programming and electronics

[danielsmusic]

i hope many people agree with this.
electronics and computer programming are much the same exept programming is "virtual" electronics is "practical".
i think they are the same because you can think of some thing as the same eg:
any output function maby "cout" or "printf" could be like a led or crystal display.

or a "input" fuction like "cin" or "getch()" could be a switch or keyboard.

or logic the "||" = "or", "&&" = "and", and "!" = "not"

 

[upand_at_them]

Are you talking about digital electronics or analog electronics? I'm a programmer for a living, but I have no clue about analog electronics.

Mike

 

[Jay.slovak]

i hope many people agree with this.
electronics and computer programming are much the same exept programming is "virtual" electronics is "practical".
i think they are the same because you can think of some thing as the same eg:
any output function maby "cout" or "printf" could be like a led or crystal display.

or a "input" fuction like "cin" or "getch()" could be a switch or keyboard.

or logic the "||" = "or", "&&" = "and", and "!" = "not"

I wouldn't say they are different, try to define MCU. It's both electronics and programming
I think that a good geek should know both to be smart... :lol:

 

[_3iMaJ]

I actually do both. I teach labs in electronics, but my field of research is communications. So I write a ton of code. Currently I'm designing a hardware MIMO test bed which is almost entirely made up of C code. Any of the wireless I'm doing with prebuilt chips.

Keep in mind that I don't do this as just a hobby. So I'd say I'm reasonable at both. I'm not nearly as good of a programmer as some people I know, personally I think I'm a hack, but I know enough to get by. Fortunately I don't really have to write a lot of code that requires extreme efficiency.

 

[samcheetah]

well, yes you are right, that is if you are speaking about digital electronics. the analog domain is a bit different. and specially if you are talking about HDLs then yes this is quite true. actually the thing is not about electronics and programming its about hardware and software. you cant do everything in hardware. doing things in software is easy and cheap.

read the article "Software is cheap" by Jack Gansle. you will really like it

**broken link removed**

 

[_3iMaJ]

Absolutely! Hardware is starting to become less important as microprocessors grow increasingly cheap. You'll always have a need for hardware at the RF frequencies, but other than that the applications are beginning to get slim. Doing very complex application in software just makes sense. You can get an 8051 Intel microprocessor for less than a dollar, just interface an ADC and DAC and you're ready to rock.

 

[instruite]

My Opinion

Electronics can exists without Programming
But Programming cannot without Electronics

Jay.slovak:
I think that a good geek should know both to be smart...

I totally agree.

 

[Emantra]

My Opinion

Electronics can exists without Programming
But Programming cannot without Electronics

Jay.slovak:
I think that a good geek should know both to be smart...

I totally agree.

I think programming and electronics exists in symbosis fashion :wink:

 

[instruite]

Let me elobrate my point

My Opinion

Electronics can exists without Programming
But Programming cannot without Electronics

By Electonics I mean Hardware
One can make a computer to do everything through hardware (Anlog Computers, Hardwired Programmable logic controllers are the example)
But this is all complex
Programming has only given flexibility to electronics but it wont be able to replace electronics
To do programming one requires a hardware if there is no hardware no programming can be done

electronics and computer programming are much the same exept programming is "virtual" electronics is "practical".

For a computer engineer it is virtual because they dont know what is happening exactly when they write a command

any output function maby "cout" or "printf" could be like a led or crystal display.

to make the meaning for the above instruction you require a device like CRT or LCD monitor else there wont be any meaning to it

or logic the "||" = "or", "&&" = "and", and "!" = "not"

to execyte the above logic hardware is necessary

I am not opposing programming, its true that programming has made the life easier
I just wanted to elaborate my point before anybody of you take it in wrong direction

 

[danielsmusic]

it true though, programming as if making a calculater for example.
and "digital" electronics.

even "chips" are like functions pre build things that require a variable
and then it outputs

 

[Pommie]

My Opinion

Electronics can exists without Programming
But Programming cannot without Electronics

Not entirely true, there are lots of examples of non electronic programming.

Washing machines had program controllers which consisted of cams operating microswitches.
Early weaving machines used punched cards to define the pattern.
When US and Soviet space craft met in space, the soviets were using a cam controller as there flight computer.

Turing envisaged a machine that was mechanical and yet could (theoretically) carry out the most complex calculations.
Babbage's engine has now been built and shown to work.

And, someone has just built a mechanical Pong machine - see other post.

However, I'll stick to modern electronic programming anyday.

Mike.

 

[danielsmusic]

those examples you said were just analog you can't program them

 

[Someone Electro]

Punch cards are used to store the program so it is programing. They used an typewriter like machine to make them.

And it is didgital since there is only an hole on no hole.There is noting betwean.

The washing machine cod be considerd digital too since the program is stored on an cilidder whith humps.There is also a hump (trigering an microswitch) and no hump(relesing the microswitch) also noting betwen these two.

At analon there is always somting betwen.An audio casete is analong since its storend on it by magnetising it at difrent strengths.So there is always somting betwen and fuly magnetisend and demagnetised tape.

The moderd digitoal stuff is confusing us.Since most think that digital is an complex curcuit whith lots logic gates and complex ICs.(Since we use digital in this form today evryware)

 

[Someone Electro]

Oh an you can program them.

The puch cards by chaning where an hole is.And by an washing machine by changing the patern of the humps.

 

[mechie]

My Opinion

Electronics can exists without Programming
But Programming cannot without Electronics

Not entirely true, there are lots of examples of non electronic programming.

Mike.

A pneumatic (air driven) calculator ?

 

[Someone Electro]

I never heard of such a thing.

 

[Exo]

You wish you hadn't when you have to redo 3 days worth of calculations due to an airleak :lol:

 

[danielsmusic]

lol :lol: