Ideas for analog (or mixed) projects - Digital Multimeter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: MAntunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 03:33:34 am
content: Hello, this topic is not just for me to use but for all the people that think more or less like me.I'm on my third year of EE, so I am just a beginner but I've been noticing that people tend more and more to use a microcontroler for every project they design, even for simple stuff like blinking LEDs and forgetting analog electronics.Since I had my first electronics course I've been liking it more and more.I don't want this topic to be a discussion about digital vs analog or anything like that, I know that both have its advantages.I’ve never been good at getting ideas for new projects so I came to you to help me find some cool analog (or even mixed) project ideas.My first idea was to build an analog synthesizer, but after searching a bit I learned that I have still much to learn. So I am searching for something a bit simpler, do you have any suggestions?I thought about getting a PSoC board some time ago, but I really didn’t know what to do with it.The main purpose for this topic is for you to help me and others who don’t want to follow the full digital path and to share your ideas for analog (or mixed) projects.I apologise if I repeated myself a bit.Best regards,Miguel Antunes

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 05:19:02 am
content: Something that's fun, makes a lot of noise and is a pathway to an analogue synthesiser is a drone machine. Eg:Or maybe one of these:http://casperelectronics.com/finished-pieces/drone-lab/

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 10:40:48 am
content: Make a digital voltmeter from scratch using "discrete" analogue and digital components. Predict and then measure its performance, and then state where you went wrong and what you would do to improve the next iteration.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 10:53:53 am
content: A samll temperature controller could be a nice little project - though much of it will be likely digital today. Could be handy to have and much to learn from.A typical simple anlog projekts are lab supply / voltage regulator, a simple function generator, audio amplifier, low noise amplifer, LCR meter.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 12:23:02 pm
content: An (Edit: portable, battery powered) ECG machine with 'scope type' display on a small LCD. A nice mix of Analogue, digital and firmware?The best advice is to pick something that interests YOU, you're much more likely to complete it to a high standard.

author: 4a4ik
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 01:47:31 pm
content: What projects you did previously, what you can do?If you are interested in building lab power supply I recommend watching Peter Oakes big tutorialhttps://youtu.be/KGn5noes66Q?list=PL_atu5RtEPi4aNzoMtZ5_S6ruhFR98T_pI was building stuff with blinking LEDs, it's also a great present, soon will be Valentine's Day. But I used digital IC's.If you want true analogue go with the audio, find some people who play guitar and ask them what kind of pedals they use. Build one and try to sell it. Distortion is really simple, Delay, loop.Build an equalizer.Build an amplifier from discrete elements and fail miserably.Build anything that uses radio waves: receiver, transmitter, remote control for your RC car.The best advice was given by "Gyro"Don't do projects just for learning, you will be bored very fast and will not finish your work. Do something that is fun you will learn something either way.Something about myselfAbout 2 years ago, I also wanted to build analogue projects because "digital is everywhere, people use MCU where they can easily put an op amp, programming is not really fun, solder is my programming language, I am an EE I need to know that, etc... ", but I haven't really finished any of the projects (they don't work really good), I am not proud of them they weren't fun to build, It was a routine.After that I saw a simple LED POV displayhttps://learn.adafruit.com/minipov3You can hold PCB in hand, I thought it is cool, but i will not learn anything from making it. But still I wanted to do it, don't know why. I made everything in 1 day and it worked, I was the happiest man on earthThen I decided to put it on my bike and it looked even better, then I decided to build a rotating holder for it, it was not perfect, but the result was superb. I was the coolest person in university.I think electronics is about building cool things, there are programmers who say "Assembler is great, everybody should know it", but if it takes you several days of hard work to make something you could make in an hour, does it worth it?QuoteI used to think that arduino is for "noobs" who can't call themselves an EE. But I have seen great projects with arduino, cool people are building cool stuff, they know something that I don't, who am I to look down on them, I can learn from them.If someone want to use MCU to blink an LED why is it bad? At the end of the day you just have to complete your project.If someone spends 1 day to build something that I will spend a week on, I would think that I am doing something wrong.If someone builds a great project, I will not tell him that it's bad because you used this instead of that (which is cheaper, smaller, faster). And if I do tell him, he will answer: "Oh thanks, didn't know that", but still he will be a person who build a great device.So once again have fun, build stuff you like, throw it away if it's not interesting anymore and do something else.Hafe fun, FAIL and have fun again. If you don't have fun you will not go too far :/

author: naragon1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 02:11:22 pm
content: How about something practical and useful like an ESR meter with a nice display? You could use a mix of analog and digital for that.

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2016, 04:05:45 pm
content: Build a meter that measures some particular property that most other meters don't measure.If you are into power electronics, for example, then a meter that measures an inductor's Isatwould be handy. Or maybe a device that plots an inductor's Q vs. frequency.

author: MAntunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2016, 12:22:42 am
content: Thank you all very much!The voltmeter and other measurement instruments are indeed a good idea! Will definitely give a look to that. They seem to combine the right amount of analog and digital. If you know about books, articles, courses about this they would be welcome.@4a4ik I liked reading your post very much!You can continue giving some ideias

author: MAntunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2016, 11:30:17 pm
content: Hello again!I'm currently on finals season, but I can still find some time to do some research.I'm thinking of using a PSoC, as it as a lot of analog peripherals.I still could't find any nice books or articles, could you help me with that?Quote from: naragon1 on January 03, 2016, 02:11:22 pmCan you recomend me a nice display? One with a low power consumption and easy to drive. Is OLED a nice option? I can only find very tiny displays.

author: 4a4ik
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2016, 11:22:30 pm
content: OLED are expinsive, you can use any display that you like, go on ebay or something and search display arduino. But the simplest are the most popular ones like "HD44780" and "nokia 5110"