Woah! It's been like nearly 4 months since I updated this. I feel bad about it actually, it's been in the back of my mind tormenting me for ages now. A lot of stuff has happened in the past few months that I can't begin to get into so I'll just focus on the more recent things.
The past two weeks in particular have been quite busy. I was at a FESM 4 day training course on the 1st-4th March. It was training in how to be a good PhD student. It was such a waste of a week! Although I'm sure some people found it useful. It was good to meet other 1st year students from other departments, that's the only positive I'm taking from it. Then last week I was at a "conference" in Loughborough for 2 nights. It wasn't exactly a conference but I don't know what else to call it. The 1st day was just software training for a new Coventor package called MEMS+. The next day was a series of talks and organised social networking. Networking at these events is pretty brutal. It's quite boring, you only talk to people about what you're working on, so you end up repeating yourself over and over to new people. The hotel was awesome though and I did meet some important people. I was even able to tell people who a pretty high up in Coventor, that I found their current software difficult to use. They then gave me advice on how my design could be improved.
Today I've been trying to plan what to do this summer. Werchter seems to be the interim plan. I'm two minds about it though. Like, the line-up looks great, but I've already been to Werchter so it'd be nice to go somewhere new but then again no other festival has as good a line-up. If I am going, I'll have to book soon. I'm surprised tickets haven't sold out already.
I have booked flights home for between the 20-27th April. It seems that it was the worst timing ever since most people have to study for exams. I'm sure they can spare a few hours though to fit me in. I think I'll be going to trade show in Analog Devices on the 22nd in Limerick. One of the people I met in Loughborough said I should go and he'd put my name on the list. He said that at the very least it would be a free lunch. I feel so important!
Anyway, I have a meeting with my supervisor in the morning. I'm working on my Coventor-Architect design at the moment and hope to have it finished by the morning. I'd better go work on it. I feel like I could write so much more on things that have been happening, lately and in the past few months, but I'm unsure what to include. This blog was always to be a record of my college work. The past few posts have veered away from this, but I think I'll bring it back to the focus. If anyone is still reading this, what do you think?
I really thought i'd be updating this blog more often, but apparently a PhD involves work?! Also, i don't know how much i should be disclosing about my project over the internet. Not that i'm working on something top secret or anything, i just don't know the procedure. I will say that at the moment i'm wracking my brain trying to get a simulink model working. Yes, this is the same model i mentioned in my last post...it's a big model. I'm also trying to get to grips with this program called Coventorware as well as keeping up my reading.
This weekend i was in the office doing some work when myself and Feras decided to give "left 4 dead 2" a try (demo version on steam). Seriously, this game is fun! We played the same demo level over and over, and while that seems sad, it was actually good craic. I'm thinking of asking for it for christmas, but that seems too far away. I want it now! We're thinking of making Saturday a regular gaming night since we pretty much have the office to ourselves.
Last week i tried out the "Tropico 3" demo. All i have to say is "meh". It's alright but i wouldn't rush out and buy it. I seem to be moving away from the easy going simulation/adventure games towards first person shooters and RPGs. Speaking of which, is anyone else incredibly excited about Mass Effect 2 coming out soon? I'll have to fix my PC so i can get the old saved game off it and put it on my new mega pc.
On another note, in 4 weeks I'll be back in Ireland! Oh, watch this, i thought it was hilarious:
Right, i was meant to update this like 2 weeks ago, but i'm easily sidetracked.
It's actually 3pm on a Saturday afternoon while i'm typing this and i'm at my desk in the office trying to get a transverse capacitor model up and running on Simulink. Sad much? To be fair though, i haven't spent that much time this week in the office working since there are still a few compulsory induction events i've had to attend. I'm just trying to make up for a bit of lost time.
I only picked a definite PhD title last week. When i originally met my supervisor he gave me 3 topics to choose from. Two of them were a bit too deep in physics for me so i chose the one that was a bit more in my comfort zone. I'm really happy with my choice and am actually excited about doing work on it. I have been realising lately how luck i am to actually be studying here at Southampton. Regardless of the fact that i don't have any funding, it really pays for itself. The equipment in this University is insane. The new building, where my desk is, cost £100 million pounds to build and fill with state of the art equipment and it's just so cool. Also, the computer that they gave me for my desk is the highest spec machine i've ever seen, and i have 2 22" samsung monitors attached to it. So yeah, i'm really lucky.
For this semester, i'm sitting in on 2 modules, just to get myself up to speed on the basics of the technology i'll be using. I'm taking "Introduction to MEMs" and "Microfabrication". The MEMs course is interesting but i've been reading a great book at home called "Micromachined Transducer Sourcebook" which contains essentially the same information as the course, still though, it's good to have a lecturer to explain it better. I haven't attended a Mircofabrication lecture yet because i couldn't find the building this week. The layout of the campus is pretty confusing and it's extremely frustrating when you can't find a building and have been walking around for 30 minutes trying to find it.
