This week's feature highlights Cees Links, the General Manager of Qorvo’s Wireless Connectivity Business Unit, who also happens to be a devoted reader of ECN Magazine.
As I reflect on my journey, I often think back to a moment involving my teenage son. One day, a friend of his came over to visit. Upon entering our home, the first thing he asked was, "What's your Wi-Fi password?" I responded with a laugh, saying, "Is there no Wi-Fi around here?" That exchange made me pause and reminded me why I fell in love with engineering design in the first place. It's not just a profession—it's a calling that fills me with immense joy. As engineers, we have the unique ability to bring ideas to life, creating something from nothing. That sense of wonder drives me every single day.
My personal journey into engineering began early on. Back in 1975, I stumbled upon an electrical engineering magazine. At the time, the internet didn’t exist, so magazines were the primary source of information. In one issue, there was a detailed design article listing 30 components in the bill of materials along with a schematic diagram.
Inspired, I immediately set off on my bike to the local Radio Shack to gather those parts—resistors, capacitors, coils, crystals, and more. Once I returned home, I carefully laid out the components on the table and grabbed my soldering iron. Following the schematic step by step, I meticulously assembled everything. After inserting the batteries and connecting the headphones, I held my breath as I powered it up. And then it happened—the sweet sound of music flowed through the headphones. It felt surreal, as though I'd unlocked a secret world. Building that FM radio from scratch was pure magic, and it cemented my passion for engineering design. To this day, I believe engineering is about turning complexity into wonder.
Fast forward to 2004, when Wi-Fi was advancing rapidly, yet challenges remained in achieving lower power consumption for battery-operated devices. This became another puzzle for me to solve—a new challenge involving 30 components, figuratively speaking. I reached out to some old colleagues and acquaintances to brainstorm solutions. Together, we explored different architectures and eventually found that ZigBee not only excelled in low-power applications but also shared similarities with Wi-Fi. This led to the creation of the industry’s lowest-power ZigBee solution.
Recently, I was honored with the Golden Mousetrap Lifetime Achievement Award by Design News for my contributions to Wi-Fi technology. This award isn't just mine; it belongs to all engineers who strive to innovate and push boundaries. Engineering is a relentless pursuit of perfection. We obsess over details, endlessly debug software, and refuse to settle for mediocrity. Our creativity and dedication allow us to shape the world in meaningful ways. A connected world is a better world, and it's our responsibility to harness technology to improve lives.
Looking back, I realize that engineering is more than a career—it’s a lifelong commitment. Each project teaches us something new, pushing us to grow both personally and professionally. As engineers, we have the privilege of transforming abstract ideas into tangible realities. Whether it's building a simple FM radio or developing cutting-edge wireless solutions, the essence remains the same: turning complexity into magic.
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