Steps to learn Electronics ?

[AG6QR]

There's no definite order, and no right or wrong way to learn.

There are two basic camps: One says to begin by learning all the fundamental theory and math, and then start building stuff, and the other says to begin by soldering together interesting circuits, and learn enough theory and math to figure out what to do when you get stuck.

Personally, I'm somewhere in between the two camps.  In order to be really good, you need a mixture of both theory and practice, but it's possible to learn either one first, or to mix the two up together, learning a bit of each simultaneously.  Between theory and practice, I don't care which you learn first, but you shouldn't consider yourself well-rounded or accomplished until you've learned both.

People specialize in digital or analog, or many various sub-specialties.  Though you may specialize a bit, don't forget to learn a bit about areas outside of your specialization.  For example, digital signals always end up travelling on analog lines, and analog capacitance and inductance can cause lots of problems for digital circuits if the designer isn't aware of the analog traps.

You can learn things in various orders, but in the end, you do need to understand enough calculus and differential equations to know why you're seeing all those sine waves and exponentials on your oscilloscope.  You can't thorougly understand analog filter design and impedance on the complex plane without calculus.  You need enough physics to understand why really sharp square waves cause RFI issues, and how to choose between twisted pairs versus coax.  Algebra needs to be second nature, so you can understand and apply the formulae in data sheets.  You should know how to carry units through in calculations.  And I'd never trust an electronics person who couldn't solder up a dead bug prototype or drive an oscilloscope.

As to what to learn next, you can follow an approved college level electrical engineering curriculum, or you can just learn more about the next roadblock that's currently halting your progress.

Since you mention that you're having trouble understanding a data sheet, you probably could use a bit more theoretical background.  How is your algebra and calculus?

[ampdoctor]

A lot of it depends on why you want to learn electronics.  Is it just a hobby that you want for personal enjoyment, or are you looking at designing things for manufacture or resale.  Big difference!

Having said that if you're looking to either end you absolutely need a bit of math but calc and diff eq's is unnecessary.  You better have a passable understanding to manipulate equations at a high school algebra level, as well as using logs and exponents.  You'll need that because you're going to have to be able to manipulate Ohm's Law, power law, Kirchoff's law, and some basic capacitance, inductance and reactance formulas.  If you can't do this much you're dead in the water!  After this I think it comes down to how do you learn best, and are you interested in it as a means to an end or some form of intellectual exercise. 

I think a lot of people, myself included, learn via the method of problem, solution, learn info as needed. Here's a few simpler examples; I've got to switch 5 things and I only have 100mA to work with. So now I have my problem.  Solutions could be relays, optical switches, FET or bjt switching.  FUCKK...relays are out!  Ok, FET's and bjt's make good switches and they're small and cheap but I dont know how to implement them.  Guess I'll have to do a bit of research and that may lead into more research into simple power supply design, and on down the road.  Here's another one; Lets say it's approaching xmas time and I want to design an automatic christmas tree watering system.  Now I need to learn about pumps, motors, servo's, etc. 

Every time you get a wild hair up your ass you build something. Then when you screw it up beyond the telling figure out what you did wrong.  After a while you just accumulate an incredible amount of applied knowledge about electronics and problem solving, but you'll never get through a university engineering program.  This is just my opinion, but I think this is a better way to learn as a younger player because it gives them a sense of accomplishment when they finally get things to work and they're rarely biting off more than they can chew.  And of course success breeds more success and this can really light a fire under the ass of a 16yr old! 

[ptricks]

I really like what Colin Mitchel said in the interview with Dave. If you haven't watched it , do so.  Relevant part starts at about 13:00.

He talks about one of the biggest reasons people attempt electronics then never do it again,  people bombarding them with equations, theory, math. Just do it, if you burn up a transistor , that is 3 cents, no big deal. Experimentation will teach you faster than any other method, when you burn your finger on a hot part you learn quick.  As long as you are sticking to battery powered type stuff and then experiment, that is how I got my start. When I was learning there was no internet, my local library was a joke, and the only way I had to get my questions answered was the local tv repair guy and I had the engineer mini notebooks.

