Ressources: Learning schematics, electronics, inventions and repair. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: anoeev
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 08:34:09 am
content: Hi electronics folks, Repair technicians and, students and smart people.I'm discovering that I really want to learn more about electronics and have the needto find some good ressources / materials to study from. I willalso share some in thispost that I find useful, maybe they can benefit some of you. I hope some ofyou can recommend me some good materials.I'm really interested in learning more in 3 main areas of electronics that i want to learn about slowly throughout my life.1.Schematics for household appliancessuch as power supply (the basic parts such as rectifier bridge etc)and other common structures found in household items, sensors etc.2.Repair and diagnostics of electronic devices (Laptop, TV, radio, amplification etc)Understanding the basics of their structures. This is mainly for curiosity but alsoto be of some service to others and the environment and maybe in years to come work with it.3. Older technologies: Vacuum tubes, First recordings of sound, basic Antennas etc.I want to learn to identify the most common structures that many electroniccircuits have in common and understand why they work the way they workand also how to test them.I'm also really interested in learning some of theold inventions of old electronics such as Vacuum tubes,Cathode RAy tubes, telepraph, The first way to record sound, Amplification circuits,I find these to be more intuitive and they teach me about how electricity and magnetism work,and in part how the universe works.I learn best visually, by seeing many structures and examples.Many words, seem to distract me, but looking at diagrams with a fewwell selected words help me. Also advanced Math (beyond Ohms law) from the beginningis of no help, progressive slow introduction helps me anchor what i learnand gain intuition, then math can come later.MY plan is to study from good ressoruces. The ressources matter: Every timei sit and learn something I am of no service to others, it's first when I usewhat I learn that it becomes useful. So if i read from bad material I spend too much timebeing of no use to anyone and learning little, so i take it seriously.and I was hoping maybe some of you couldhelp me in telling what you can recommend to read, watch and do?I have basic knowledge ofdiodes, capacitors, ohms law, transistors, laptop repair, building computers, PWM, transformersbut could still use more especially how they work in common structures (Buck converters, amplification etc)For Schematics I am considering some basic books and some straight foward youtube videos with diagrams.A good book?Perhaps "Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics, Fourth Edition" i thinkit has many diagrams, but i doread that it has little explanations of why things work, butit can maybe be found elsewere.For general knowledge i considerPractical electronics for Inventers 4th ed?The Art of Electronics - However i do read it's not for beginners and starts out with heavy math. This won't help me as a beginner.Make: More Electronics:Ben eater on Youtube :In general i watch all American Military videos on electronics(Vacuum Tube)(Cathode Ray Tube)Also Engineering playlists on youtube.I really want to limit the time i spend googling and searching aroundbecause i realize that the more i use the internet for searching and googlingthe less i learn in that time and the less useful i can be. The internet is useful but deep learning / deep concentrationand the internet do not always go hand in hand.

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 10:32:45 pm
content: Quote from: anoeev on February 08, 2021, 08:34:09 amI think there is some truth to what you say here, in that the internet can be quite noisy, and that this can be very hard to deal with, depending on your learning style.On the other hand, there is a lot to be learned if you "embrace the noise", if you can manage to sift through it. (I'm not saying that I'm good at it myself.) I'd argue that a broad exposure to electronics makes you generally more competent, and better equipped to solve a wide range of problems, in the long run.But then again, you don't want to be a "jack of all trades, master of none" either.It's great to becomes an "expert" at a few things, but my point is that learning in a vacuum doesn't always work well, in my opinion. Everything is connected in some way or another. So, in addition to the focused books, videos, and lectures that you read and watch...subscribe to some channels which are a little outside your comfort zone, or peruse a sub-forum (here on EEVBlog or elsewhere) which you don't know much about, and I think you will slowly (but surely) begin to pick up on some recurring themes and gain a more complete understanding of electronics as a whole. For me at least, watching other people work through their designs and struggles is an extremely valuable "tool" that we didn't really have until now. For me, it helps connect some of the dots.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 11:47:45 pm
