I want to learn basics of electronics, I need a guide and what topics to learn?

[VladKEasternTiger]

Hi everyone, okay as some of you may already know Im learning electronics as its interesting and I enjoy it, im new in this less than 6 months. I know how to use a multimeter, solder, test components and did the odd repair job successfully. What I need now is a structure to learn more but so far im doing things in bits and my learning is all over the place, Im considering buying an Arduino Microcontroller to play with to control a Servo Motor via USB. This is whats happening my learning is scattered, I looked on a website in the UK where Im located and the University has a course: HND Electronic Engineering, I will paste the following topics this course covers

 Course content

Year 1 and 2

    * Manufacturing Principles
    * Mathematics
    * Engineers in Business
    * Analogue and Digital Electronics
    * Microcomputers and Computer Architecture
    * Electrical Principles
    * Electronic Design
    * Electronic Systems
    * Communications Technology
    * Data Communications and Networks
    * Project
    * one option from Quality Systems and Measurements or C+


So you see friends from the above bullet points I know about 6 topics but nothing in depth, what do you think about following this programme? Things like projects and lab tools I cannot do as I have no access to the equipment. So any tips and advice I would appreciate, I can afford to spend about 2 days a week on learning as this is my interest.

[Anders]

Why not start with the basic things in electronics one step at a time? Good literature is a start.
The link below presents a nice reference library and at the same time a set of learning books (PDF) to download. It’s all there, starting with the atom.

http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/

Remember to go back here from time to time to download the latest versions since these “books” are constantly revised.

[Polossatik]

Like I said in my other post, if you want to learn yourself stuff get http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957
The best 90 usd you'll ever spend on electronics is a book.

There is even a "student manual" http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Student-Manual-Exercises/dp/0521377099,
aldo I never had it or seen that student manual,.

[Simon]

oh dear not again ! don't try to run before you can walk, as others said, for structured learning get a book, then start playing around making some simple stuff, for example: preamps, small power smaps, light activated stuff, anything else that uses a comparator. don't even touch microcontrollers until you are familiar with electronics, there are too many people that can program but not interface with the outside world because they don't know electronics. work with sensors and transducers these are the gates between the real world and your circuit

[SuperMiguel]

Like I said in my other post, if you want to learn yourself stuff get http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957
The best 90 usd you'll ever spend on electronics is a book.

There is even a "student manual" http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Student-Manual-Exercises/dp/0521377099,
aldo I never had it or seen that student manual,.

BUt that book was made 10+ years ago... is it valid?? wiki says that there is a new version coming out this year should i wait for it?

[alm]

The new edition has been due to come out for years, I wouldn't consider it until it is actually on the shelves. And if you do a little research, you'll find that it's still considered the best. Some individual parts may be obsolete, and the chapter about micro-processors is quite dated, but the bulk of it is still very useful. The principles of electronics hasn't changed much in the past twenty years. I believe that Winfield Hill has also stated in the past that the new edition would be more of a companion than a replacement for the current version.

Dave has reviewed the book in one of his early blogs, I'm sure that it contains some helpful comments.

[Simon]

I think it is still a good book and worth getting, must be available 2nd hand too for a reasonable price, it can also be downloaded from the net but a hard copy is much easier to go through and carry around with a book mark in it

[SuperMiguel]

The new edition has been due to come out for years, I wouldn't consider it until it is actually on the shelves. And if you do a little research, you'll find that it's still considered the best. Some individual parts may be obsolete, and the chapter about micro-processors is quite dated, but the bulk of it is still very useful. The principles of electronics hasn't changed much in the past twenty years. I believe that Winfield Hill has also stated in the past that the new edition would be more of a companion than a replacement for the current version.

Dave has reviewed the book in one of his early blogs, I'm sure that it contains some helpful comments.

do you know in which week he reviews the book??

edit i think it was 11th http://www.eevblog.com/2009/05/27/eevblog-11-part-1-of-2-diy-product-design/

[Mechatrommer]

Matriculation/General/Intro Engineering Level:
a) Elementary Physics
b) Applied Mathematics (Calculus)

i got an EE frend sometime ago that i asked on what books that i should have, he lent me his 4 books, which then i made a copy since the original copy is nowhere to be found in my place. each book should be studied on each year (2 semesters), according to him if i'm not mistaken. up until now, these 4 books still in my book rack ready to serve whenever i need them and i consider them to be my bible in EE:

1) Electric Circuits (5th Edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing 1996), James W. Nilsson, Susan A. Riedel
2) MicroElectronic Circuits (4th Edition, Oxford University Press 1998), Adel S. Sedra, Kenneth C. Smith
3) Design with Operational Amplifiers and Analog Integrated Circuits (2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill 1998), Sergio Franco
4) Digital Fundamentals (6th Edition, Prentice-Hall Int. Inc 1997), Thomas L. Floyd