Go to www.talkingelectronics.com and start reading some of the tutorials , they are very good for beginners and don't try to bog you down with boring stuff, that you can learn later.

[David_AVD]

I really like what Colin Mitchel said in the interview with Dave. If you haven't watched it , do so.  Relevant part starts at about 13:00.

He talks about one of the biggest reasons people attempt electronics then never do it again,  people bombarding them with equations, theory, math. Just do it...

+1 to that.   

[Shenandoah]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

[dfmischler]

I think the point is that once you realize you need some theory it will be easier to get you to like it 

[M0BSW]

I think I do it the wrong way around, I tend to build it then figure it out afterwards, I guess we all learn in a different way,works for me.

[ptricks]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

You look at circuits others have done and see why it is done that way. On the talking electronics site they are very good about explaining why a circuit is done the way it is done.
EXample about the bias question:
http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/TheTransistorAmplifier/TheTransistorAmplifier-P2.html#Biasing

[free_electron]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

why do you want to muck about with transistors. throw in an opamp and wing it.

[Shenandoah]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

why do you want to muck about with transistors. throw in an opamp and wing it.

The same reason many PCBs of tons of electronic devices contain discrete transistors, and of course to design custom ASIC chips, or even my own OpAmp.

[smashedProton]

Haha asic chips from discrete transistors.   Someone made a 555 timer from 2n2222

[c4757p]

I want to see one made from tubes....

(And no, I will not spend the rest of my day playing around with that idea and getting nothing useful accomplished... )

[Shenandoah]

Haha asic chips from discrete transistors.   Someone made a 555 timer from 2n2222

This is only the first stage, then they are compressed and painted on a silicon wafer, put inside a high temperature oven for oxidation, and then I apply some UV light to etch the tiny wires...etc. Read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/CMOS-VLSI-Design-Circuits-Perspective/dp/0321547748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374864093&sr=1-1&keywords=cmos+vlsi+design

[vk6zgo]

Haha asic chips from discrete transistors.   Someone made a 555 timer from 2n2222

What do you think they did before there were 555s!

[WarSim]

Yea we can do half of any job, with twice the power, with modern tech. 
Just imagine what could be done with modern devices and the almost lost know how of before.

[Psi]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

You buy them pre-biased LOL

[vk6zgo]

Then one question, if I don't know enough theory, how can I bias transistors in a circuit I want to design from scratch??? 

Do what most people do--steal a circuit from someone else & modify it for your purpose!

[vk6zgo]

Tell me you're exaggerating.

Maybe, but then how far hobbyists can go with their projects? Honestly if the projects are not going to be innovative and useful in daily life, then what's the point of wasting time...just to smell the melting solder fume???

"Innovative" is highly overrated----spare parts bins the world over are filled with bits out of innovative projects that that turned out to be useless in the real,big,nasty,cold,world!

[free_electron]

Haha asic chips from discrete transistors.   Someone made a 555 timer from 2n2222

This is only the first stage, then they are compressed and painted on a silicon wafer, put inside a high temperature oven for oxidation, and then I apply some UV light to etch the tiny wires...etc. Read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/CMOS-VLSI-Design-Circuits-Perspective/dp/0321547748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374864093&sr=1-1&keywords=cmos+vlsi+design

seems to me you haven't read it either.. compressed,painted,oxidation.. uv to etch wires    you really are a basketcase...

[Bored@Work]

seems to me you haven't read it either.. compressed,painted,oxidation.. uv to etch wires    you really are a basketcase...

What? You don't have a circuit compactor at home? No good household should be without one.

[free_electron]

seems to me you haven't read it either.. compressed,painted,oxidation.. uv to etch wires    you really are a basketcase...

What? You don't have a circuit compactor at home? No good household should be without one.

Of course i do ! I have a whole box of hammers. Mandatory for correct application of the Widlarizing technique.