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{{Short description|Engineering discipline specializing in the design of computer hardware}}
{{Redirect|Hardware engineering|engineering other types of hardware|mechanical engineering|engineering
{{pp-pc1}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
▲{{Redirect|Hardware engineering|engineering other types of hardware|mechanical engineering|engineering electrical systems|electrical engineering}}
{{Infobox occupation
| employment_field = Science, technology, engineering, industry, computer, exploration
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| competencies = Technical knowledge, hardware design, software design
| specialty = Hardware engineering, software engineering, software programming, robotics, networking
| activity_sector =
}}
'''Computer engineering''' ('''CoE''' or '''CpE''') is a branch of [[electrical engineering]] that integrates several fields of [[
|
|
|author2 =
|author-link2 = Association for Computing Machinery |
|
|
|date = December 12, 2004
|
|
|archive-date = June 12, 2019
}}</ref> Computer engineers usually have training in [[electronic engineering]], [[software design]], and hardware-software integration instead of only [[software engineering]] or electronic engineering. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of [[computing]], from the design of individual [[microcontroller]]s, [[microprocessor]]s, [[personal computers]], and [[supercomputer]]s, to [[circuit design]]. This field of engineering not only focuses on how computer systems themselves work but also how they integrate into the larger picture.<ref>{{Cite web▼
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190612130313/https://www.acm.org/education/education/curric_vols/CE-Final-Report.pdf
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> Computer engineering is referred to as Electrical and Computer engineering OR [[Computer Science and Engineering]] at some universities
▲
| last = Trinity College Dublin
| url = http://www.tcd.ie/Engineering/about/what_is_eng/computer_eng_intro.html
| title = What is Computer System Engineering
| access-date = April 21, 2006
}}, "Computer engineers need not only to understand how computer systems themselves work but also how they integrate into the larger picture. Consider the car. A modern car contains many separate computer systems for controlling such things as the engine timing, the brakes, and the airbags. To be able to design and implement such a car, the computer engineer needs a broad theoretical understanding of all these various subsystems & how they interact.</ref> [[
In many institutions of higher learning, computer engineering students are allowed to choose areas of in-depth study in their junior and senior
[[File:Dell Dimension C521 Motherboard.jpg|thumb|This computer [[motherboard]] used in a [[personal computer]] is the result of computer engineering efforts.]]
==History==
[[File:Babbage Difference Engine.jpg|thumb|The [[Difference engine|Difference Engine]], the first mechanical computer
[[File:
Computer engineering began in 1939 when [[John Vincent Atanasoff]] and [[Clifford Berry]] began developing the world's first electronic [[digital computer]] through [[physics]], [[mathematics]], and [[electrical engineering]]. John Vincent Atanasoff was once a physics and mathematics teacher for [[Iowa State University]] and Clifford Berry a former graduate under electrical engineering and physics. Together, they created the [[Atanasoff–Berry computer|Atanasoff-Berry computer]], also known as the ABC which took
While the original ABC was dismantled and discarded in the 1940s, a tribute was made to the late inventors
The modern [[personal computer]] emerged in the 1970s, after several breakthroughs in [[semiconductor]] technology. These include the first working [[transistor]] by [[William Shockley]], [[John Bardeen]] and [[Walter Brattain]] at [[Bell Labs]] in 1947,<ref>{{cite web |title=1947: Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/invention-of-the-point-contact-transistor/ |website=The Silicon Engine |publisher=[[Computer History Museum]] |access-date=9 October 2019}}</ref> in 1955, silicon dioxide surface passivation by [[Carl Frosch]] and Lincoln Derick,<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US2802760A|title=Oxidation of semiconductive surfaces for controlled diffusion|gdate=1957-08-13|invent1=Lincoln|invent2=Frosch|inventor1-first=Derick|inventor2-first=Carl J.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2802760A}}</ref> the first planar silicon dioxide transistors by Frosch and Derick in 1957,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Frosch |first1=C. J. |last2=Derick |first2=L |date=1957 |title=Surface Protection and Selective Masking during Diffusion in Silicon |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1.2428650 |journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society |language=en |volume=104 |issue=9 |pages=547 |doi=10.1149/1.2428650}}</ref> [[planar process]] by [[Jean Hoerni]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lojek |first1=Bo |title=History of Semiconductor Engineering |date=2007 |publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]] |isbn=9783540342588 |pages=120 & 321–323}}</ref><ref name="Bassett46">{{cite book |last1=Bassett |first1=Ross Knox |title=To the Digital Age: Research Labs, Start-up Companies, and the Rise of MOS Technology |date=2007 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University Press]] |isbn=9780801886393 |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUbB3d2UnaAC&pg=PA46}}</ref><ref>{{patent|US|3025589|Hoerni, J. A.: "Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Devices” filed May 1, 1959}}</ref> the [[monolithic integrated circuit]] chip by [[Robert Noyce]] at [[Fairchild Semiconductor]] in 1959,<ref name="Saxena140">{{cite book |last1=Saxena |first1=Arjun N. |title=Invention of Integrated Circuits: Untold Important Facts |date=2009 |publisher=[[World Scientific]] |isbn=9789812814456 |page=140 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-3lpDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA140}}</ref> the [[
=== History of computer engineering education ===
