Ah. the memories! That was my physics I and II text book in high school… Sadly, in college, the text was written by the instructor… Resnick and Halladay…
A basic ‘build your own computer’ class might be good. One for a novice. If nothing else, we could learn more about our computer. I have managed to add memory and a few little things like that.
Build or assemble? The latter is more of an IT exercise, not electronics. Now, building a Z80 computer from a bag of parts might be interesting to offer.
I’m getting ideas.
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Hmmmm…let’s see
CPU
PIO/CIO
UV EPROM
SRAM
Some Glue ckts
Watch Dog Timer
All on a bed of nails wire wrap brd
Trip through the Way Back Machine!
Art, the difference between what you’re talking about and what most of the rest are talking about is the theory you need to really understand how to put that stuff into use.
It really hurts me when I see people post stuff online like “I have this 555 circuit, now how do I make it blink an LED?”
There’s just a base of knowledge that will get you from being a person who knows a few components to being able to understand how components might function together. Most university courses start with the theory first, devices later…or never. But either way the theory is crucial if you want to be more than a light hobbyist.
I have had a basic electronics class, some 30 years ago. Enough to keep some Sears AC guys from getting hurt when repairing a window unit. (but that was years ago) . I would not mind both. When I understand something, I am happier and I don’t worry about messing up things. I was terrified of a computer for a long time, because I was afraid I would damage it.
Hmm, I see. Having an expert available to answer questions would provide a lot of value. We could start off with some simple circuits, then use node/loop/mesh analysis to understand their purpose and function. This would provide real experience applying Ohm/Kirchoff’s laws.
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Speaking of which… Here’s the Forrest M Mims III book in PDF thanks to Google Docs:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5jcnBPSPWQyaTU1OW5NbVJQNW8/edit
Here are links to a digitized copy of my “Heathkit Electronics for Hobbyists” volume 1 & 2.
I bought the course in 1986 and it is still one of the best introductions that I have seen.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-GF0Q5ssL5CXzZCNUoxS1dacjA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-GF0Q5ssL5CdE9xczhqQkVmYlE/view?usp=sharing
here are the Objectives:
Discuss basic and intermediate electronics Theory and techniques
Constuct complex electronic circuits from schematic
Use multimeter and oscilloscope
Use transistors diodes and IC to construct basic and intermediate electonic circuits
… and more… up to computer concepts and principles.
Please feel free to download the Course!
Bill Erdman
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Since everyone is showing off cool books they like…
Here is the introduction book to high speed digital design. This is what you need to read and understand when you want to run your digital electronics in overdrive and start pushing the limits of the clock speed up and up. Howard Johnson has written a winner here, but be advised, it is mathematics inclusive. There are ways, however, to let the computer do the math by simulating your circuits to predict what will/won’t work.
And this second book is a favorite of mine as my LabVIEW code always looked like crap till I read this one. Early in our programming careers, we are haphazard, grateful to find A way to get our code to work. As we mature in our programming skills, we become more particular about stylistic concerns. The question changes from how can I make it work, to how can I organize my code so that fits within the grand architecture of my entire code design? Architecture is particularly important in LabVIEW, even more so than in text based languages, since the code is graphical (loops, switches represented by boxes and are nest-able). A study of this guide will clean the spaghetti out of your LabVIEW style…
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I just got my learning lab in and built my first circuit last night. That thing is too much fun!
Thanks again for everyones input!