Basic Information
- Name: Sruthi Manepalli
- Branch: Dual Degree
- Company: Texas Instruments
- Duration: 2 months
Domain Targeted
I was mainly looking for electrical core roles, so I didn’t apply for software roles. Within core, I am mainly interested in analog design, so Texas instruments was my main focus (only company that came to campus offering a analog role). Also for DD that’s one of the main companies that takes in interns :)
I have always been interested in electrical core. Analog circuits was interesting for me. Also my tech team work made me realise I am more interested in hardware and circuit design than coding . So I decided to focused more on analog than digital.
Preparation Resources
I got my internship through the WiSH program, which I attended in my second year.
Resources for WiSH: For math questions I revised 12th grade topics and solved some JEE mains papers for practice. For Electrical revising previous course content was sufficient.
Resources for Internship prep: Not sure about resources for technical test (don’t have practice questions). However, for the interview, there are several youtube videos that discuss previous Texas Instruments interview questions along with their solutions. These videos are helpful for understanding the type of questions asked and for developing a structured approach to solving similar problems. Along with this, revising course notes and practising basic circuit analysis problems is also useful for strengthening the fundamentals.
Preparation for WiSH: WiSH had questions from 3 main subjects: 1) Mathematics - questions were based on topics from 12th grade mathematics. Questions were mainly formula based (or can be easily solved with some tricks or shortcuts). The difficulty level wasn’t very high, but speed was very important. 2) Electrical - Very simple circuit analysis type questions. And some theory questions from topics like semiconductor devices (such as p-n junction, I-V characteristics, diodes etc) 3) Coding - Basic questions related to DSA, output prediction, and syntax based questions. Interview was mainly based on resume and some areas of interest mentioned during the interview.
Preparation for Internship (Analog): From what I gathered from my friends (I did not sit for internship season), the tests/interviews mainly focus on testing your fundamentals rather than asking very difficult questions. It is important to revise basic circuit analysis, including KCL, KVL, Thevenin and Norton theorems. Transient and steady-state analysis of circuits involving resistors, capacitors, inductors, and voltage/current sources. You should also be comfortable with the basics of diodes, MOSFETs, operational amplifiers, and Signals and Systems.
Interview Experience
For WiSH: There is a technical test around the month of march. By April mid they send out the shortlist for interviews. Interviews are scheduled usually just before or after the endsems (april end or may first week). Results come out by mid-may. Classes for WiSH starts from end of May.
WiSH was the first program that I applied for.
Difficulty rating (1-5): 4
Project Work
I worked on two main projects during my internship. The first involved developing a behavioral model of a transformer driver for isolated bias supplies, where I designed and implemented several functional blocks based on the given specifications. The second project focused on the design and analysis of a 30 MHz half-bridge LLC resonant converter, where I analyzed how different design parameters affected the converter’s performance through simulations.
Overall Experience
My overall internship experience was amazing. Both my projects gave me the opportunity to work with two different teams, which helped me interact with more people and build good connections. My manager and team were very supportive and always helped me whenever I faced any difficulties. In general, the people at TI were very friendly and helpful. You can approach anyone, even if they are not from your team, and they will always be willing to help. The office timings are also quite flexible and depend on the team’s work. As long as your work gets done, you can usually allowed to manage your schedule accordingly. TI also has some facilities like badminton and basketball courts, along with indoor games such as table tennis, foosball, and pool table, to play with co-interns during breaks. There are a large number of summer interns so you will also get to meet a lot of new people and make good friends during the internship. Overall, it was a great learning experience, both technically and personally.
Recommendation & Advice
I would definitely recommend this internship, especially for anyone interested in analog design. One thing is TI is the only company that comes to campus for internship in the analog domain. Here most projects assigned are on-going projects so you get to understand why you are working on them and the impact your work can have. One of the best parts is the learning experience. You get to learn a lot in a very short period of time. The work culture is also very supportive and flexible. It is a great place to build your fundamentals and gain hands-on experience.