How to learn electronics hands on from the basic level. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: °L3ARNER
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 07:56:24 pm
content: Hi,First of all thanks a lot to all of you for giving us -newbies, budding enthusiasts, engineering students - giving this massive opportunity to engage with an experienced community comprising of veteran electronic experts, like minded fellows, and etc.My question, here, today, is as an engineering student (mechatronics Eng.) how to learn electronics (and trical) as practical as possible?To keep things short, the course/undergraduate programme that I'm currently following is severely affected by the ongoing COVID19 pandemic scenario and deliberate negligence of our lecturers. Making any complaint or legal move is out of the table, as any attempt could backfire on us (I'm really sorry to say this, but it is how things are going in public sector in my beloved country 🇱🇰).However, instead of pointing fingers, majority of us have resorted to study on our own. I'm pretty much good (at least that's what I've been told and felt. So, I'm definitely not a laser sharp tool, but a sufficiently sharp tool in the shed, in simple terms), at mathematics, physics and generally learning things on my own. So, I've been learning fundamental theories on electrical and electronic systems through student reference books such as ART OF ELECTRONICS (Paul Horowitz), ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND CIRCUIT THEORY (Boylstad) and etc. But, these are only good for understanding and mathematical problem solving, but engineering. TBH, my practical knowledge on electronics doesn't extend beyond creating a Knight Rider LED circuit, or similar simple circuit.I want (no, I need..) to be practically experienced enough, so that I can design an electronic circuit board (with micro controllers) on my own and at understand the behaviour of a given circuit by referring to its diagram.How can I quit being a book taught engineer and be a real engineer by interacting with electronics components? As it is common to pretty much any thing, there should be a beginning and a proper way (structured methodology) to achieve this, right?Please give me some suggestions and guidance over this matter. Please give more attention to Structured hands on learning, when doing so.

author: bob91343
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 08:09:46 pm
content: Many 'engineers' prefer to stick with the theory and math. In my opinion, and apparently yours as well, this isn't enough.What I recommend is to build things. Or get some test equipment and repair things. Or just investigate how stuff works.I learned my electronics before getting into school. I played with radios and meters and tubes. I built a couple of radios. When I finally graduated and got a job, I was dismayed to learn that tubes were out, solid state was in. So I bit the bullet and learned about transistors. I built power supplies and amplifiers. I tested them.No answer works for everyone. You have to find your own way.

author: Capernicus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 08:33:42 pm
content: Id be careful what u say on the forum, if you say a voltage divider is an amplifier they'll attack you with fire and pitchforks.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 09:14:18 pm
content: Find a project and build it. Improve it, adapt it to a different environment/platform.Mechatronics relies on uCs and there are plenty of development boards to choose from. The STM32 devices are quite popular but I would take a step back and look at Arduino and all the Starter kits. These kits give you experience in everything from sensors to actuators and all the code in the middle. They are a great first step.This kit is quite good for learning about Arduino and gadgets. It's a great place to start and the tutorials are excellent. All code is givenhttps://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Project-Tutorial-Controller-Projects/dp/B01D8KOZF4There is a similar kit for the Raspberry Pihttps://www.amazon.com/Freenove-Raspberry-Processing-Tutorials-Components/dp/B06W54L7B5This one is superb and the advantage here is that all code is created on the Pi under use. No uploading, no separate toolchain, just the standard Raspian installation is adequate. All code is given.Some of these walkers are good as an introduction to mechatronics:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=raspberry+pi+robot&i=electronicsIn my view, electronics today is about half code, half solder and wire.Khan Academy has an electrical engineering program:https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineeringDigilent has a Real Analog course:https://learn.digilentinc.com/classroom/MIT has an OpenCourseware program for EE:https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-002-circuits-and-electronics-spring-2007/That you are good in math is helpful because engineering is all math.Get real good with MATLAB for math and real-time systems (using Simulink and other add-ons). Octave is useful (and free) but it is nowhere near as comprehensive as MATLAB.While you're at it, take every opportunity to improve your skills with Machine Learning. "Self-driving", the ultimate in mechatronics, is based on machine learning. MATLAB with Simulink and the Deep Learning toolkit is excellent but the entire topic is based on just matrix arithmetic (and gradient descent) so it can be done in any language. Python has some great libraries for this kind of work.

