Hardware Engineering as a career
This article describes Hardware Engineering as a career.
Hardware Engineers are involved in researching, designing, developing and testing the computer hardware as well as supervising its production and installation.
The Work :-
Hardware is the term applied to computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and other equipments like keyboards, modems and printers. Although the work of computer hardware engineers resembles that of an electronics engineer, the former focus on computer and computer related equipment.
These engineers design, develop and test computer hardware and support peripherals. The field offers exciting challenges to the computer professionals to learn new things and to experiment and evolve new hardware technologies for solving complex and newer information processing problems. It is because of the R & D work of computer hardware engineers that day by day hardware is becoming smaller, faster, cheaper and more reliable. And in order to be up to day with the technological innovations, these engineers are required to keep abreast of recent changes.
In some cases, they develop special purpose “embedded" products which use computer technology as part of a larger project. For example, embedded computers are used in applications ranging from washing machine controls to automobile engines. Some of them are also trained to service accessories of PCs such as printers and scanners. Service engineers are employed by manufacturers of computer equipment and maintenance.
Education and skills:-
There are many polytechnics and private institutes which conduct courses in computer hardware. These institutes teach how to assemble computers besides explaining what task each component like processors, motherboards, random access memory etc performs to keep the computer ticking. Eligibility is usually 10th or 10+2 and the duration varies from few months to 3 to 4 years.
Those with a degree in Computer Engineering or Electronics (B. Tech) from well established engineering colleges and IITs can enter into the areas of design of computer hardware circuits and architecture. Eligibility for B. Tech is 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Selection to this course is through entrance tests.
Some Institutes:-
Indian Institute of Hardware Technology, Bangalore and at various places all over India.
Website : www.iiht.com
Jetking Infotrain Ltd at various places all over India.
Website : www.jetkinginfotrain.com
Aptech Ltd at various places all over India
Website : wwwlaptech-education.com
Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani
Website : www.bits-pilani.ac.in
Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai
Website : www.iitm.ac.in
Barathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu.
Website : www.bdu.ac.in
Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, Rajasthan.
Website : www.banasthali.org
Remuneration:- A hardware professional can expect a starting salary of around Rs. 1.5 – 2 lakh a year which could go up to Rs. 5-6 lakh per annum once the candidate has two to three years of work experience. But those, having a B. Tech from a reputed institute, start with 2.5 – 3.5 Lakhs per year.
Job Prospects :- There are many small to big companies in India which manufacture computers of their own brand. They require hardware engineers for manufacturing, research and customer service. Also, today almost all companies are dependent on IT for growth, irrespective of the industry, and these require hardware and networking professionals to service their computers.
A recent study by MAIT (Manufacturers Association of Information Technology) and Ernst & Young ahs revealed that Indian electronics hardware sector is expected to touch #65 billion by 2010. Thus the requirement for hardware manpower is going to be strong in coming years. Since many of the companies run mainly with computer technology, there is definitely a large scope for hardware courses.