Breadboard Laser trip wire circuit help please - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: VladKEasternTiger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2010, 03:44:53 pm
content: Hello everyone, I purchased a cheap Breadboard from the electric shop in the UK, but Its a different configuration to the ones people use on Youtube. Mine is likeABCDE FGHIJ1234567All the way down to 64 with the space in the middle, they is no bus terminals or connectors to connect the power supply on, its just a basic board a long rectangle shape. I want to make a laser trip wire circuit but want help where to begin and where my photo resistor goes.How can I make a laser trip wire circuit? I have a mosfet it says IRF 630, I also have a 6v buzzer and led lights with a cheap laser pen.Any help where to begin and which holes to connect I would be gratefulThanksJohn

author: rossmoffett
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2010, 04:20:26 pm
content: Here's your homework:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohms_lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_dividerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoresistorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOSFEThttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_symbol(this guy afroman has his own crazy website too with more stuff)So far as your breadboard goes, even if it doesn't have power bus rails it still works the same as any other breadboard (you're only missing some convenience).http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/breadb.htmAnywhere on those diagrams where there is a rail, or line, all of the holes are electrically connected. I encourage you to experiment for yourself with your ohm-meter or continuity meter to get a hands-on feel for it. You'll really learn more and better if you try to work out for yourself how to connect the circuit on the breadboard. Just make sure that you don't connect two things that aren't supposed to be connected by putting them in the same group of holes, check with your continuity meter to be sure the everything that's supposed to be connected is and everything that isn't, isn't.

author: DJPhil
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2010, 11:51:07 pm
content: Rossmoffett has done an excellent job of covering you here. I just wanted to toss in a few general learning links you might find useful.Afroman is awesome! Here's the links to hiswebsiteandyoutube channel. His website has a lot of semi-hidden links, you'll understand when you go, just try clicking on everything. He's got forums too, and it's slightly insane in there.There's an incredibly kind java programmer named Paul Falstad who'swebsitehas a bunch ofteaching aids for physics and math. Somewhat buried within is abasic simulator for analog circuitry. It's downloadable in a zip for use offline, and comes with a heap of examples. With a little experimentation you can figure out how to modify the examples to use different values, or build a new circuit from scratch. This is a good tool if you're just starting, and it helped me with circuit simulation until I started with LTSpice.Also useful, and mentioned elsewhere on the forums, isMiscel. This is a small application with a ton of different quick calculations for all sorts of engineering, mainly electronic. Download it and play with it for a while, and you'll see what I mean. I learned a few things just looking up what some of the tools are for.Hope that helps a bit.

author: VladKEasternTiger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2010, 03:57:45 pm
content: Quote from: rossmoffett on February 27, 2010, 04:20:26 pmThanks Ross, you sure know a lot you must have lots of hours working with electronics, I read somewhere it takes 10,000 Hours to be an expert at anything.

author: VladKEasternTiger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2010, 04:00:08 pm
content: Quote from: DJPhil on February 27, 2010, 11:51:07 pmHi Phil, thanks for all the contributions and help given me, you given me a lot to read and work from they is so much to learn and experiement with. Remember Edison I think it was who failed about a thousand times and he said its not failure its just fining out a thousand ways it dosent work, or something along those lineshaha, once Again thanks buddy