author: Slh
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 09:28:28 pm
content: LTspice is a very useful tool for learning as well. You still need physical practical experience but it helps to an understanding of concepts quickly (cheaply and in a small amount of space) and to help troubleshoot designs that aren't working.Arduino boards are a good intro to microcontrollers. Personally I've moved on to MSP430s as I got a load of samples years ago and I find that it's easier for me to write everything from scratch than try to work out how to bypass the libraries when I need more complicated stuff. Also, building stuff with "bare" microcontrollers is good practice in setting them up (crystals, reset pins, decoupling etc). It also helps you to think about their limitations.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 09:31:16 pm
content: There's a glitch in my prior response: I have no idea what is available in your country nor how it is priced and whether there are customs issues. The recommendations are solid but they may not be achievable.What kinds of things are available in your country?Are they relatively expensive or reasonable for a student?It's probably better to start the discussion with what you can get. The kits are nice because they give you a wide range of experience but you may need to get parts another way.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 09:37:42 pm
content: Similar thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/learning-electronics-on-a-budget/

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2021, 09:50:53 pm
content: How about FPGAs? Is anything available at a reasonable price? There's a lot of work being done with FPGAs. Since my major was hardware design, I am really enthusiastic about working with FPGAs.You can do quite a bit with no hardware at all using ModelSim as a simulator. You may find some more info on setup at VHDLwhiz.comhttps://vhdlwhiz.com/free-vhdl-simulator-alternatives/https://www.fpga4fun.com/https://nandland.com/And many other sites on the web...

author: °L3ARNER
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 14, 2021, 07:01:06 am
content: I'll keep it in my mind. Thank you!

author: °L3ARNER
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 14, 2021, 07:13:07 am
content: I really appreciate the lengths you have taken to offer assistance to a newbie like me. I really do. I'm from Sri Lanka and arduino boards and their chinese compatible copies are the cheapest you can get here as development boards. I have already bought a Arduino kit which is somewhat identical to the one you suggested in previous comment.When it comes to Rasberi Pi and robo walkers, that's when really things get expensive. Anyways, I might be able to buy one eventually (when I'm doing industrial training).Again thanks for the your sincere concern, and very informative and on point comment.Have a nice day!

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2021, 03:03:14 pm
content: One other issue is test equipment. One way or another, you need lab time. I didn't find the time in the lab all that helpful in college and I didn't have my own equipment either. I could have learned so much more...I'm not as enthusiastic about the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 at the new and much higher price. It used to cost $279 for ordinary customers and around $100 for academic folks.OTOH, there is no way you can get an equivalent amount of test equipment for anywhere near $400. Again, I don't know about importing to Sri Lanka...Digilent probably knows they overpriced the thing during the pandemic and now they give a $200 discount if you buy a $100 FPGA board. These things were impossible to get during the height of the pandemic when EE students needed a lab. They were out of stock for more than a year. Today, Digilent has 7000 in stock.https://digilent.com/shop/analog-discovery-2-100ms-s-usb-oscilloscope-logic-analyzer-and-variable-power-supply/This is an ideal piece of equipment for a student. A full lab in your backpack. Just add a laptop and you're good to go!Look over the specs and see what you think. You can download the Waveforms software for free and try the demo version of the various instruments.I have been described as the Team Coach for using this device and I truly enjoy doing small breadboard projects with the AD2. I have a bench full of actual test equipment but, more often than not, I will use the AD2. It has so much more capability. Look at the Network Analyzer or the Spectrum Analyzer. Think Bode' Plots and FFTs. The power supplies are very limited and a bench supply is a good addition but even with the limitations, a lot of educational projects can be built and tested. Sometimes you just need to scale Vcc.Again, I'm not impressed with the new and improved price so I'm not the cheerleader I used to be but the device itself is terrific.I can spend hours just playing with a 0.1 ufd capacitor and a 10k resistor looking at the time domain and frequency domain plots. If you want to REALLY understand the RC charge waveform or the low pass filter effect, the AD2 is the way to do it. It's a wonderful tool!In any event, you will ultimately need a certain amount of test equipment.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2021, 03:41:40 pm
content: Lab equipment may seem expensive but when compared to the cost of schooling, it is pretty minimal. I have no idea how it works in Sri Lanka but around here, tuition alone may be between $50k and $60k per year times 5 years for an EE. That doesn't include housing, fees or health insurance. Or food...Even the much cheaper state colleges are still around $16k per year (not including housing) so $80k for a degree:https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/california/university-of-california-davis/price/The University of Southern California (USC) is on the high end of tuition at $60k per yearhttps://admission.usc.edu/learn/cost-financial-aid/Stanford, MIT and Harvard are around the same price!So, if I were planning to spend the better part of $250k on a degree, a few thousand on test equipment just isn't significant.Very few students pay full price. There are scholarships and grants available to many students. OTOH, some schools base tuition on family income. Those with a higher ability to pay get charged more. It's pretty easy to see why students are coming out of college with a mountain of student debt.In any event, the cost of some amount of lab equipment just doesn't compare to tuition.In the end, it's a lot of money and it's worth every penny!

