Stay in EDA or move to CAD at Semi Company?
Which is better for TC? Stay in EDA company or move to doing CAD at a Semiconductor company? Current TC is 175k. I like CAD type roles and work as get to work on lot of different design methodologies and process modelling flows, automation, but trying to see the future if continuing down this path in semiconductor field in EDA?
Yoe?
Don't come to Intel for EDA. Did that for a few years. Totally disregarded within the company, treated like dirt, soul crushing managers.
In EDA don’t you lose a lot of your technology roadmap and industry trend knowledge? If I studied the tools instead of used the tools to create for a long amount of time I would be afraid the industry would pass me by. This has been the reason I never looked into EDA seriously.
Its not as simple as “studying the tools”. In EDA/CAD you also study the process and how technology rules are written, modified or added to suit design requirements. Many times designers dont have insight into how to do this. Tools have kept evolving since past 20 years but you dont see CAD jobs in semis vanishing due to this reason.
I agree. But I also believe there has to be a trade off in keeping up the technologies and loss of speed using the tools. Also, we had a guy come to my team about 4 years ago from Cadence and he is worthless as a PCB designer and has to ask tool questions. He was senior Candence FAR
It's good to switch back and forth. It makes you be more effective.
Right answer
I agree. That could be a good option. Switch, learn something new and grow TC ?
Honestly I felt being part of eda in a company like synopsis or cadence would give me more insight into internal attributes . Knowledge technique. But now being part of the company the knowledge sharing is pretty limited. Just do your job kind of attitude.
We have Cadence AE on site all the time. In house CAD/tool support is constantly shrinking. Job security is definitely not there any more.
Having seen CAD and EDA up close, if picking between the two, I'd recommend EDA. Better pay and more possibilities to move to software if desired.
Why not pivot to software?
Eda then get into software
Get out of EDA and CAD both. Move out at first opportunity you get
100% agreed. EDA as an industry has limited profit pool. CAD in semiconductor companies are not treated as part with verification/design/backend teams
I am into parasitic extraction- interconnect modelling, reliability/emir, drc/lvs, electromagnetic simulations, perl script automation for tool/flow validation etc- what roles outside of CAD do you think I can apply for with this experience ?