Where did you learn electronics?

[graffian]

Try a program called Mcap, or Microcap. I think it's available[£free ]as a student limitied edition.

My first electonics thingie was a pulse unit for my tig, all done by trial and 'art of electronics' in microcap. It worked perfectly in the simulator but I think it needs added capacitors as it wasn't stable. I assembled it on one of them boards with loads'a'holes and was completly amazed when it worked. I still haven't actually built it.

[templecorran]

If you have time to read books, I suggest you have a look at Sidney J. Katzen's range of microprocessor texts. Sid has just retired from teaching micro's and is one of the best at explaining the complexities of the inner workings of microprocessors and PICs in an easy to understand manner.

A PIC is a microprocessor with peripheral devices and memory. Learn C and assembler. C++ is not really used much with PIC devices.

Did I mention I was Sid's technician in the 70's? :whistling: Sorry i should say 80s

[HankMcSpank]

I 'learnt' electronics in the Air Force (way back in 1980) ...I say 'learn't - there's no substitute for getting your hands dirty & fixing stuff (& specializing in radar - there's no substitute for having -500V DC travel across your heart for learing the ropes towards respecting electricity yet not being too afraid!)

The continued 'pursuit' of knowledge came out of necessity (eg a young man, not much money & a broken TV in his room!)...then part professionally (I used to fix all the musical electronic kit in my fathers electronic organ business) ...I then drifted into IT.

I still 'keep my hand' in though...presently building a guitar sustainer - in fact, I just produced this last night...



a joyous joining of, 'electronics' & 'CNCs worlds'!

Re PICs...funnily enough I needed to learn them from scratch for the cricuit that drives the above coil (I wanted to use digital AGC) - I'm not a programmer, but nevertheless I didn't find programming PICs too onerous. I bought a PICkit2 (priceless at getting you up & running quick) & then started hanging out on the associated PIC forums - for my modest needs there's not a lot of depth of PIC programming knowledge needed. I'd say in the infancy, forget 'assembly' & go with a higher level language more suited to PICs ...ie PICBAsic.

[templecorran]

I bought a PICkit2 (priceless at getting you up & running quick) & then started hanging out on the associated PIC forums - for my needs there's not a lot of depth of knowledge needed. I'd say forget 'assembly' & go with a higher language more suited to PICs ...PICBAsic.

I agree in part, PIC2kit is a very good way to go, plus you get loads of useful utilities and a programmer to boot.
Regarding assembler .. Yes you can exist without it, I do, but you'll need it to debug the code, cos that's all you get to see when you look inside there.

hth
John

[ptjw7uk]

Best thing I learnt with valve electronics was to keep one hand in your pocket!

Supposed to stop you getting killed!

Modern electronics with low voltage DC is relatively simple that is excepting flash gun capacitors, lost many the end of a screwdriver on them!

Peter

[HankMcSpank]

Best thing I learnt with valve electronics was to keep one hand in your pocket!

Supposed to stop you getting killed!

Peter

That's what they taught me in the Air Force...one hand in the pocket & stay on the rubber mat.

But then they put you in a darkened radar screen room & expect you to fix an in situ module below a screen thats fairly inaccessible - as a cocky/lazy 19yrs old, when you're on bended knees, you lean in to get a place to attach the scope, you place your hand to steady yourself (normally on the chassis), your hand slips when probing the circuit test point, finger goes onto a cap with neg 500V DC on it (with vasts amounts of current delivery capability!) ouch! It...happened a lot!

[AlexBanich]

Thanks guys I appreciate the information. I have since the start of this thread started drifting off in to computers. Really working with just hardware and simple programming. I am looking in to communications now. I got an older set of books called Audel's Guide to Electricity. I have somewhat become focused on doing motor rewirings and stuff similar and integrating it in to my circuit board interests. I have started disassembling and reassembling things and making sure they work. Kind of a trying my hand at seeing if I can solder correctly. I'm tinkering, but learning vast amounts of everything.

PS If you have any spare laptops you want to get rid of let me know. I'm building a mountain of legacy laptops. =)