The first computer engineering degree program in the United States was established in 1971 at [[Case Western Reserve University]] in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://engineering.case.edu/about/history |website=engineering.case.edu |date=January 5, 2017 |publisher=Case School of Engineering}}</ref> {{As of|2015}}, there were 250 [[ABET]]-accredited computer engineering programs in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Find an ABET-Accredited Program {{!}} ABET|url = http://main.abet.org/aps/accreditedprogramsearch.aspx|website = main.abet.org|access-date = 2015-11-29}}</ref> In Europe, accreditation of computer engineering schools is done by a variety of agencies as part of the [[EQANIE]] network. Due to increasing job requirements for engineers who can concurrently design hardware, [[
==Education==
Computer engineering is referred to as [[computer science and engineering]] at some universities. Most entry-level computer engineering jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering
It is also important for computer engineers to keep up with rapid advances in [[technology]]. Therefore, many continue learning throughout their careers. This can be helpful, especially when it comes to learning new skills or improving existing ones. For example, as the relative cost of fixing a [[Bug (programming)|bug]] increases the further along it is in the software development cycle, there can be greater cost savings attributed to developing and testing for quality code as soon as possible in the process,
=== Professions ===
{{category see also|computer engineers}}
A person with a profession in computer engineering is called a computer engineer.
{| class="wikitable"
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|CpE
|Passed a degree in computer engineering
<small>Institution: Educational Institution (such as
|-
|Certified computer engineer
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===Computer hardware engineering===
{{Main|Hardware architect}}
According to the [[Bureau of Labor Statistics|BLS]], Job Outlook employment for computer hardware engineers, the expected ten-year growth from 2019 to 2029 for computer hardware engineering was an estimated 2% and a total of 71,100 jobs. ("''Slower than average''" in their own words when compared to other occupations)".<ref name="hweng">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/computer-hardware-engineers.htm|title=Computer Hardware Engineers: Occupational Outlook Handbook|publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}}</ref> This is a decrease from the 2014 to 2024 BLS computer hardware engineering estimate of 3% and a total of 77,700 jobs
=== Computer software engineering ===
According to the U.S. [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] (BLS), "''computer applications software engineers and computer systems software engineers are projected to be among the faster than average growing occupations''" The expected ten-year growth {{as of
===Computer engineering licensing and practice===
Computer engineering is generally practiced within larger product development firms, and such practice may not be subject to licensing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatuteSections/Chapter89C|title=General Statute Sections - North Carolina General Assembly|website=www.ncleg.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_89C/GS_89C-3.html|title=G.S. 89C-3|website=www.ncleg.gov}}</ref>
==Specialty areas==
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===Processor design===
{{Main article|Processor design}}
[[Processor (computing)|Processor]] design process involves choosing an [[Instruction set architecture|instruction set]] and a certain execution paradigm (e.g. [[VLIW]] or [[RISC]]) and results in a [[microarchitecture]], which might be described in e.g. [[VHDL]] or [[Verilog]]. [[Central processing unit|CPU]] design is divided into design of the following components: [[Datapath|datapaths]] (such as [[Arithmetic logic unit|ALUs]] and [[Pipeline (computing)|pipelines]]), control unit: logic which controls the datapaths, [[Computer memory|memory]] components such as [[Register file|register files]], [[Cache (computing)|caches]], clock circuitry such as clock drivers, PLLs, clock distribution networks, pad transceiver circuitry, logic gate cell library which is used to implement the logic.
===Coding, cryptography, and information protection===
{{Main article|Information security}}
[[File:Source code in C.png|thumb|[[Source code]] written in the [[C (programming language)|C]] programming language
Computer engineers work in coding, applied cryptography, and information protection to develop new methods for protecting various information, such as [[Digital image|digital images]] and [[Digital Music|music]], fragmentation, [[copyright infringement]] and other forms of tampering
===Communications and wireless networks===
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===Compilers and operating systems===
{{Main article|Compiler|Operating system}}
[[File:Windows10abstract.png|thumb|Windows 10, an example of an [[operating system]]
This specialty focuses on [[
===Computational science and engineering===
{{Main article|Computational science and engineering}}
Computational science and engineering is a relatively new discipline. According to the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, individuals working in this area, "''computational methods are applied to formulate and solve complex mathematical problems in engineering and the physical and the social sciences. Examples include aircraft design, the plasma processing of nanometer features on semiconductor wafers, [[VLSI]] circuit design, radar detection systems, ion transport through biological channels, and much more''".<ref name="SCCC" />
===Computer networks, mobile computing, and distributed systems===
{{Main article|Computer network|
In this specialty, engineers build integrated environments for computing, communications, and [[information access]]. Examples include shared-channel wireless networks, [[Adaptive
===Computer systems: architecture, parallel processing, and dependability===
{{Main article|Computer architecture|Parallel computing|Dependability}}
[[File:Intel 80486DX2 bottom.jpg|thumb|An example of a computer CPU
Engineers working in computer systems work on research projects that allow for reliable, secure, and high-performance computer systems. Projects such as designing processors for
Computer architecture includes [[CPU design]], [[cache hierarchy]] layout, [[memory organization]], and [[Load balancing (computing)|load balancing]].
