanks for your input JohnS_AZ. I think I was a bit vague when I mentioned I'd like to get into the aerospace industry. Specifically, I'm interested in avoinics systems design, vision systems  (like for example 3D computer vision used for surveillance and the like), space system applications etc... Thing is I'm still quite young and still got 2 more years to finish my degree. From what I read about VLSI and from what you told me, I think that it's good to know VLSI if I want to work in research in the above mentioned fields (I plan on furthering my studies with a masters and perhaps a phd after I graduate) and hence would like to know if having good knowledge of VLSI would be considered an asset in such field.

Not really, VLSI is more specific chip level design, which is usually application independent, it's more about the process of chip design.
As John said, VLSI design is very specialised and will really only be useful at a large semi company, or back at university teaching it.
If you wanted a job in 3D computer vision for example, then practical 3D algorithm system level skills might be much more useful than VLSI chip design.
Remember, generally, the high you go up the education ladder (PhD), the more pigeon holed you get in the world of academia. So if you enjoy actually building practical system stuff then that may not be the right direction.
You mentioned "system" a few times, in this case VLSI design will not help get you into large system design.

Dave.

[Time]

I work in R&D for Lockheed Martin.  VLSI is useless.

[Lunat1c]

Thank you guys, now I have a better image of what VLSI is all about.

Time, from your experience in the aerospace industry, which do you think would be most useful: A knowledge in industrial automation technology, sensors and actuators,  digital controller designs (PID control), design techniques for controlling dynamic systems , Computational intelligence (such as Fuzzy systems, swarm intelligence etc...)

OR

A background in communication systems (RF and the like) and perhaps power electronics? I’m talking about undergraduate level here

(If it were up to me I’d take all the classes but there is only so much one can sign up for).

[djsb]

You could study modules as an associate student for continuous professional development at my old college once your in work.

http://www.ami.ac.uk/

The courses are by distance and everything is online. The advanced microelectronics route is about chip design and the other is what it says on the tin.

David.

[Time]

Any of those things would be important so just focus on what you are best at.

[EEVblog]

Any of those things would be important so just focus on what you are best at.

I disagree. Focus on what you enjoy.
Although granted, if you suck at what you enjoy then it may not put food on the table!

Dave.

[Time]

Any of those things would be important so just focus on what you are best at.

I disagree. Focus on what you enjoy.
Although granted, if you suck at what you enjoy then it may not put food on the table!

Dave.

Well he wants to work in aerospace and all of those mentioned subjects are desirable.  I thought it would be best for him to focus on what he was best at to have a higher chance of getting a job in that certain field. The advice was not necessarily meant to be taken as a general philosophy.

[DJPhil]

Although granted, if you suck at what you enjoy then it may not put food on the table!

Story of my life, that. But I'm broke and happy! 

[EEVblog]

Although granted, if you suck at what you enjoy then it may not put food on the table!

Story of my life, that. But I'm broke and happy! 

I aim to be a broke and happy full time video blogger!

Dave.

[Simon]

Although granted, if you suck at what you enjoy then it may not put food on the table!

Story of my life, that. But I'm broke and happy! 

I aim to be a broke and happy full time video blogger!

Dave.

I aim to be a broke one to two man band electronics manufacturer serving niche markets 

[JohnS_AZ]

@simon ... Same here, a one-man electronics manufacturer.

[Simon]

Well I'm now pretty much equipped, just need products and a market to sell them too. All should happen in time, even if it's a sideline from the normal job