content: Quote from: anoeev on February 08, 2021, 08:34:09 amI read that the intent of Art of Electronics is to limit the math.Mostly, the math will be simple Algebra and that will cover it for quite a while. Later on, well, it can get deep! But there is simply no way to talk about AC circuits without sin() and cos() functions. There is also no way to talk about impedance and phase shift without complex numbers at some point.QuoteIt's too bad you want to avoid the Internet because there are much better resources there than most any textbook I can think of. Search for videos by eevBlog or w2aew. These are very good resources and math isn't the focus although it is discussed at some lower level.I have heard that Malvino is quite good:https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Principles-Malvino/dp/1260570568Grob's Basic Electronics by Schultz is suppose to be pretty goodhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=Basic+Electronics+schultzAnything by Forrest Mims is pretty good, particularly "Getting Started in Electronics" - highly recommended:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=forrest+mimsDon't forget the lab manual:Learning the Art of Electronicshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521177235and the X chapters (a separate book)https://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-x-Chapters/dp/1108499945Plus there is a sticky at the top of this forum that has other resources.KhanAcademy.org for mathSymbolab.com for solvingDesmos.com for plottingMath tools (eventually)MATLAB or OctavewxMaximaA decent scientific calculator should be right on the bench.KhanAcademy also has an Electrical Engineering section.https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineeringNancyPi (search on Google) makes math look good! She has some terrific videos.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2021, 11:57:57 pm
content: Quote from: TimNJ on February 08, 2021, 10:32:45 pmFor me, it isn't real until I build it and take physical measurements. Sure, I understand the models and I understand the math but a simulation isn't real until I build it.Every component has a tolerance. I can calculate the -3dB point of a low pass filter to 12 decimal places but I have to throw out almost all of them if the components have a 10% tolerance.I can spend a lot of time playing with a 0.1uF capacitor and 10k resistor in both the time and frequency domain. It's a simple exercise and can easily be 'pencil-whipped' but there is something to gain by actually building it and plotting the actual voltage/phase versus frequency. A Bode' plot.Or, turn to the time domain and see a plot of the charge equation Vout= Vin* (1 - e-t/RC) Or plot the equation with MATLAB as well as taking measurements (with a scope).Of course, LTspice comes into play around here...

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 05:01:40 am
content: Given the 3 objectives it would seem like building (soldering) some kits could help with learning schematics, and doing repairs (as you diagnose and correct errors) - maybe some vacuum tube amplifiers and radios. Along the way it might lead to building a bench of test equipment as you learn to measure components and circuits which leads to learning and applying more math. The initial kits could be receivers but it might be fun and a very good learning experience to get an amateur radio license so you could build and operate transmitters (including various antennas) - which can lead to making new friends with technical interests (both in local clubs and on the air) which can lead to still more new opportunities for learning. Safety first (lots of heat when soldering, and lots of voltage in vacuum tubes), watch out for rabbit holes, and enjoy the journey.

author: anoeev
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 07:06:02 pm
content: rstoferThank you for all the recommendation! its always a big help having the material recommended by someone wholearned from it. So i guess everyone recommends The art of electronics so i mightas well get it and then for mastering schematics maybe "Getting Started in Electronicsfor schematics or maybe just "Beginners guide to schematics"I agree with the comments on learning through practical experiene. I do need to learn soldering skillsand i need some kind of exhaust fan to avoid getting sick from Flux and soldersmoke. I also need a progressive course to teach me LAPTOP and TV RepairIguess this guy is a good startIt would be nice with a dedicated course or chart that shows what all motherboard scheatics have in common,how to tracepower rails, identify structures etc, but i think it is wishfull thinking.Also some courses on TV repair, Radio repair.The think what i miss is a progressive course. As our levels advance we need more indepthinformation to build on the basics, but how often do you search for a youtube video orarticle and spending so much presious energy just skipping the basics to get to the part youwere actually searching for? I think sometimes books cover this more indepth knowledge andhave a linear progression of learning from simple to complex. IF i do a youtube search on "motherboard repair" most videos don'teven explain whats going on throught the narrators head, the schematicsare not included and sometimes you have no idea what is going on.I also agree that there is a lot of great information online, i justneed to find the right channels and websites suited for my style oflearning and prefferibly a progressive course that mixes theorywith practical examples and exercises. I got a Lab Benchso i will probably need an Oscilloscope. Anything else you guys can think of would be useful?

