Filling up my "candy" jar with jellybeans, what to choose? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 07:34:13 pm
content: So I am now about to get the fundamental "Lego" but what should I buy?I imagine: 1n400x, 2n2222, 555 timer, lm339 but what more?

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 07:42:52 pm
content: You could buy (or replicate) pre-assembled kits like this:https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MZ87USDOSOYOO Electronic Component Kit (Total 1390 PCS) - LED Diodes, 30 Values Resistors,Electrolytic Capacitor Package, Ceramic Capacitors, Common Diodes, Common TransistorI believe there have been previous discussions here in EEVblog about common electronic components to stock

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 08:08:25 pm
content: Quote

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 08:30:03 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on August 28, 2019, 07:42:52 pmThat sounds like a great idea, but I was / am not sure what to get of kids, and if these kits are anything remotely usable or broken.I am sure that there have to be lots of treads about what to get and I have tried several ways to search, but to write the word "components" in this forum, is like writing needle in a farming forum:-)

author: GerryR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 08:31:01 pm
content: Quote from: magic on August 28, 2019, 08:08:25 pmYeh, but you always need resistors of various wattage and values, caps, signal, power and zener diodes, power transistors, cmos ICs, etc, etc, etc. And, it is always fun stocking up!

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 08:31:49 pm
content: Quote from: magic on August 28, 2019, 08:08:25 pmOh you mean like if you do not know your next accident you do not know what you have to get to your first aid kit? :-)

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2019, 09:03:20 pm
content: Resistors: get the 20% series from 10 Ohm to 1 Meg (but get 5% tolerance). Buy from Taydahttps://www.taydaelectronics.com/, or similar quality discount shop for all of this stuff and the cost will be minimal.Capacitors: get 100pf, 1nf, 10nf, 100nf ceramics, and 1uf, 10uf, 100uf electrolytics or tantalums. If you are into RF and tuned circuits you will need a larger variety of small-value ceramics, as well as inductors.Diodes: 1n4148, 1n4004, and 1n4007 if you want high voltage.Transistors: 2n3904, 2n3906, 2n5089, 2n5087 for small signal work low-frequency work. A few power transistors and power FETS if you think you will use themICs: some dual opamps (LM358, TL072). Comparators if you like. Other ICs as needed (the list of possibilities is endless).Regulators: LM317 is hard to beat for general-purpose work.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2019, 12:09:45 am
content: Your "candy jar" description takes me back to when one of the local electronics stores kept a real "candy jar" full of "unmarked" transistors on the counter.For a few cents you got a handful of them.They were mostly NPN silicons, & were quite useful -- we called them "BC10?s" !

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 05:07:03 am
content: I am trying to begin to make a complete-ish list on what always to have in your jar, My hope and goal is to give this forum a list, every beginner can go to. :-) I hope that you please will help me to add more components. I.e. there are no rectifier bridges, caps and many other.Every component can be bought in both SMD and THT so they can be used by everyone and in breadboard.ALL in brackets  are suggestions, please say so if there is any errors at all!Diodes1N4001, 1N4002, 1N4003, 1N4004, 1N4005, 1N4006, 1N4007, 1N5400, 1N5401, 1N5402, 1N5403, 1N5404, 1N5405, 1N5406, 1N5407, 1N5408, 1N4148Diode Schottkybat54, bat85, [1N5818 ]Diodes Zenerbzx84cxxxBJT NPNBC547C, 2n2222, 2N3904, BJT PNP2N3906, BC547CN-Mosfetbs170, bss123P-Mosfetbss84comparatorlm339, amplifierlm324, op07, lm358, ua741, lm2904voltage regulator (dependent on voltage you want to use)7805, 7806, 7808, 7809, 7810, 7812, 7815, 7818, 7824, LM1117, voltage regulator (negative) (dependent on voltage you want to use)7905, 7952, 7906, 7908, 7912, 7915, 7918, 7920, 7922, 7924, lm2903Darlingtorn NPNtip122, tip126Inverting Switching Regulatorsmc34063programmable shunt regulatortl431Ceramic Capacitors 10n, 22n, 47n, 100n, 220n, 470n, 1u, 2.2u, 4.7u, 10u, 100uOther5mm led's

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 05:27:10 am
content: I don't see the point of stocking rectifier diodes every 100V. All I have is 1N4007 and some 100V/1A type in smaller package than 1N4001 for low voltage stuff. Also 1N5818 Schottkys.I have BZX55 series Zeners, not sure what the difference is.You could add 2N2907 which is a high current PNP similar to 2N2222.LM2904 is more or less same thing as LM358. And they are all crap, I like CMOS TS27/TLC27 series. More expensive, though. TLC3702 is a corresponding comparator, featuring push-pull output.Probably no point having all those voltage regs unless you know you will need them. LM317 will replace all the oddball voltages.

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 07:04:36 am
content: Thank you a bunch! I have noted some of your suggestions, you are probberly right in all your comments but I have just wrote down the most used components I could find, like the LM358:-)

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 07:23:57 am
content: Order only what you need, and only when you need it.No matter how wide a personal stock inventory is, there will be something missing and needed to be order to finish a project. Don't be a parts hoarder like me.

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 07:56:42 am
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on September 07, 2019, 07:23:57 amLOL thanks:-)In a way are you right but there are some components that you buy over and over again, and why not know them from the start?.

author: FriedMule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 10:23:07 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on September 07, 2019, 08:07:28 amI didn't know them, but are they considered as jellybeans for building electronic?

