Electronics > Beginners
Hitting the ground running
Phuzzy112:
Hi All,
Newbie here, of sorts. I have poked a fair few circuits with a meter probe over the years and voided my share of warranties in the process, but never got to actually setting up a proper workbench and actually doing things that don't start with an established datasheet. I can solder, I can follow a schematic and I can troubleshoot most simple circuits, but I have no idea what the forward drop of this thing here is or why I need to tie this ground to that thing there... :-//
Basically if a component has more than 2 pins, I would be lost.
I am hoping to change that all though: I have just dropped a few hundred on a DS1054, a soldering station with temperature control, at least one new multimeter (this month at least), various power delivery apparatus and several shipments of chinesium to get me set up. Objective one will be to work my way through the NEETS, allaboutcircuits.com and the stickied video intro to the scope, then I hope to get started on building (and actually understanding) a LM317-based power supply for my bench. By the end of this year I will be able to actually design something from the ground up!
My questions to the good folks here would be:
* I have a common problem with a lot of the commonly-recommended reading material online (including the ones above): I know how to apply Ohms Law, I know what a resistor color code is and how to read it. Yes I know what direction the pointy bit of the soldering iron goes... :=\ .... Is there something like a "not completely newbie introduction"?
(I am going to slog through the big books anyway, but a more intermediate guide to things usually helps my brain out a bit faster)
* What would you recommend as a good starter project set to learn as I go? The PSU is one I picked because I have used the 317 in a few simple applications before - mostly just reading the datasheet and picking a reference design that makes sense - but only know enough about it to do the basics, so figured it was a good starting point. It is also something I will have a practical use for on my bench, which I really like.
* Where the hell do you guys find the dumpster diving spots?!? I have never come across anything remotely useful anywhere near a dumpster... ???
(edit: I just realized this should go into General. Doh! teach me to read more before posting :palm:)
jimmeh11:
Hi mate, welcome to the electronics lifestyle.
As far as your questions go:
1. Electronics is a really broad topic which can range from highly technical and theoretical detailed design to fast turnaround just-make-it-work-so-i-can-move-onto-the-next-project designs. The learning approach that's best for you will depend how deep you want to get.
For me, I've found that I learn best when I'm exposed to as many new things as possible at a high level, then when I find things that interest me I can dig deeper on my own. For this, I find Chris Gammell's (and sometimes Dave's) podcast 'The Amp Hour' is great, especially the interviews.
If you're slightly more into the idea of starting with some general theory, The Art of Electronics (Horowitz & Hill) is a great, practical guide to electronics theory. There are also plenty of free options, but I'm not familiar with them.
2. First project is really important, I think. A PSU is great, but make sure you keep on top of the feature list. Make it something useful and achievable, rather than listening to far more experienced people who are telling you to add complexity you might not need. FACT: 95.7% of electronics projects are NEVER completed.
My first projects were an audio amplifier for my PC speakers (because I needed one) and an automated sprinkler controller (because I wanted one). Whatever it is you make, it won't be perfect but it'll feel great when it's done.
3. Dave's dumpster is mythical, they don't exist. But honestly, companies, schools and universities (and old engineers) accumulate crap and if you're in the right place at the right time you can snag a bargain. For the rest of us, set up search alerts on Ebay and Gumtree and wait for a deal.
James
DimitriP:
--- Quote --- Is there something like a "not completely newbie introduction"?
--- End quote ---
Read on topics that interest you, that you want to learn what makes them tick. Reading for the purpose of answering your own questions is more useful that starting with chapter 1 of any one book.
rstofer:
A lot of hobby electronics is copy and paste from somebody else's work. One step up is designing your own circuits and that takes a little more theory.
Khan Academy has an Electrical Engineering track. Digilent has a RealAnalog program. Both of these are math centric because, well, engineering is math. There is a little bit of math needed for elementary circuit analysis.
Ohm's Law is the place everybody starts and with good reason. Beyond that are Kirchhoff's Laws, Norton's Theorem, and Thevenin's Theorem. You need these for even the easiest circuit analysis. Mesh and nodal analysis are derived from these Laws and Theorems. If you ever plan to use an op amp, you will need Kirchoff's Current Law plus Ohm's Law.
These are the primary topics of a first semester EE course and, once learned, you will be a long way down the path of electronics.
Jwillis:
Complex circuits are just simple circuits joined together.Simple circuits are made of various components that interact with each other to produce a desired result.Understanding how each component works is the best start.Then understanding how simple circuits work is the next step.Your LM317 regulator would be considered a complex circuit made up of a few simple circuits made of various components like transistors .resistors and diodes etc. of varying types etched on a chip enclosed in plastic and metal.Each component you use will have a Datasheet available to show what parameters that component is capable of .So understanding Datasheets of the various components you use will help enormously.Many datasheets will include a schematic of the chips circuit or at least a block diagram others won't because the complexity is so high it would take several volumes of diagram.
There are various sites that can help with learning how components work and the interaction with other components.Some require more existing knowledge than others and others are more basic.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/index.html and https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/ are two I use a lot.
Don't be intimidated by the math it will come. There are many online calculators that can help to explain how the math equations work.A basic understanding of algebra helps.
Good luck and have fun.
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