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 09:46:10 pm
content: Quote from: anoeev on February 10, 2021, 07:06:02 pmI graduated in '73, I didn't use any of these books. I have bought them over the last few years to follow along with questions but I haven't actually read any of them. I have read through the Forrest Mims book and I think it is a lot more useful for beginners than "The Art of Electronics". Everybody raves about the AoE book and I'll be darned if I see why. Maybe I haven't spent enough time with it.Any book aimed at a college course is going to be a tall step for a beginner.QuoteAny of the videos by Dave or w2aew will be most excellent. Alan Wolke (w2aew) does a magnificent job while keeping the math under control. Dave's stuff doesn't tend to be math heavy either.Khan Academy electrical engineering is pretty good and so is DigilentInc's Real Analog.https://learn.digilentinc.com/classroom/realanalog/But both of these are aimed at students, not hobbyists. Or, if hobbyists, at least those with math skills.As to equipment, who's to say? You would absolutely need a scope if the signals wiggle. You simply can't see what is going on without one. Three decent (but not expensive) DMMs are also helpful. Don't use them on mains but the Aneng AN8008 is not a bad little meter (yes, I have one). Dave did a review. Why three? Well, when you play with transistors, you want to measure base current, collector current and probably VCE(SAT)concurrently. Watch Alan's transistor videos and do what he does without the high dollar meters. He keeps dragging out that Simpson 260 analog meter - yes, I have a couple of those as well. I actually like analog meters. Search Google for 'w2aew transistor' and follow along.You need a signal source when you want to play with AC signals. You can buy an Arbitrary Waveform Generator with prices all over the map as a function of capability and specifications. It's a separate topic and it has been addressed many times. Search for it. I bought a Siglent SDG2082 but that's over the top. The SDG2042 is more than adequate. I also bought a Rigol DS1054Z scope to go along with my 350 MHz Tek 485. Today, I would be looking at the newer Siglents.If you are more interested in digital signals, maybe an Arduino can generate them.Which brings me back to recommending 4 channel scopes to view the SPI bus. That's why I bought the Rigol. In fact, that's the ONLY reason I bought the Rigol. The Tek 485 has much higher bandwidth and I wasn't paying attention to all the measurement capabilities of a DSO. My bad... There is no comparison between a modern DSO and an old analog scope.This is a really long thread but around Reply 152, Charlotte buys the Siglent SDS1202X-E - 2 channels, 200 MHz. And then we get to playing around with all the controls and features. It's a long thread but it covers an amazing amount of territory.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/what-an-oscilloscope-recommended-for-a-woman-passionate-about-electronics/There are MANY threads on entry level scopes including used analog scopes. We start one every week or so.When it was cheaper, I always recommended newcomers start with the Analog Discovery 2. Since Covid, pricing seems to be opportunistic as university students are buying them like crazy. They have been out of stock for a very long time but now we have a promise of a maybe. I'm still a fan but only at the previous price. Since NI bought Digilent, I'm losing interest in the company.Why buy one? Well, it has a 2 channel Arbitrary Waveform Generator, a 2 channel Scope which can also be a 2 channel DMM. It also has 16 bits of digital IO which can be used as a logic analyzer but the number of software defined instruments is where it really shines. It used to cost $279 and could replace an entire workbench worth of tools. But that was then, this is now.To see the various tools, download the Waveforms software. There is a 'Demo' device that will let you play around with things.There are a bunch of really cheap signal generators (without the Arbitrary capability) and the signals may not be as clean as those from a more expensive unit but they may work just fine:https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20210210134443&SearchText=signal+generatorThere are inexpensive Arbitrary Waveform Generators as well. Ask over in the Test Equipment forumhttps://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20210210135625&SearchText=arbitrary+waveform+generatorThey may get you started and if you have to upgrade later, so what? Sell the low end stuff or just keep it in a drawer like the rest of us.