Tutorial Thursday - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: marcosgildavid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 09:09:08 am
content: Hi Dave!I was wondering if you could start a Tutorial Thursday seriesI was thinking you could explain how simple circuits work, like an amplifier, a filter, voltage regulator, etcYou could start with some basic circuits an then start adding them together to make more complex things.Somewhat like you did for your PSU design, but explaining how the different parts of the circuit work.This would be very educational and really useful for beginners like me, since these kind of things are not (and are impossible to explain) in books.Hope you consider it!And thanks for all the great episodes.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 12:10:27 pm
content: Something like that has been in the back of my mind for a long time now. I was going to called it the Building Blocks series or something like that.And yes, it probably needs that weekly commitment thing to work.Well see...Dave.

author: marcosgildavid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 01:57:02 pm
content: I sure hope you go forward with it.Your relaxed style makes learning stuff a lot more fun than on a classroom...And you definitely have a lot of knowledge to share

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 02:24:54 pm
content: Quote from: marcosgildavid on May 25, 2012, 01:57:02 pmI agree.The way you, dave, get that white board cranking, I always come away with something. It's a good technique, but don't you dare let it go to your head cos we'll all cut you down like a paper tiger.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 02:28:38 pm
content: Please!

author: aluck
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 03:45:36 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 25, 2012, 12:10:27 pmDave, please! It's up to you - to make or ruin my day. Please do think carefully and make the right choice.Sincerely yours, your talent's worshiper.P.S. Why aren't you my E.E. professor?

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 04:15:33 pm
content: I like the idea of "building blocks"Dave does have time problems. The beauty of a weekly show is consistency for Dave however it means more work. Dave needs some "fillers" small 5-10 minute segments on a simple subject to give him the freedom to work on some longer more in-depth stuff. I know he has probably been thinking (or even doing) the same thing with the Tuesday stuff.Maybe some ideas on 5 minute shows to give him some filler material.- Trace repairs on a PBC- Quick DIY tools for the bench- Using digikey or others to find datasheets (for those who don't know)- Sagans first multimeter session (that would be funny)- Using all your senses to diagnose board problems (maybe not taste)- Multimeter curling (it would be popular in Canada)- How to properly rig a bench static system....mike

author: marcosgildavid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 05:00:52 pm
content: I do understand the "out of time" issues and I'm pretty sure that doing the videos will take a lot of Dave's time.But this doesn't have to be a weekly series, maybe bi-weekly or even monthly.My point is that there are a lot of videos out there that explain how a transistor, a diode or a capacitor work, but they lack usefulness, I haven't seen how they can all fit together to make something that as a purpose, a real-world function.I think Dave as a talent to explain things in a way that makes sense for most of us and is entertaining at the same time.And it could also help to get more people interested in electronics and see how they can actually build stuff.

author: Flávio V
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 06:09:10 pm
content: Quote from: marcosgildavid on May 25, 2012, 05:00:52 pmYes....build...And maybe destroy then....like my PCB than i made in college(not university)(in portugal is 10th grade)(the first year in electronics)(i am doing thinks than were for the 11th grade but anyway)In college the power supply filter(because the rest well...)than has 3 SAMXON 6800uF 100V capacitors in parallel...for 20,4mF...and a 8A bridge...and i have a custom made 250VA 50V transformer...(very precise actually...in my fluke 8060A it measures +- 50,40V)(i am not sure if i use lm317HV or a switcher....)I really like the idea of the tutorials...because i really need to know NON-IDEAL components because...well....it is hard in....in college than i am...one of the best in portugal....but i already got better test equipment than they so well....i bring then when i get electronics...because ONLY in this month than they started to have digital oscilloscopes...and they are 400€ UNI-T ones(bench of course)

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2012, 07:52:09 pm
content: Quote from: Flávio V on May 25, 2012, 06:09:10 pmUNI-T scopes ... they are horrible stuff ...Hell my technical college buys so many fluke 73 III's that each of them costs the same as my UT61E

author: gtsili
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2012, 07:19:44 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 25, 2012, 12:10:27 pmThumbs up for the Building Blocks series. That will be awesome.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 28, 2012, 09:14:19 am
content: Those "5 minute" videos can take longer than a 1 hour video to produce.And IMO you can't produce any useful tutorial material in 5 minutes of run time unless you do some serious planing, serious shooting, and serious editing, and likely retakes.Such a 5 minute video is easily a full days work.Single shot ones like the 5 minute contest draw I'm uploading now only take maybe 30 minutes to do, because it requires little planing, no thought, and the simplest of editing with a single clip, but they are rare exception.From Mike's list:- Trace repairs on a PBC- Quick DIY tools for the bench- Using digikey or others to find datasheets (for those who don't know)- Sagans first multimeter session (that would be funny)- Using all your senses to diagnose board problems (maybe not taste)- Multimeter curling (it would be popular in Canada)- How to properly rig a bench static system.the only one I would consider that could be done quickly and simply is the static mat one. But even that can turn into an epic when you get caught up in explaining the "why" part.I find it really hard to explain how long these things take to do, and on average every video is going to take me a days work. That's why I only get out 2 maybe 3 videos a week tops.Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 28, 2012, 09:19:36 am
content: Quote from: Flávio V on May 25, 2012, 06:09:10 pmAnd therein lies the problem. I could do a relatively quick video on say an how an ideal opamp works. But doing a practical demonstration has just added an order of magnitude to the time involved to think it up, build it, test it, shoot it, edit it.And that's the likely reason why few videos like this exist on Youtube, as I'm sure there are no shortage of people who could very good ones, but its the effort involved that kills the enthusiasm!Dave.

author: obiwanjacobi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2012, 07:44:46 am
content: I love those tutorial episodes like the MCU-PSU, uCurrent test rig and the micro watch and calculator.So Dave, if you have any other projects going, please let that camera roll.Anyway, I really appreciate the effort and time you put into these videos!Thank you.

author: GBarron
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 01, 2012, 04:12:50 pm
content: I would love this too especially if it was based around projects from start to finish that encompassed some of the routine challenges encountered when building solutions. I would also prefer that it be from a beginners vantage point so for example manufacture the PCB in-house for the prototype, use standard project boxes, manufacture own panels (if not using the PCB as the panel as I know you like) and then when tested move it to a professionally built product.Maybe you could design a tool that most beginners/enthusiasts should understand fully and then build one of those. This way we get the understanding and if we build along with you we get a great lab tool tooFor example I thought the previous blog on the open source multi-meter was a fantastic idea and maybe that could be used to teach circuit theory. Here's a list of some ideas that I would like to see as projects to try to illustrate my point:Simple breadboard power supply ( I know they're a couple of bucks to buy but the understanding is worth more)Logic probe seems to be popular within the forumThe open source multi-channel multi-meter (seriously cool project)Lab power supplyA CNC Machine (Done in a lot of places, but not with the Dave style and not fully explaining motor theory, etc. You also end up with one of the best workshop tools for making)Multi component tester (LEDs, etc)Anyway, keep up the good work I love the podcasts