Well, i'm going to go get myself a hot chocolate from the machine and get back to work. I'll try update again soon.
So it's been a while but now the summer is drawing to a close and i'm starting back to University so this blog will get updated on a more regular basis.
I'm writing this post from my room in Southampton! I arrived here yesterday with my parents. I am living in Halls accomodation which are much nicer than i was expecting. I'm meant to be sharing this flat with 6 other people but so far i've only met 3. I don't think the others have moved in yet.
On Thursday (1st October) i'm meant to be heading into the college for a kind of induction. Until then, i might head into the college to check out freshers week. Today i went into town with my one of my flatmates to buy a few bits and pieces for the kitchen. I picked up a 3 sim card for my phone.
During the next few days i'll also have to start reading my supervisors publications. Or perhaps i'll wander into the libraries and read up on Mems devices. I'll update on thursday with how induction went.
Okay this is a very quick update because i'm really tired and want to go to bed soon.
On the 22nd the exam results were released. I got my 2:1 so i was happy, although, not as happy as i thought i'd be. I felt like i could have done better in certain areas. Everything felt slightly anti-climactic. So much so, that i almost felt depressed by it. This soon went away anyway, i guess the shock of being finished subsided and instead i realised that i had a world of opportunity in front of me.
Then to make things even better, a few days later i recieved an email from Southampton University offering me a place to study with Professor Kraft in the Nanoscale Integration department of the college for a PhD!!! This is huge! Obviously if you've been reading previous posts, you'll know that Southampton was the dream. It's the best college to go for Electronic Engineering study. I'll find out in roughly 2 weeks whether or not i have funding to accompany this but i'm not going to get my hopes up about that...that would be way too much good fortune to process.
I'm leaving for Rock Werchter on thursday morning. My flight is really early so i'm staying the night before with my sister. I've been watching Glastonbury on the tv and getting really psyched up for Werchter now. When i come back from Belgium i'll have to start planning my move to Southampton, oh and i'm taking sailing lessons with my dad too. The next few weeks should be pretty busy, but i'll try keep this updated.
Bed time now..this wasn't as short as i had intented.
Time for an update me thinks. Since i have finished my exams i have moved out of Limerick and back home to Clonmel. I had no means of supporting myself in Limerick and even though i was initally sad to leave, i'm now used to being back home. I had to clear out the "junk room" to claim a bedroom, but now it's homely.
On Thursday i got back from a short trip to Hamburg. I went to visit a friend who's there on erasamus. It was a nice break but on the last day i was pretty hungover and had 12 hours of travel ahead of me to get home. Now that i'm back i have Werchter to look forward to, which is on in roughly 10 days. I'm actually freaking out a small bit because i had no idea it was so close.
Tomorrow i'm heading up to Dublin with my family to celebrate my sister's birth. I'm not sure what we're doing but hopefully it'll be a good day. The exam/degree results are then out on Monday... dun dun dun! Alot of friends in other colleges have already gotten their results and have done extremely well. I'm so scared that i have done badly. I need to get my 2.1! I have a backup plan, but i don't want to have to resort to it. I got an email from Southampton during the week to say that they have a PhD studenship available but need to know my degree results before i'm able to be considered for it. I NEED THIS!!!
So fingers crossed everyone. In 2 days my future will be decided.
I am half way through my exams at the moment. I have 2 more left and one of those is tomorrow. So far i dont know how i'm doing, Control2 was difficult and VLSI was grand. I'm dreading tomorrows exam (telecommunications). I really hate having to learn about all this vector encoding crap and how it applies to the OSI network model. I have zero interest in any job involving telecommunications, if i did, i'd have done a different course or would have stuck with Computer Engineering instead of switching to Electronic.
My ranting will get me nowhere though. Like it or not i have to sit this exam tomorrow. I'm not sure what the structure will be like, but if it resembles last year (MCQs followed by long questions) i'll be okay. It's not on until 4pm anyway so i can do some last minute cramming. Then on Saturday i have my final exam which is ASICS2. This should be okay. I'm the only person in the class so i feel this extra responsibility to do well. The exam paper is really interesting though, like there's a design question based on a HSPICE file, and you have to determine all the steady state currents and voltages based on this file.
While all my exams are finished on Saturday, i won't have anytime for celebrating as i still have to finish my Sigma Delta Modulator design. I have the basic hardware laid out. I'm concerned about the latched comparator part. Basically i wasn't sure how to design a latched comparator when i have a PMOS differential pair in my comparator, so i just put a latch on the output...as in 4 NAND gates. It's really inefficient so if there's anyone reading this and knows how to design a latched comparator, please send it to me.
I need to finish this project by Monday. Then i'll be free to enjoy the Breeders which i'm going to on Monday night. I have 4 days of hardship ahead.
