# Learn Electronics



## cassamine (Nov 22, 2002)

Background: i leaned programming so i could make small tools which could do stuff 
and after 14 years in-line i'm a programmer by profession  .. and i still enjoy it

another thing i really want was to make little gadgets.
u know, like a small usb thingie to do sumthing or a simple ethernet packet router.

ive tried to kik-start myself into this hobbie many time .. read around 3 electronics books from cover to back, ebooks actually , studied a LOT of DIY projects online, but im still to make my first circuit. 

what i need is to know whats the process, in device development, of making small ideas into reality. how do they START making devices. im a hobbyist but a very experienced programmer. i can spend decent amount on new shiny tools if u like.

I already own just
- a multimeter
- a soldering iron
- drawers full of random stuff collected over years (just 4 today) such as mics, spkrs, motors, magnets, resistors, leds, capacitors, cameras, lens, lasers, barcode reader, and more junk 

i even leaned how to etch circuits at home using this guide
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~ei9gq/pcb.html

So plz tell how to actually start making something.
what are tools of the trade ? software, books, process etc.

i understand it a whole can of worms, but who's afraid ?

thanks in adv m8s


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## PCcruncher (Oct 24, 2007)

Here is a page with some interesting projects: http://www3.telus.net/chemelec/Projects/Projects.htm Not really computer related, but it may be a start.
Good luck!


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

cassamine said:


> So plz tell how to actually start making something.
> what are tools of the trade ? software, books, process etc.
> 
> i understand it a whole can of worms, but who's afraid ?
> ...


Firstly, use of txt language is unlikely to get a lot of help, it's totally unneccesary on the forum and often deters people from responding.

But back to your problem, you will probably learn more and learn faster about hardware projects by buying small kitsets to assemble, where you should take time to understand what the components are doing. You can then modify them to suit a different need in many cases.


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## cassamine (Nov 22, 2002)

*PCcruncher* thnx man .. i voted

*kiwiguy* sorry man im still unsure what was incorrect in my post? thats sumthin i wrote cuz thats what i meant to say. or maybe im a txt guy anyway  how to tell the difference ?


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## buck52 (Mar 9, 2001)

thats = that's
sumthin = something
cuz = because
im = I'm
txt = text
plz = please
adv = advance
m8s = mates


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Personally, I normally bypass posts that have such content. Life is too short for me to try to figure out what someone is trying to say. 

I would suggest you learn to spell properly and construct real sentences if you expect quality responses.


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## cassamine (Nov 22, 2002)

well i get the idea but i'm sure i certainly do not need to *learn*  spellings as i've been doing that since 1982 (in a jolly tone).

for me i don't hold back while trying to help as some people are from countries where english isn't the first language but thats just my opinion. In India, where i come from, using txt is so natural that even official mails contain traces sometime.

Ps: its been very hard writing this way


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## PCcruncher (Oct 24, 2007)

cassamine said:


> Ps: its been very hard writing this way


Thanks for trying!  keep it up! :up:


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## cassamine (Nov 22, 2002)

*PCcruncher* that's a lot of resource man, it'll keep me busy for a while 
but still i'm confused as how the development process works.

is there a good software where i can virtually build these circuits and try them in a virtual simulation environment? and what to use to design PCBs or schematics?

visualization is good but i'll appreciate software which can run on XP as unfortunately i'm stuck with microsoft due to a lot of other development tools


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## PCcruncher (Oct 24, 2007)

I have never tried any of these, But here are some programs I found.
Edison 4
SPICE CREATE
Circuit - Magic
Electric 8.05.1
Electronic Design Software Page

Some misc. things:
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/6030#h31
http://solorb.com/elect/

Have fun!


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## BigAttempt (Jul 15, 2006)

Hey,

There are definitely programs out there to 'make' circuits for you (you design the components, set-up, etc) and it will analyze it. This is good!

So, lets start with something: Okay, lets make a DC power source (I'm assuming you are NAMER) - so, you have 115V, 15A lines.

Well, obviously you'll have to research somethings, but lets go through a quick process:
- What do you need FOR the project?
- How have others designed similar projects?
- What is the purpose of the project?

Needs:
- For most simple circuits you need a breadboard (just a series of connections - lets you stick wires in and out easily without having to solder a bunch of components, then realize your mistake and redo it)
- All those other things you have. If you want some fast delivered components try the folks over at digikey.
- PSPICE (a circuit simulator) to test your circuit.


Thats all I have time for right now - have assignments to do!
But:
How much do you know about signals? (All electronics are are signals and transforming them from one thing into another)
Goals? Tinkering is not a goal!

Don't worry about these people complaining about your language. Its a simple barrier to get past - having them complain doesn't help anyone.

Enjoy (more later if I remember)


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