How to get started agian in circuit design?

• How to get started agian in circuit design?
  Posted by richardnhoffman on 28 Jan, 2017 01:36
• Hello everyone,
  
  I am a recent graduate from DeVry University in Decatur,Ga with a Bachelors and Cum Laude in Electrical/Electronics engineering (BEET). Not too long ago I just rebuilt my little lab I have at home and have been restoring a few electronics as well as just built an Elenco M-1250k for work. Since I have started working at Hartsfield Jackson on the Plane Train it has been quite some time since I have practiced any electronic work. I was wondering what books, resources, and materials can I get to help me get back into circuit design as well as learn about multiple components of today as well as today's micro-controllers? (I know Arduino and HSC12 but not other markets)
  
  Thank you for the help in this matter.
• #1 Reply
  Posted by rstofer on 28 Jan, 2017 03:08
• On the microprocessor front, the Arduino is a great place to start but..  It's still a slow Arduino.
  The next step up is probably one of the ARM 32 bit processors and there's a bunch.  Around here, the ST32Fxxx development boards are very popular.  Were it me, I would start with the MBED original LPC1768 'stamp' type board.  These are easy to breadboard, there are MANY complete libraries and there is no toolchain to install because you can do all the code development via the Compiler web site.  I like this platform because I can plug it into a breadboard and because it is FAST.  Pinout is limited, of course, but has proven adequate for my projects.  Still I have several ST32Fxxx board.
  
  https://developer.mbed.org/platforms/
  
  Some of the ST32F boards are also supported by the mbed tools.  The degree of support is often far less than for the legacy LPC1768
  
  Op amps:  Dave has a couple of videos and the Internet is full of information.
  
  Circuit design (the math part):  Try "Real Analog" at https://learn.digilentinc.com/classroom/realanalog/  This will refresh your skills and probably bring along some new information.
  
  FPGAs:  There is another program at Digilent oriented toward FPGAs.  There is information all over the Internet.
  
  Transistor design:  Not so common anymore.  The "Real Analog" course will really help when you start trying to analyze transistorized circuits.
  
  Good luck!
  
• #2 Reply
  Posted by danadak on 28 Jan, 2017 12:16
• Consider Cypress PSOC, for the following reasons -
  
  For me what stands out is -
  
  1) Routability
  2) Fast 12 bit SAR A/D and slow 20 bit DelSig
  3) DFB (Digital Filter Block) that is dual channel, handle FIR or IIR filters, or DFB
  can be used as a GP fast processor block, similar to RISC block
  4) MSI logic elements GUI based and/or the UDB Verilog capability. Eg. the FPGA
  like capability
  5) Onboard Vref
  6) IDAC, VDAC, OpAmps (up to 4), comparator, mixer, switch cap, analog mux....
  7) LCD,  COM, UART, I2C, I2S, One Wire, SPI, Parallel, LIN, CAN, BLE, USB
  9) Custom components capability, create with schematic capture or Verilog
  10) DMA to offload processes like filters, COM, Display
  11) ARM M0 (PSOC 4) or M3 (PSOC  5LP) or 8051 core(PSOC 3)
  12) Extensive clock generation capabilities
  13) All components supported by extensive prewritten APIs
  
  https://www.element14.com/community/thread/23736/l/100-projects-in-100-days?displayFullThread=true
  
  http://www.cypress.com/documentation/code-examples/psoc-345-code-examples
  
  Great video library
  
  Attached component list.  A component is an on chip HW resource.
  
  Free GUI design tool with schematic capture, "Creator". Components have rich API library attached
  to each component. Compilers free as well.
  
  PSOC 4 is low end of family, consider 5LP parts as well. PSOC 4 also has arduino footprint boards (pioneer) as well
  
  https://www.elektormagazine.com/labs/robot-build-with-cypress-psoc
  
  http://www.cypress.com/products/32-bit-arm-cortex-m-psoc
  
  
  
  Regards, Dana.