Learning About Designing Circuits - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: jjrr007
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 03:39:31 am
content: About a year ago, I learned about electronics by following examples on-line and reading websites. Most of my learning was from reading and creating examples in the book, "Building Wireless Sensor Networks" andwww.ladyada.net. From my work background, I already new how to program and the Arduino seems interface seems easy.From doing all this, I don't think that I could create anything with Arudino without being provided an example. The software programming I could handle.So recently, I read some books on Electronics. I really liked: Getting Starting In Electronics by Mims and Practical Electronics for Inventors. I know about electronic components like different types of transistors, diodes etc. Also, I tried to use an electronic learning kit.However, I still can't design any type of electronic projects. I don't know exactly when to put a resistor, what resistance level, when/where/type of diode etc. do I use. For my situation, I wanted to ask how can I learn about designing electronics? I much prefer hands on type books, programs or kits. I think many people are in my situation. I would very much appreciate someone's assistance with this as it could help others too..

author: Kohanbash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 03:49:13 am
content: HiA lot of that comes from experience. If you keep building circuits and make sure to understanding the circuit and not just follow the schematic you will learn.Also if you pay attention and watch some of the teardown videos (some are better then others for this) you can see how other people do their design and what components they used.I think it took me a couple years before I had a good intuition about where to place caps, inductors, etc..

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 05:29:51 am
content: Where are you? What do you do? Is this for a hobby or a career? How well do you want to know stuff?

author: jjrr007
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 05:40:03 am
content: I am in the United States in South Carolina and work as a data consultant. I want to eventually develop my own electronics that I could eventually sell. As a result, I want to learn this well. I don't know what type of electronics I want to produce right now. I am leaning more towards using remote control things (motors and shut offs)- maybe with xbee radios.I am hoping there is a good book or program that I can learn more about circuit design. Thanks for your time.

author: IntegratedValve
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 05:54:49 am
content: QuoteUnless you want to copy from existing schematics, solid theory is behind every successful design. There's no one single book, and before anyone refers you the "The Art of Electronics", I would suggest two good books:1) Introductory Circuit Analysis (By Boylestad)2) Electronic Principles (by Malvino and Bates)They will give you solid understanding of circuit analysis and electronic building blocks.Next start designing simple circuits by interconnecting building blocks you learned in previous lessons. Google for different design of the same circuit, look for application notes on sample circuits, and design guidelines from major manufacturers such as Texas Instruments, Linear Technology, Analog Devices, ...etc. Get used to reading electronic parts datasheets: important parameters such as maximum ratings, operating conditions and characteristics graphs.Last but not least get yourself a heavy expensive soldering iron and a multimeter. You can worry about oscilloscope and power-supply later.Good luck!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:18:37 am
content: Quote from: jjrr007 on January 08, 2014, 05:40:03 amI think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself here. Whilst it is admirable that you want to do something and learn it's probably best to find what you can do, and what you can make rather than have a quick look on Sparkfun and then pick something that you could see yourself being able to stick together. I work with someone who does this constantly, it used to be comically funny.What you will probably find helpful is just generally doing electronics, i.e. learn from experience. Rather than just grabbing some books and deciding that you will become the next Sony find some things that you want to do, and then learn how to do them. Like you mention remote control projects, have you got some Xbee kit and made some things wireless, have you modelled anything on this framework? I have a few random projects and gadgets here that are just things I have made on a whim after seeing something I wanted doing and then building something to do it rather than buying a device for it. Proper research on a project will teach you more than sitting down with a book about resistors.You'll probably find it a lot easier to start with some practical examples rather than just grabbing a book and hoping to learn everything about electronics.Quote from: jjrr007 on January 08, 2014, 05:40:03 amAren't we all.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:28:41 am
content: one of the best ways you can learn is to jump in and design something, as no book covers everything, heck with a large number of stuff I've had to learn for my current projects keyword searching has educated me faster and to a better extent that i feel any book would in the same time (most forum replies like this are replying to young players so are laid out in an easy to understand or well present form,for instance Arduino code with comments, even better are library files with comments (if you do get into arduino the .h and .cpp can be opened in a window and show all the code used in the library)Or a similar function project posting a schematic and a describing of how the designer came to use certain things, its this kind of learning which i see as the more valuable, a case of problem and multiple solutions, not just a solution with a few half baked problems in the summery that it could be used on that you find in a book

author: jjrr007
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:32:17 am
content: Lurch and Rerouter,Thanks for your time! I have made a remote control door bell and some other things using Arduino/xbee. I agree it's best to learn by doing.It's nice that you find humor in your coworker, but I wanted to learn more about designing circuits using right principals as well. For example at my job, many people know how to create databases. If these individuals were to study it properly (with more just trial and error), they create much better databases. That's what I want to do- learn the principals by reading or doing a program as well as hands on. For now I want to learn the real basics of circuit design from a program or books. Thanks.Integrated ValveI will definitely review the two books you mentioned. I would have to agree with on the Art of Electronics book. It wasn't my style of book, but many like it. As mentioned, I like books like Getting Starting In Electronics by Mims and Practical Electronics for Inventors.Are there any others maybe more for dummies books on this topic of circuit design/analysis (like the ones I mentioned perhaps)? Thank you!

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:36:08 am
content: in that case read over section 17 of this monsterhttp://www.ti.com/lit/an/slod006b/slod006b.pdfthis pdf can teach you everything you have ever wanted to know about op amps, and in general analog design,

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:38:23 am
content: Quote from: jjrr007 on January 08, 2014, 06:32:17 amYou also learn by your mistakes, so sitting with a pile of broken stuff that doesn't do what you expect makes you a better person, theoretically. Using your database example, if someone builds a shoddy database structure but it works and then they just call it done and go home then that is because they don't have the required personal motivation to better themselves and create the correct solutions. You or I may start off with a shoddy database application but we would also look at it and work out why it is shoddy and improve it before shoving it into production. Just because you don't know how to do something before you start doesn't mean you can't do it.

author: jjrr007
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:45:27 am
content: I liked the TI manual. I read them on other topics- good idea. I learn a lot by doing and improving after I worked on a project- point well taken.So far, I have got the following sources to learn about circuit design/analysis:-The TI reference guides-Introductory Circuit Analysis (By Boylestad)- Electronic Principles (by Malvino and Bates)- Playing around with my 300 in 1 Electronics kit (by Elenco)-http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/emcon.html#emcon- Maybe a dummies book on circuit design/analysis. Not sure which one?Anything else?

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:49:33 am
content: Get a good circuit simulator. LTspice IV and Tina-TI are both free.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 06:51:20 am
content: if your not crash hot on the basics, this can give you a step up, (it covers essentially the whole instrumentation trade level of electronic knowledge)http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/also falstads circuit simulator is a fun online tool for bashing together circuits in real time as a proof of concept,http://www.falstad.com/circuit/,its also able to be downloaded and run from a file which can help if your board on a train or similar,