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 04:33:52 pm
content: Quote from: FriedMule on September 07, 2019, 07:56:42 amBecause you don't buy them over and over. You buy them in multiples of 100 (or 10 or whatever) and now you have a stock of something that is actually useful.Or you can buy kits:https://www.jameco.com/z/TRANSISTOR-KIT-560-Piece-Transistor-Component-Kit_82595.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/00081832-540-Piece-1-4-Watt-5-Carbon-Film-Resistor-Component-Kit_81832.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/81867-240-Piece-Radial-Capacitor-Component-Kit_81867.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/MONOLITHIC-KIT-280-Piece-Monolithic-Capacitor-Component-Kit_171475.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/00081883-280-Piece-Mylar-Capacitor-Component-Kit_81883.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/00081841-150-Piece-Tantalum-Capacitor-Component-Kit_81841.htmlhttps://www.jameco.com/z/81859-520-PIECE-CERAMIC-DISC-CAPACITOR-COMPONENT-KIT_81859.htmlThese kits are expensive primarily because they come in a Component Cabinet but, really, a loose bag of stuff is useless. Then there is the fact that most projects leaving the breadboard transition to SMD.Starting out, I would buy a huge resistor kit and ceramic capacitor kit. Those will always be useful.add an assortment of the 2N390x transistors and that's about it. Maybe some LEDs... Everything else I would buy for a project and just buy in multiples.Don't minimize the utility of those Component Cabinets. You will need a storage scheme.https://brickarchitect.com/guide/bricks/large/I have several of these cabinets in various configurations. Most of the drawers have electrostatic foam.Come up with a better way to store SMD components.I buy ALL of my components from DigiKey or Mouser (except for the resistor/capacitor kits from Jameco). I do NOT buy floor sweepings from Aliexpress. If I order parts on Sunday evening, I have them by Thursday from DigiKey. Sometimes even sooner.Thinking about it, just buy the storage cabinets and fill them up as you go.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 04:48:27 pm
content: Quote from: FriedMule on September 07, 2019, 10:23:07 amPSOC is a unique experience. Clearly, folks start out with an Arduino and I'm good with that just due to the volume of projects on the Internet. The Teensy 4.0 is vastly more powerful and uses the same infrastructure (at least in the beginning). It's all good. Hint: If you're thinking Arduino, think Teensy before you plunk down your money. Among other things, the Teensy 4.0 has floating point hardware and runs at 600 MHz. $20 for the Teensy versus $0.99 on eBay for the Arduino Nano. Huge price difference! But the Teensy is worth it!The PSOC is much more interesting! You plunk down logic blocks on a schematic, do some minimal interconnect, hit the 'GO' button and most of the required code is generated by the toolchain. These are very powerful chips, the PSOC 6 has an M0 and M4 ARM core each running their own code and sharing peripherals. There's a lot of room to grow with the PSOC chips. The Arduino, even the Mega, are low end chips and seriously limited in capability compared to the more modern offerings. It all depends on what you want to do.Electronics today is fractured into those folks playing with transistors and op amps and those playing with uCs. There's overlap, of course, but it seems to me that a lot more is being done in code and less in solder. I'm probably wrong...Take the time to watch this series of videos:https://www.cypress.com/training/psoc-101-video-tutorial-series-how-use-arm-cortex-m0-based-psoc-4PSOC is amazing!

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 09:04:30 pm
content: I hadn't played with my PSOC kits in quite a while so I started over on the videos. I just finished Tutorial 3.Tutorial 0 - IntroductionTutorial 1 - Pin Output - the classic blinking LEDTutorial 2 - Pin InputTutorial 3 - Interrupt driven input *** Most Arduino users never get to interrupt driven anything - EVER. Here we have it in tutorial 3When an Arduino user wants to test an input, they continually read the pin in the loop() function. Dependong on the code in loop(), the button response might be quite slow. Interrupt driven code helps prevent that. Maybe it's a rotation sensor and if you miss it you lose position.There a lot more to go but these first 3 won't take an hour. I'm using the CY8KIT042 PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit (because I have a couple).https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cypress-semiconductor-corp/CY8CKIT-042/CY8CKIT-042-ND/4047452Yup! It's off topic but there's a lot going on under the hood for that interrupt driven input.

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 09:59:42 pm
content: You should get yourself some of the following vacuum tubes (running to take cover)..............Voltage references:OA2Full wave Rectifiers:6X4, 5Y3Triodes, single and double:6C4, 12AX7, 12AT7Power beam tetrodes:6L6, 6V6Remote cutoff pentode:6BA6

author: admiralk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2019, 11:47:12 pm
content: Quote from: FriedMule on September 07, 2019, 05:07:03 amI have yet to start a project where I did not needsomething, no matter how many parts I had on hand. I also usually end up buying parts that I already have just because it is too much trouble to see if it is something I already have, or not.If you buy 2X of what you need for any project, you will very quickly fill up your candy jar and still be having to order more parts for every project.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 03:27:14 am
content: The Arduino and the PIC family are definitely jellybean parts. The 16F627 and 16F628 are among my favorites. The other AVR family parts, like ATmega128, are terrific.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 08:36:04 am
content: Quote from: schmitt trigger on September 07, 2019, 09:59:42 pmI've probably got most of those in a carton in the shed, along with some 42s, 80s, maybe an ECH35 or two, a few 6SN7s, & some other unknowns.