===Computer vision and robotics===
{{Main article|Computer vision|Robotics}}
[[File:Humanoid Robot (1) ITB 2017.JPG|thumb|An example of a [[humanoid]] robot
In this specialty, computer engineers focus on developing [[Visual sensor network|visual sensing technology]] to sense an environment, representation of an environment, and manipulation of the environment. The gathered three-dimensional information is then implemented to perform a variety of tasks. These include improved human modeling, image communication, and human-computer interfaces, as well as devices such as special-purpose cameras with versatile vision sensors.<ref name="SCCC" />
===Embedded systems===
[[File: Oxygen devices.svg|thumb|Examples of devices that use embedded systems
{{Main article|Embedded system{{!}}Embedded systems}}
Individuals working in this area design technology for enhancing the speed, reliability, and performance of systems. [[Embedded system|Embedded systems]] are found in many devices from a small [[FM radio]] to the space shuttle. According to the Sloan Cornerstone Career Center, ongoing developments in embedded systems include "''automated vehicles and equipment to conduct search and rescue, automated transportation systems, and human-robot coordination to repair equipment in space.''"<ref name="SCCC" /> {{As of|2018}}, computer embedded systems specializations include [[System on a chip|system-on-chip]] design, the architecture of [[edge computing]] and the [[Internet of things]].
===Integrated circuits, VLSI design, testing and CAD===
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===Signal, image and speech processing===
{{Main article| Signal processing|Digital
Computer engineers in this area develop improvements in
=== Quantum computing ===
{{Main article|Quantum computing}}This area integrates the [[Quantum mechanics|quantum]] behaviour of small particles such as [[Quantum superposition|superposition]], [[Wave interference|interference]] and [[Quantum entanglement|entanglement]], with classical computers to solve complex problems and formulate algorithms much more efficiently. Individuals focus on fields like [[Quantum cryptography]], [[Quantum simulator|physical simulations]] and [[Quantum algorithm|quantum algorithms]].
== Benefits of Engineering in Society ==
An accessible avenue for obtaining information and opportunities in technology, especially for young students, is through digital platforms, enabling learning, exploration, and potential income generation at minimal cost and in regional languages, none of which would be possible without engineers.<ref>{{Cite web |s2cid=216185589 }}</ref> Computer engineering is important in the changes involved in industry 4.0, with engineers responsible for designing and optimizing the technology that surrounds our lives, from [[big data]] to [[AI]]. Their work not only facilitates global connections and knowledge access, but also plays a pivotal role in shaping our future, as technology continues to evolve rapidly, leading to a growing demand for skilled computer engineers.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=A Global Manufacturing Big Data Ecosystem for Fault Detection in Predictive Maintenance |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8710319 |access-date=2023-10-26 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics |date=2020 |doi=10.1109/TII.2019.2915846 |s2cid=164670300 |language=en-US |last1=Yu |first1=Wenjin |last2=Dillon |first2=Tharam |last3=Mostafa |first3=Fahed |last4=Rahayu |first4=Wenny |last5=Liu |first5=Yuehua |volume=16 |pages=183–192 }}</ref> Engineering contributes to improving society by creating devices and structures impacting various aspects of our lives, from technology to infrastructure. Engineers also address challenges such as [[environmental protection]] and [[sustainable development]], while developing medical treatments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are the Benefits of Studying Engineering? |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-benefits-studying-engineering-rasmi-shah |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref> As of 2016, the median annual wage across all BLS engineering categories was over $91,000. Some were much higher, with engineers working for petroleum companies at the top (over $128,000). Other top jobs include: Computer Hardware Engineer – $115,080, Aerospace Engineer – $109,650, Nuclear Engineer – $102,220.<ref>{{Cite web |title=8 Reasons to Get an Engineering Degree that Might Surprise You |url=https://enc.edu/blog/8-reasons-to-get-an-engineering-degree-that-might-surprise-you/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=Eastern Nazarene College |language=en-US}}</ref>
==See also==
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* [[Electronic engineering]]
* [[Computer science]]
* [[Computer programming]]
* [[Software development]]
* [[Computer network]]
▲* [[Electrical and electronic engineering]]
}}
=== Associations ===
* [[IEEE Computer Society]]
* [[Association for Computing Machinery]]
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==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Engineering fields}}
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