Electronics > Beginners

How do you start with circuit design?

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avogadro:
Hello,

I started playing with electronics a couple of years ago. Im in uni currently studying ee and soo far I have only been studying the theory, maths and circuit analysis. I really want to do something practical. I had in mind doing a lab power supply with only discreet elements, so instead of using a voltage regulator Id make one out of discreet elements. Anyway I have started searching the web for any guides in doing that and I have realised that I dont really understand any of it. As soon as there are more than 2-3 transistors involved Im just get confused. Im really stuck with the whole thing. What should I do to get better understanding of it? What books should I read and what else should I do?

TimNJ:
Break bigger circuits down into smaller circuits you can understand. Building blocks. You can try "unit-testing" your small blocks, and then piece them together to make the bigger circuit.

Mostly, just try something. I've spent a lot of time wondering about the resources and knowledge I need for a project. And, while you do need some fundamental, foundational knowledge to get you there, I'm arguing that you should just jump into it. Once you encounter the problems, you will learn how to solve them.

r3bers:
Just started playing with existing schemes of arduino, esp, stm32. Modified some uno, blue pill, aithinker boards. Then add relays, logic, opamps, other ic for signals. And so on.

rstofer:
When you look into PS designs, you will often run into supplies that are completely over the top.  Performance may be good but complexity is off the charts and the component count is ridiculous.  Mostly, the projects fail to live up to expectations.  A big issue seems to be control loops oscillating.  I don't know why that is a surprise, I was taught that "Amplifiers oscillate and oscillators don't!".

So, start with a simple supply and no expectations.  Maybe it works well, maybe it doesn't but at least it can be investigated.

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/194435/how-does-this-power-supply-circuit-work

Do a Google search for other circuits with 'lab power supply with transistors' or 'regulated power supply with transistors'

Here's a site with multiple supplies, at least one is really simple:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/pyramid/pyramid-index.html

http://www.repeater-builder.com/pyramid/images/tenna-ps7.jpg

I would use a 12.6VCT transformer with the PS-7  Looks pretty easy to understand.  It will be easier when you build it up and look at it with a DMM under varying load conditions.

Nitrousoxide:
Most complicated systems are made from subsystems. You can learn the subsystems individually and then combine them eventually, some designs may even share similar subsystems.

Even for large designs, it is good to replace, or start out with the most simplistic (to implement) solution to get the whole system running correctly, and if you would like to increase the complexity, attack one subsystem at a time.

It is good to have a basic arsenal of circuits under your belt, such as (but not limited to):
- Amplifiers (Different classes, Summing)
- Oscillators
- Filters (Active, Passive).
- Mixers (slightly more advanced).
- Power electronics (H bridge, magnetics) (not really my expertise)

It is true, that sometimes solutions have to be generated ad-hoc, but with time and practice comes the ability to intuitively create circuits.

Best thing to do is to start a project that you would be passionate about, or something that you would use most days.

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