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Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

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Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#61

Post by nkozyra »

coupdejarnac wrote: post #45

Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims, or any other book by him. Step 2: Build all the projects in his books. You'll only need a proto board and a few other cheap components. You'll build up an intuition in electronics by doing all these projects. If you want to throw a microcontroller in the mix, get the cheap TI MSP430 Launchpad- it's about $5, and you can use C or Arduino.

> Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims

This is the defacto book for beginners but I've never really been able to parse the format. I've gone through a lot of books and none seem to match the approach (gently, less formal) with some formatting that is easy to ingest.

I do love the Launchpads, and they were a ton of fun to use (the IDE is a beast, though). I'd say starting with Arduino or a Pi before a microcontroller is a natural step for beginners, though.

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#62

Post by serf »

pkaye wrote: post #51
Animats wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Hackerboxes site's main picture is of some surface mount blank boards, and I thought "Those guys are hardcore - they expect you to solder surface mount." But no. None of their kits require SMT assembly. The pictures are just clip art.

I find SMT assembly somewhat easier than through hole especially with a good temperature controlled iron. My experience level is just fixing up PCBs or adding a few parts while developing firmware at work.

I find there is a curve in learning how to solder SMT.

At first it's really difficult because of fear from the small size, sometimes the price of components, and the lack of proper equipment.

At some point you learn how your hands work, what techniques work, and how things flow; suddenly then things become easy and through-hole seems like a boring chore.

My enlightenment came with a good Hakko iron and the satisfaction of having a SMT capacitor 'snap' into place under a good solder flow. After that point of finally having a confirmation of what should happen, a weight fell off my shoulders -- mostly generated by anxiety from over-reading about what SHOULD be done rather than experimenting and just trying to get it done.

Now I jump at (most) smt projects.

(edit: not a bell curve, just a slip of the tongue)

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#63

Post by tlrobinson »

nkozyra wrote: post #61
coupdejarnac wrote: post #45

Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims, or any other book by him. Step 2: Build all the projects in his books. You'll only need a proto board and a few other cheap components. You'll build up an intuition in electronics by doing all these projects. If you want to throw a microcontroller in the mix, get the cheap TI MSP430 Launchpad- it's about $5, and you can use C or Arduino.

> Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims This is the defacto book for beginners but I've never really been able to parse the format. I've gone through a lot of books and none seem to match the approach (gently, less formal) with some formatting that is easy to ingest. I do love the Launchpads, and they were a ton of fun to use (the IDE is a beast, though). I'd say starting with Arduino or a Pi…

Arduinos are microcontrollers... but I get what you're saying, a more beginner-friendly microcontroller stack.

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#64

Post by pokemongoaway »

vortico wrote: post #32

All I have is a breadboard, some wire, a variety of passive components and ICs from HK ($20 total for tens of thousands of parts), a USB oscilloscope (eBay $60-$200), and maybe an AVR or STM32 development board. I'm overwhelmed by the number of analog and digital projects I can do, and I've been messing around with my kit for a couple years. I mostly do hobby filter design and audio synthesis.

I like this :)

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#66

Post by syngrog66 »

ah, if only there were a way to learn electronics. this is the latest edition of "HN makes me feel old sometimes." kids, get off my lawn

what are numbers?

what is food?

is there a way to learn about math?

what is some nice sounding music?

how to learn how to program?

what is a... book? what is a... library? though I know how to use a computer and Internet and browser, and can type in queries to search, I somehow do not know about Google or Amazon so let me shoot you my question here instead. What is the Roman Empire? Where do babies come from. How can I learn to drive a car?

ad nauseum

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#68

Post by coupdejarnac »

nkozyra wrote: post #61
coupdejarnac wrote: post #45

Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims, or any other book by him. Step 2: Build all the projects in his books. You'll only need a proto board and a few other cheap components. You'll build up an intuition in electronics by doing all these projects. If you want to throw a microcontroller in the mix, get the cheap TI MSP430 Launchpad- it's about $5, and you can use C or Arduino.

> Step 1: Buy Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims This is the defacto book for beginners but I've never really been able to parse the format. I've gone through a lot of books and none seem to match the approach (gently, less formal) with some formatting that is easy to ingest. I do love the Launchpads, and they were a ton of fun to use (the IDE is a beast, though). I'd say starting with Arduino or a Pi…

You can run Arduino sketches on Launchpads, fyi.

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#69

Post by Steeeve »

vortico wrote: post #49
quineoa wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a link to the "passsive components"? What sort of thigns were you able to get in that pack?

I won't link any, but it's probably cheaper to buy variety packs of individual types of components. Search on eBay for "resistor assortment", "transistor assortment", "electrolytic capacitor assortment", "diode assortment", "LED assortment", "ceramic capacitor assortment", etc. Each of these packs of a few thousand mixed components are $0.50 to $4 shipped worldwide from China. Then pick up the most common ICs like th…

This is a great plan. I'm always astounded at the cost of individual components when you are looking for something specific, and the general lack of availability of things at places like Fry's or Radio Shack which were always well stocked with cheap options when I was young.

Re: Show HN: Learn how to build electronics with monthly kits

#70

Post by tzs »

Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #46

My issue with learning electronics is that there's a steep gap between "plug this into that" and "plug this into that because x ". I want to learn how to reason about the latter. Most resources I've seen like this don't give you that, they just have a bunch of prefab projects and lead you through them with the former strategy. Fortunately I've been able to learn some of the latter on my own but it would be great to s…

A very good start would be MIT's 6.002x via edX. It's currently offered in 3 parts, all self-paced:

https://www.edx.org/course/circuits-electronics-1-basic-circ...

https://www.edx.org/course/circuits-electronics-2-amplificat...

https://www.edx.org/course/circuits-electronics-3-applicatio...

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