Calling all current and potential Electronics teachers

Electronics
#1

Dana Griffith and I have been talking about current and future Electronics classes and how they might be coordinated with others. I will not be at the Electronics Committee meeting this evening due to family commitments but Dana would like to discuss this with as many teachers as possible after the meeting. Several of us are running Arduino-ish classes that build on each other. If you look at potential classes as being a blank canvas with a few stamps scattered about representing current classes, there is a whole lot of blank canvas left. This is a great time to share your knowledge with others.

We have not coordinated with Art so this will probably not be on the agenda. Sorry Art - Just trying to forward the cause at the last minute!

https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/8734

@Team_Electronics

#2

I would love to be there tonight, but I have prior plans.

If anyone wants to have another PCB design class with KiCAD or finish assembling those boards with a soldering class let me and Art know.

4 Likes
#3

An orientation type class to the E-Lab would be useful. Where is what, does anything need training to use, consumable use, etc.

4 Likes
#4

I am interested in another KiCAD class and assembling the boards. Malcolm’s first class featured the ATtiny85 microcontroller. I developed an Arduino: Exploring the Mighty ATtiny85! class which I am planning to offer again In January.

His class had a huge amount of info but I did not follow up and practice with KiCAD. When he schedules the next class, I will start studying and watching youtubes so I am ready to profit more from the class.

PLEASE tell Malcolm and Art this class should be offered on a repeating basis.

#5

I’ll add it to the pile of “to teach” classes.

With that in mind, anyone want to help out teaching welding or in the machine shop?

Also, for the future class, I think we should do it in three parts or so (schematic, netlist/BOM, PCB layout).

4 Likes
#6

@TBenV - Did you do an intro to ELab class? Seems like I heard you did one?

#7

Yes, it was titled “Into to electronics lob”

1 Like
#8

I strongly agree with splitting it into multiple parts. You did a great job and gave a lot of info but my head was spinning by the time you got to PCB layout which I consider to be the primary reason to learn KiCAD.

1 Like
#9

Hmm, the time travel paradox. I need to finish my time machine to go back to take the intro class to find out if there is a flux capacitor in the lab to finish building my time machine…so I can go back to take the class :laughing:

Any thoughts on doing another class, perhaps on a regular basis?

1 Like
#10

@NickWebb does the Sensors class and I offer the five in the following link plus Arduino: Programming 101. I’ve committed to do ATtiny in January but do not have a date yet. I do not care to set a regular schedule. Its based more on when I think I will get a full class. ATtiny is more specialized than the beginner classes so it shows up less often. I will plan to do it a week or two after any @malcolmputer PCB Layout class that uses it.

http://pamplin.com/dms/free%20announcement%20poster_2.docx

1 Like
#11

I am talking about an orientation class for the E-Lab.

1 Like
#12

What about doing it the other way around? If you showed off the ATtiny and got students playing with it on the breadboard and thinking about projects they’d like to do, then when they take the PCB layout class they are more likely to have something they can implement right away after the class to help “cement” what they’ve learned in both classes.

4 Likes
#13

I was unable to attend, as I was out of town yesterday.

#14

Hey @TBenV - Any ELab orientation class plans?

#15

That’s fine with me. Going that way it may be better to do it before his first Schematic class.

@malcolmputer - When do you plan to start the series again? Will it feature the ATtiny85…I hope…I hope.

#16

Like I said, over in the metal shop and the machine shop we have training required equipment (namely the welders, the bridgeport, the lathes, the CNC plasma, and the Hot Work Safety) that doesn’t have enough teachers. It doesn’t feel right to be teaching a class like the kicad one (which was really fun, and had a great turnout) when doing so would deprive people from the ability to use the equipment in the other areas.

We’ve had a couple of people get the training to start teaching welding, but none of them have taught a class yet. If anyone is willing to teach one of the above I’d love to teach something other than the required courses, but I hate to tell people sorry there aren’t enough classes to get signed off so I can teach something that is “extra” in the e-lab space.

I’d also love to have the previous class I taught’s boards be assembled and see some people get some use out of them, but we haven’t had any volunteers to teach a soldering class.

When I teach it again it will feature the ATTiny85 (or maybe even the 12 or 16 pin variant) because that part is really cool.

2 Likes
#17

@Bernard_Gray and I have just submitted two classes.

Arduino: Makers + Microcontrollers + Motors
Tuesday Jan 22
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/9540

Arduino: Programming 101
Wednesday Jan 23
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/9551

#18

These are now live.