Computer engineering
Engineering branch specializing in computer hardware and software integration.
Computer engineering is a field of engineering focused on creating both computer hardware and software. It combines elements of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and computer science. At some universities, the discipline is called Electrical and Computer Engineering or Computer Science and Engineering.
Professionals in this area need training in combining hardware with software, designing software, and applying software engineering principles. Their work can involve electromagnetism, artificial intelligence, robotics, computer networks, computer architecture, and operating systems. They handle many aspects of computing, from designing microcontrollers, microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers to creating circuits. The field looks at how computer systems operate and how to fit them into larger systems.
**History**
The origins of computer engineering trace back to 1939, when John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry started building the first electronic digital computer, drawing on physics, mathematics, and electrical engineering. Atanasoff taught physics and mathematics at Iowa State University, and Berry was a graduate student in electrical engineering and physics. Together, they created the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC), a project that took five years. The original ABC was taken apart and thrown away in the 1940s. A replica was built in 1997 as a tribute; a team of researchers and engineers spent four years and $350,000 to complete it.
The modern personal computer appeared in the 1970s, following key advances in semiconductor technology. These include the first working transistors by William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs in 1947; silicon dioxide surface passivation by Carl Frosch and Lincoln Derick in 1955; the first planar silicon dioxide transistors by Frosch and Derick in 1957; the planar process by Jean Hoerni; the monolithic integrated circuit chip by Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1959; the metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) demonstrated by a Bell Labs team in 1960; and the single-chip microprocessor (Intel 4004) by Federico Faggin, Marcian Hoff, Masatoshi Shima, and Stanley Mazor at Intel in 1971.
**History of computer engineering education**
The first computer engineering degree program in the United States started in 1971 at Case Western Reserve Univ
- field
- Computer engineering
- known_for
- Developing computer hardware and software; integrating electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and computer science
- first_degree_program
- 1971 at Case Western Reserve University, United States
- accredited_programs_in_US_2015
- 250
- early_development
- 1939 with Atanasoff–Berry computer (ABC)
Lore & Background
Computer engineering began in 1939 when John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry began developing the world's first electronic digital computer through physics, mathematics, and electrical engineering. Atanasoff was a physics and mathematics teacher for Iowa State University, and Berry was a former graduate under electrical engineering and physics. Together they created the Atanasoff–Berry computer (ABC), which took five years to complete. The original ABC was dismantled and discarded in the 1940s; a replica was made in 1997, taking a team of researchers and engineers four years and $350,000 to build.
The modern personal computer emerged in the 1970s after several breakthroughs in semiconductor technology, including the first working transistors (1947), silicon dioxide surface passivation (1955), the first planar silicon dioxide transistors (1957), the planar process, the monolithic integrated circuit chip (1959), the MOSFET (1960), and the single-chip microprocessor Intel 4004 (1971). The first computer engineering degree program in the United States was established in 1971 at Case Western Reserve University. As of 2015, there were 250 ABET-accredited computer engineering programs in the U.S.
Computer engineers require training in hardware-software integration, software design, and software engineering. The field encompasses areas such as electromagnetism, artificial intelligence, robotics, computer networks, computer architecture, and operating systems. Computer engineers are involved in many hardware and software aspects of computing, from the design of individual microcontrollers, microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design.
Reader's Guide
Computer engineering is significant as a discipline that bridges hardware and software, enabling the development of modern computing systems from microcontrollers to supercomputers. Its legacy includes foundational contributions to digital computing, beginning with the Atanasoff–Berry computer in 1939, and continuing through the semiconductor breakthroughs that led to the personal computer in the 1970s. The field's integration of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and computer science has made it essential for advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and wireless networks. Computer engineers work on processor design, cryptography, communications, and embedded systems, and their education typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science, with strong backgrounds in mathematics and programming. The field's growth is reflected in job outlook data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows varying projections for hardware and software engineering roles, with software engineering expected to grow faster than average due to cybersecurity concerns, though some work may be outsourced. The first computer engineering degree program in the U.S. was established in 1971, and by 2015 there were 250 accredited programs, indicating the field's expansion and institutional recognition.
Did You Know?
- Computer engineering began in 1939 with John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry developing the world's first electronic digital computer, the Atanasoff–Berry computer (ABC).
- The first computer engineering degree program in the United States was established in 1971 at Case Western Reserve University.
- A replica of the ABC was built in 1997, taking four years and $350,000 to complete.
- The modern personal computer emerged in the 1970s after breakthroughs including the first transistors (1947) and the single-chip microprocessor Intel 4004 (1971).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Computer engineering?
Computer engineering is an engineering discipline that merges electrical engineering, electronics, and computer science to design both the physical hardware and the software that power computing systems.
What are Computer engineering's powers/role?
Its core responsibilities span integrating hardware with software, designing computer architectures, and applying software-engineering principles across domains like robotics, artificial intelligence, networking, and operating systems.
How does Computer engineering's story end?
The narrative is still unfolding: as of 2015 roughly 250 accredited U.S. programs were training new practitioners, and the field continues to expand into emerging areas such as AI and advanced network design.
Why is Computer engineering important?
It closes the gap between raw electrical components and usable software, making it indispensable for building everything from microprocessors to full-scale computing platforms.
When did Computer engineering first appear?
Early groundwork dates to 1939 with the Atanasoff–Berry computer, while the first dedicated undergraduate degree program was established in 1971 at Case Western Reserve University in the United States.
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