Ten Essential Skills for Electrical Engineers

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barry L. Dorr, PE has designed signal processing algorithms and circuitry in San Diego for nearly 30 years. He holds a BSEE from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and an MSEE from San Diego State University.

Mr Dorr’s interest in electronics began when, as a high-school freshman, he purchased a worn-out 1949 Ford pickup truck from a Southern California orange grower. As the boy disassembled and rebuilt the truck, his father, an engineer, saw an opportunity to improve his son’s less-than-satisfactory math grades by artfully explaining how each system worked, how it could be described mathematically, and how it might be improved. The old truck became a rolling laboratory for numerous high-school and college projects involving electronics, heat transfer, engine control, and troubleshooting. Working on the truck left him with a lifelong fascination with all things electrical, mechanical, and mathematical.

Mr. Dorr has worked at several small and large electronic firms in San Diego and owned and operated a small consulting firm for 11 years. He currently designs DSP and RF systems for Datron World Communications. He holds eight patents for various communication and signal processing techniques. Outside of work, he enjoys bicycling, working on cars and motorcycles, and playing trombone as a freelance studio musician.