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Computer Engineering – History, Applications

October 30, 2022

Computer engineering began when the world’s first electronic digital computer was developed through physics, mathematics, and electrical engineering by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry in 1939.

Computer engineering is a branch of electrical engineering that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software.

It uses the techniques and principles of electrical engineering and computer science but also covers areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, computer networks, computer architecture, and operating systems.

Computer engineers work on a wide variety of hardware and software aspects of computing, from the design of individual microcontrollers to circuit design.

The field of engineering demands that computer systems integrate into the larger picture, and that’s one of the applications of robot engineering.

History of computer engineering education

The first computer engineering program in the United States was started at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1971.

There are many career paths you can follow that involve the design of digital and analog circuits.

Hardware is the physical component of a computer, while the software is the set of instructions that a computer follows to do a specific task. When you buy a car, you buy the car’s hardware, which will allow it to function. You then purchase software to operate the car.

Similarly, when you buy a new computer, you’re buying hardware, which will allow it to function. Then you purchase software, that allows you to use the computer for your specific needs. Computer hardware is the “bones” of a computer.

Software engineering: You’ll work to develop and maintain products and services for software as well as web-based software and software products for hardware.

Electronic engineering: You’ll design and develop electrical devices and components.

For someone who wants to be a computer engineer, it is important to have a sound knowledge of mathematics and science.

Applications of Computer Engineering

There are two major focuses in computer engineering:

  1. hardware engineering
  2. software engineering

Hardware Engineering

The process of designing, developing, testing, and producing computer systems and various physical components is called hardware engineering. With the advent of technology and advances in R&D, the scope of hardware engineering has been expanded to include hardware devices enabling embedded software engineering in non-computer devices.

Hardware engineering is the process of design and development of electronics-related hardware such as sensors, processors, and controllers. The scope of hardware engineering does not only include the design and development of computer or embedded systems but also the integration of various devices for the functioning of the entire business system.

With the advent of technology and advances in R&D, hardware engineering is more prevalent in newer fields such as mobile computing and distributed systems, computer vision, and robotics.

Software Engineering

A systems engineering approach to software development is known as software engineering. A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software.

The term programmer is sometimes used as a synonym, but it may not mean the same things as engineering education or skills.