Beside that, during my Mech. Eng. we have one subject relating to EE, which we were asked to have this book:
i) Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Principles and Practice (MacMillan 1994) Lionel Warnes

And my younger sister was taking Diploma in EE. After the course, she became teacher and has no further use for this book which later i recovered:
ii) Digital Systems, Principles and Applications (7th Edition, Prentice-Hall Int. Inc 1998), Ronald J. Tocci, Neal S. Widmer

The good news is, everyday all these books are nowhere farther than 100m radius from me which i can easily access anytime. But the bad news is, i never, never completed/finished in every single one of them in all these 10++ years. Usually i just flip to pages which interest me

As somebody else suggested, you can read books. But if you are lost in the middle, i suggest u get a lecturer or tutor or something... if you can afford that.

[kc1980]

There are several universities that now offer their course content for free online.  MIT courseware is a good example.
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

Here is the main page for OpenCourseWare:
http://www.ocwconsortium.org/

Here are a bunch of cool videos from the Indian Institute of Tech:
https://www.youtube.com/user/nptelhrd

[kc1980]

another good resource for beginners:

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/

IMPORTANT NOTE: the web content author has chosen to reject conventional current (i.e., positive charge carriers).  Instead, he defines "current" as the flow of electrons.  Also, instead of 'V' for voltage, he uses 'E'.  If you don't understand "conventional current", google it -- you will get plenty of hits.

[Simon]

how can he do that ? it means reversing everything ? I hate having to work backwards myself but as we know it makes no difference as long as we stick to the same convention

[VladKEasternTiger]

Matriculation/General/Intro Engineering Level:
a) Elementary Physics
b) Applied Mathematics (Calculus)

i got an EE frend sometime ago that i asked on what books that i should have, he lent me his 4 books, which then i made a copy since the original copy is nowhere to be found in my place. each book should be studied on each year (2 semesters), according to him if i'm not mistaken. up until now, these 4 books still in my book rack ready to serve whenever i need them and i considered them to be my bible in EE:

1) Electric Circuits (5th Edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing 1996), James W. Nilsson, Susan A. Riedel
2) MicroElectronic Circuits (4th Edition, Oxford University Press 1998), Adel S. Sedra, Kenneth C. Smith
3) Design with Operational Amplifiers and Analog Integrated Circuits (2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill 1998), Sergio Franco
4) Digital Fundamentals (6th Edition, Prentice-Hall Int. Inc 1997), Thomas L. Floyd

Beside that, during my Mech. Eng. we have one subject relating to EE, which we were asked to have this book:
i) Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Principles and Practice (MacMillan 1994) Lionel Warnes

And my younger sister was taking Diploma in EE. After the course, she became teacher and has no further use for this book which later i recovered:
ii) Digital Systems, Principles and Applications (7th Edition, Prentice-Hall Int. Inc 1998), Ronald J. Tocci, Neal S. Widmer

The good news is, everyday all these books are nowhere farther than 100m radius from me which i can easily access anytime. But the bad news is, i never, never completed/finished in every single one of them in all these 10++ years. Usually i just flip to pages which interest me

As somebody else suggested, you can read books. But if you are lost in the middle, i suggest u get a lecturer or tutor or something... if you can afford that.

Shafri 10++ years? I thought you was a beginner, Ive only been into electronics from january of this year

[alm]

IMPORTANT NOTE: the web content author has chosen to reject conventional current (i.e., positive charge carriers).  Instead, he defines "current" as the flow of electrons.  Also, instead of 'V' for voltage, he uses 'E'.  If you don't understand "conventional current", google it -- you will get plenty of hits.

I think a tutorial aimed at beginners is a really bad place to push your personal ideas that are different from the convention everybody else uses, how will you find other information if you don't understand something? What if you ask a friend for help who learned it the conventional way? We all know that he's technically right, but that's no reason to confuse beginners. Actual electrons are rarely important in electronics, especially at the beginner level.

[kc1980]

I think a tutorial aimed at beginners is a really bad place to push your personal ideas that are different from the convention everybody else uses, how will you find other information if you don't understand something? What if you ask a friend for help who learned it the conventional way? We all know that he's technically right, but that's no reason to confuse beginners. Actual electrons are rarely important in electronics, especially at the beginner level.
[/quote]

Agreed.  He's on a personal mission to correct something that is not practical to change.  We would have to change the right hand rule to the left hand rule.

The painfully slow adoption of the metric system in the United States is a whole different story, but I won't get into that.....I don't want to ruin my day.