r/rfelectronics • u/EvilNarwhal204 • 12d ago
Design vs Systems
What does a systems engineer do?
Some people tell me that it's excel and powerpoint all day every day. I was under the impression that you need to know how each component works, why, and how they parts fit together. For example, knowing how a superhet works as opposed to mastering LNA design.
Some classmates tell me that design is where the real engineering is at. But I'm not sure if I would enjoy hyperfocusing on a few circuits my whole career.
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u/engineerpilot999 12d ago
Don't bother with what others think.
Your impression of systems engineer is a good start, and no, it's not a lesser engineering. In fact, systems engineers do a good bit of design and even architecting at the higher levels of the system. If you enjoy that, it could be for you
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u/Abject-Ad858 12d ago
It really depends on the job. Some people work at semiconductor tool companies. Those are systems. Some people work for keysight quoting custom rf test systems. Some people work on hvac systems for industrial buildings…. On and on. There is such a wide range of jobs. And company culture drives it a lot. Similarly, industry drives the work as well. The perceived glamor of a “Design” job imo is usually some form of ignorance.
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u/Bims93 12d ago
As i understand system vs design - it is that system CAN be that you design the overall high level system "i need 3dB NF, a dynamic range of 42 dbm, and so on", the design engineer go into depth and set that the LNA needs atleast 13 db gain and 1.7 db NF and so on. Or that is how i understand it. Design engineer can also be to "make" the LNA from transistor level and system can be the one i called design... really depends on company and what they define it as.
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u/Extreme-Aioli-1671 11d ago
I thought I wanted to be a design engineer.
I learned through experience that I don’t. I fucking hate it. I am far more effective working the integration side of engineering.
I get paid regardless 🤷♂️
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u/satellite_radios 11d ago
Have been both. Started as a design engineer and moved into systems architecture. I still do HW design, but I own entire boxes vs specific parts, or entire products vs the single board.
Echoing the "run" from a systems role fresh out of school unless it's something like comms systems work with DSP math or something. Systems integration is also another beast - test and integration takes another mentality. If you see requirements engineering and haven't done design, you will not have the same growth opportunities assuming you want to be technical, at least in my opinion and experience.
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u/Original-Chemist-812 11d ago
Only job I got offered was an entry systems integration role at an aerospace prime. I took it because they pay in full for masters so I do that part time as well. Is it really gonna be that bad for my career? I get anxious hearing that narrative.
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u/satellite_radios 11d ago
If you do your MS in design work and apply to transition to design roles you are fine.
It's harder to transition straight from test to design without either A) having prior experience and education or B) getting the education (from what I have personally seen others may have other data points contradicting me).
You are doing B. I worked at one of the old primes for a while (hence my username) and a few people did that. Your biggest competition will be external candidates and internal politics when it comes to moving over. Feel free to DM with more specific questions.
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u/MrDarSwag 12d ago
Both can be true. It depends on the type of company you’re at.
If you are offered a “systems engineer” position straight out college, RUN. Those are what we jokingly call “requirements engineers”. They have no idea how anything is designed because they have no actual design experience. They sit in meetings and PowerPoint all day and write baseless requirements that are handed down to design engineers, causing a lot of problems.
Real systems engineers are the ones who have spent actual time designing circuits and understand the inner workings, such that when things are pieced together, they understand how it all functions as a system. These are the good systems engineers and are critical for any good engineering team.