Amp Hour 84 - Dave Write some Books!

[yanir]

Dave, your mentioned you were approached to write some books and weren't sure if you were going to do it.

Please write some books!

I vote for a PCB layout covering beginner to advanced layout (single sided to multilayer fpga). And An altium book (or section) would be great!

Topics, I would like are:
PCB routing best practices based on application.
Setting up Grids.
Component Footprint Creation
When to go more than 2 layers. How to route a 2 layer board with a minimum of vias (something you touched on in your recent layout video).
Board manufacturing and assembly.

There isn't a good comprehensive resource on this topic.

What would be really cool is a "digital book" that blended your videos with written content. Like the fancy new apple e-text books.

This way you can leverage your existing content and create new content that would get double duty.

Plus those altium videos are lame! Your videos are way better.

[EEVblog]

Ok, please find me some extra time to write some books and I'll gladly do it!
One of the problems is whether or not to self publish or go through a publisher as I have been offered.
Going through a publisher you only get 15%, and it would really suck if most of the sales ended up coming from my own publicity 

Plus those altium videos are lame! Your videos are way better.

They missed their opportunity to get me to do some while I worked there.
No way I'll deliberately do a "how to use Altium" video. If they want that they can pay me, a lot

Dave.

[yanir]

Plus those altium videos are lame! Your videos are way better.

They missed their opportunity to get me to do some while I worked there.
No way I'll deliberately do a "how to use Altium" video. If they want that they can pay me, a lot

Dave.

Aw too bad... But understandable.

[rkoval]

My son, 17yrs old, published 2 books on LULU.com.  I helped him with it, but only with the monetary part of it.  Customers can order one and it will be printed and shipped to them.  Or you can have a PDF for download.

Check it out.

[Zad]

What, you mean like this one Dave wrote a few years ago?

http://alternatezone.com/electronics/pcbdesign.htm

[yanir]

What, you mean like this one Dave wrote a few years ago?

http://alternatezone.com/electronics/pcbdesign.htm

And I read it, it's great and the only document of its kind.

It would be great if that was expanded to a text book.

[cookie]

I propose that all of us work together to help Dave finding a more economical way to publish

[EEVblog]

I vote for a PCB layout covering beginner to advanced layout (single sided to multilayer fpga). And An altium book (or section) would be great!

Topics, I would like are:
PCB routing best practices based on application.
Setting up Grids.
Component Footprint Creation
When to go more than 2 layers. How to route a 2 layer board with a minimum of vias (something you touched on in your recent layout video).
Board manufacturing and assembly.

There isn't a good comprehensive resource on this topic.

That's because teaching PCB design is not easy!
Sure, you can write a book on how to use a PCB program, but how to actually lay out a board is an entirely different ballgame.
It takes at least a year to write a book, probably more, and is a HUGE investment in time an effort.

Plus those altium videos are lame! Your videos are way better.

No way I'm doing videos for Altium, or how to use Altium. They had their chance when I worked there.

Dave.

[codeboy2k]

wow how did this old thread trickle to the surface ... nonetheless, it helped me to discover Dave's PCB design PDF

reading now... thanks Dave.

[EEVblog]

I propose that all of us work together to help Dave finding a more economical way to publish

That's not the problem. The problem is finding the time to commit to writing a book.
If you haven't done it before, then it's hard to understand how much work is involved.
Then if I did it there is the choice between self publish (which I've done before), or go with my book deal.
At first I thought going with the book deal would be a bad idea in terms on monetary return, as I already have an established audience and effective marketing channel. But having someone edit it and do al the detail stuff can be worth it's weight in gold.

Dave.

[Pat Pending]

So were writing a book by one individual is a colossal undertaking and investment in time, that need not be
the case if a group of folks were so committed. I'm sure there's many knowledgeable viewers that have pushed
out gerbers frequenting online here.

Think of it as a literary donation, where the proceeds from sales keep Dave online.

Of course it could all just be a horrible clash of egos, writing styles and differences of opinion.
i.e. Too many cooks...

[johnboxall]

Of course it could all just be a horrible clash of egos, writing styles and differences of opinion.
i.e. Too many cooks...

Having to fight your own editors is bad enough. A collaboratively-edited book would be a multi-ego train wreck.

[jucole]

What, you mean like this one Dave wrote a few years ago?
http://alternatezone.com/electronics/pcbdesign.htm

Dave, had you ever considered perhaps just expanding on this version as most of the hard work is done?   I've only glanced through it but I think there is a lot of scope for that.   For example component outline package types can be added for visual reference; It would nice to show a pic of these in scale with something, maybe you could get one of those crazy new small resistor sizes that that guy was talking in that trade show presentation?  At the back of the book you could add all the the handy references tables etc. 
You could get pictures of the various PCB finish types for a nice visual explanation; for example the slick looking matt-black and gold finish along with the others.  Also show nice pictures of the various stages of manufacture, perhaps your uCurrent going through the rollers etc.

I like the PDF though; but to me, if I stick my graphic designer hat on for a minute, it just needs a few more visual elements to it.  I might be interested in setting out a revised version for you.

I think you could easily self-publish;  you've basically self-marketed yourself already.  If you setup some php digital delivery scripts on your server; bingo! away you go.  I wrote my own such scripts a few years ago.  It uses php and mysql;  Before that I was using an online service that was just ripping me and everybody else off, taking 25% or something.  You still get bitten by Paypal but hey, that's life!

Regards

[EEVblog]

Dave, had you ever considered perhaps just expanding on this version as most of the hard work is done?

That would only be about 5% of the work done for a decent book on the subject.
I have considered it and even started a bit, but it's a huge task.
If you have not written a book before (I have), it's easy to massively underestimate how much work it is.
The publisher who wanted me to write one for them even said I was grossly underestimating when I said it "would take at least a year".

Dave.

[jucole]

Dave, had you ever considered perhaps just expanding on this version as most of the hard work is done?

That would only be about 5% of the work done for a decent book on the subject.
I have considered it and even started a bit, but it's a huge task.
If you have not written a book before (I have), it's easy to massively underestimate how much work it is.
The publisher who wanted me to write one for them even said I was grossly underestimating when I said it "would take at least a year".

Dave.

Ok I understand.   From a beginners demographic (which is myself), that 5% bumped to 10-15% with more visual elements to add interest I think would work easily!  also perhaps more achievable given your limited time.

I have an uncle who is a very keen Entomologist in his spare and is currently writing a field identification guide for only bugs found in the UK -  it's been over 10 years in the making, and it's still a work in progress!!