author: nzacharewicz82
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 21, 2022, 04:31:07 pm
content: Can you guys recommend some books and studying materials on that topic? Tomorrow I have a test at uni, and I don't know much about it, so I am afraid that I not going to pass it. I really hope that somebody can help me, otherwise I'll have to usehttps://studyhippo.com/plagiarism-checker/in order to finish my homework and check everything for plagiarism. Thank you in advance guys, wish me luck

author: taste_tester
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2022, 07:04:58 pm
content: Quote from: °L3ARNER on October 13, 2021, 07:56:24 pmI started by simply getting broken electronics was interested in and finding ways to fix them. Sure for a while I was simply following repair guides not knowing why i was doing what i was doing, but taking the time to fill in the gaps in your knowledge as you go, and at your own pace, will pay off in the end.c

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2022, 02:19:48 am
content: Books: Horowitz and Hill's "Art of Electronics" is nice, actually written for people wanting to make and use circuits rather than from a pure theory standpoint, and can be dipped in to for example circuits for specific tasks as well as read mroe fully to get a wider understanding. It is a prety long book.

author: rooppoorali
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2022, 04:56:49 am
content: Along with reading the books that you've mentioned, I will request you to buy a suitable electronics starter kit. That will help you to practice what you read:https://www.electronicshub.org/electronics-component-kits-beginners/

author: nigelwright7557
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2022, 09:13:07 am
content: With microcontroller circuits its best to pick up a datasheet on a micro.You car read through and understand each part.Withy microcontrollers you need to get into software too as thats what they run on.A lot of people recommend Arduino as that is very well supported.Personally, I am a PIC microcontroller man having been a PIC consultant for 13 years and used PIC's 30+ years.I wanted to get into PIC's and USB despite having no idea how USB worked.I found a great project atwww.waitingforfriday.comand adapted that hardware and software for a USB oscilloscope.He provides PIC circuit, PIC code and PC end program.Since then done loads of PIC/USB projects.

author: armandine2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2022, 09:49:58 am
content: When I was a student I had a recurring question as to what you could buy for the money you spend on tuition.https://uk.farnell.com/keysight-technologies/35421440/testmeasurement-kit/dp/3549191consider to invest a small percentage of your tuition fee on some hardware, perhaps

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2022, 10:24:58 pm
content: As for investing a little in equipment, at Uk prices you'd be looking at:£30 ish for an adequate multimeter (any brand but from a proper seller like RS or Farnell, NOT from amazon)£60 to £150 for a decent enough in practice soldering iron (any pronounceable brand with web presence beyond a few pages in online stores and with temperature control)£100 for assorted hand tools (can be cheap no-brand ones as not subject to the sorts of stresses in electronics use you'd encounter in other fields, things like side cutters, screwdrivers, SMD tweezers,) and you can likely get other soldering related stuff from this price too (like alternative tips, solder reels (do whatever you need to get leaded, find a seller of 60/40 or 63/37 who doesn't get health-and-safety-bureaucract-ish about selling it), desoldering braid...)>£300 for a basic not-particularly-great-performance oscilloscope from a named brand, this is the priciest bit, but I hear USB ones can be got for £50 to £100 if you're willing to need to have a PC on all the time you're doing electronicsThen you're looking at buying component stockpiles to stary with, passives are cheap, but all ICs have gone up in price quite a bit in the last few years.

author: SmallCog
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2022, 12:34:25 am
content: Pull things apart and see how they work! As you get a bit of proficiency have a go at repairing things too.There are lots of "teardown" videos on youtube to give you an insight to the process of figuring out how something works, I'm a fan of Big Clives teardowns but there are others as wellPulling things apart is a useful insight as to how you can build/design things (both in what to do and what not to do)