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OffTopic > A question for you smart electronics people

#110225 - Mr. Picklesworth - Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:32 pm

Firstly: I'm sorry that I am double posting this. It seems that Dev-Scene.com is going to need a bit of time before it becomes the hub that it is destined to be... (Either that, or I'm too impatient... either way, this forum is quite excellent).

I realize that this question has no simple answer and that I am suggesting a very confusing / dangerous quest. However, I must know how all this works - I have been completely mystified for too long!

I have a general understanding of the simple stuff such as making (simple) circuit boards, the very big kind of capacitors / resistors / such, flashing the CPLD on a PassMe, and soldering... that's about it. In other words, I am a complete beginner (except in programming, which I assume eventually comes in handy except for how assembly code is very different from what I'm used to).

So, how / where did you guys learn all this stuff about computer hardware, embedded systems and electronics?
What were a few milestones, and what were some of your first projects for those milestones?
Do you recommend any good books, places on the web, or other sources for getting started in figuring it all out?

Thanks in advance; any advice would be great! (I am quite stumped).

[MOD NOTE: There is no need to do any sneak-advertisment in here; there is no other post like this here so link to external forum topic was removed]
[Re: Mod note] Affirmative!
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#110256 - Lynx - Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:59 am

Personally, I started out in electronics as a hobby. I purchased a bunch of "experiments handbooks" or something like that from Radio Shack. Breadboarding simple projects like flashing LEDs with 555 timers, playing with SCRs, etc. Last two years of high school, I took a vocational education course in electronics and then went on to DeVry to get my associates in Electronics Technology.. I then learned that electronics doesn't pay as well as computers (and had been playing with computers since the Apple ][e) and moved into the computer field professionally. Of course, I was the classic nerd, spending my allowence on a telephone line for running a BBS in my bedroom (on an Apple ][gs this time!), instead of going out..

But, what are you looking to get out of it? Fun or a carreer? Are you looking to learn the basics like series/parallel circuits, or more digital/microcontroller type stuff?

The one thing I learned that I love the most, but is really totally useless, is inductive kick. When an inductor has electrons flowing throug it, it creates a field around it (which is how transformers work)... Well, when the voltage is removed and the field collapses, it creates a reverse voltage of a multiplyer.. I don't remeber the exact numbers, but it was fun to shock people with.. :)

Anyway, this was all before the internet, so you don't need to buy books anymore. Almost everything (if not everything) you could want to learn is out here somewhere. I'd suggest you start with blinking LEDs.. using 555 timers and their supporting components, add a shift register so you can make a bunch of LEDs blink in a specific pattern, or build a digital clock.. stuff like that.. Once you have built a few from schematics easily found on the internet, design your own using only the white sheets available for each device you plan to use, and experiment with the supporting components.

Electronics Goldmine is a great place to pick up "junk" which is always fun to play with. You can also get kits that you can build.. The instructions will usually give you a "theory of operation" overview of how the kit works.. but it's very top level. If you have money to "blow" you can pick up an Analog/Digital trainer.. They are kinda expensive and some you have to build.

The more complex kits (like a digital multimeter or AM/FM Radio) will help you learn how to troubleshoot when it doesn't work the first time.
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#110536 - Mr. Picklesworth - Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:23 am

Cool, thank you very much Lynx!

You've given me lots of nice information to play with :)
Electronics Goldmine is bookmarked...
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#110563 - Lynx - Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:15 am

Feel free to PM or e-mail me if you have any specific questions I might be able to answer.
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