A few weeks back I got to go visit Fender in Phoenix AZ. I have been there many times and enjoy each visit. I truly believe they should call the company “My day job” because everyone seems to be a musician. (The receptionist isn’t a musician but she like musicians and it is nice to work at a place where the musicians have paying gigs.) Their lobby is really cool. I included a picture of me with some artwork. They used to have signed guitars on display in the lobby but apparently they got stolen. The still have signed guitars deep inside their building. I enjoy seeing a company where the employees so identify with their products and are proud of what they make. They have such a great gig going on making great amps. They make rock amps and jazz amps. They make jazzy rock amps and rocky jazz amps, mostly rock kinda jazzy amps, and all sorts of variations. Then they come up with some famous Jazz Artist’s (that is what jazz musicians call themselves Jazz Artists) signature amp that of course all the young musicians just have to buy. No wonder we have starving musicians, they are spending all their money on instruments. Seriously they understand and respect their audience and they are a joy to work with.

Hello my name is Dave Van Ess and welcome to my blog.  I am an Electrical Engineer with 32 years experience.  I joined Cypress back in July 2000.  I went to see this startup company called Cypress MicroSystems.  They showed me this new PSoC.  I went home and told my wife that it was the part I had waited for. 

Lacking the cognitive skills and the desire to go into management.  So I have had to stay technical.  They say if a King lives long enough he gets the title of “wise” or “great”.  I guess the same applies to Engineers.  I have been around long enough that people think I am an analog guy.  I fall in the area where guys that went to school five years before went to school when they had programs primarily analog.  The guys five years after had primarily digital programs.  I like to think of myself as “mixed signal guy”  More on that later.

I plan to talk about subjects that I find interesting.  If you have questions please e-mail me.  I will report on some of the really cool companies I come by.