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Furthering my electronics knowledge. — Parallax Forums

Furthering my electronics knowledge.

Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
edited 2009-10-15 03:46 in General Discussion
I am getting to a point where I need a deeper understanding of electronics circuits using advanced mathematics. For example: When using a thermistor in a voltage divisor circuit what happens when the resistors are heated? In other words, I want to analyze the voltage divider further than Ohms law can provide. I know some calculus but, I cant seem to find any good material that can guide me and my desire to use calculus while addressing circuits.

Any of you have a good link or any suggestions?

Comments

  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2009-10-07 17:40
    At any instant in time, Ohm's Law will always describe what's happening in the voltage divider circuit.

    All calculus will do for you is describe in a formula how the thermistor's resistance changes with temperature....something the manufacturer has done for you with a response curve.

    Have a look at the Omega Engineering Temperature measurement catalog/handbook. At the back is a lot of very practical temperature measurement theory.

    Cheers

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com
    ·
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-10-07 18:21
    Here are some various books that forum members have recommended: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=741483
  • Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
    edited 2009-10-07 18:26
    Thanks fellas.
  • Carl HayesCarl Hayes Posts: 841
    edited 2009-10-13 00:50
    I disagree with the earlier poster about the usefulness of the calculus.· Electronics cannot really be understood without it.

    For example, what is a capacitor?· It is nothing more, nothing less, than a device, the current through which is equal to a constant times the first derivative of the voltage across it.· That constant is called capacitance.

    What is an inductor?· It is nothing more, nothing less, than a device, the voltage across which is equal to a constant times the first derivative of the current through it.· That constant is called inductance.

    Mathematics is the language of electronics (and all of physics).· If you try to understand electronics without a solid grounding in mathematics, you will be like a terrified savage beating a tom-tom in the jungle, trying to bring back the sun during a total eclipse.· And you'll be less successful than that savage -- beating the tom-tom always seems to work.

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    · -- Carl, nn5i@arrl.net
  • Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
    edited 2009-10-13 20:00
    Carl Hayes

    Can you suggest some text for me to purchase. I agree with your statement 100% and I truyl love math. Its just that I have no reference books to show me how to apply the calculus to my circuits.
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-10-13 20:38
    Most college textbooks on circuit design don't hesitate to fall into some heavy mathematical theory. If you're willing to shell out the $100+ for a textbook, then that is where I'd look.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2009-10-14 03:03
    Zap,

    I'm sure some old timers on here can recommend a textbook or two from 10-30 years ago. And, if so, and if you don't mind thumbing through older books, you can sometimes get some really cheap old textbooks from here:

    www.betterworldbooks.com/

    Price includes shipping to your door. I've got some awesome old books from them for about $4. It just depends on what they happen to have in their inventory.

    Here's one for example, though I don't know if it sucks or not. It's cheap, though!
    www.betterworldbooks.com/Calculus-for-Electronics-id-0070523533.aspx

    Post Edited (ElectricAye) : 10/14/2009 3:09:02 AM GMT
  • Carl HayesCarl Hayes Posts: 841
    edited 2009-10-15 03:41
    Zap-o said...
    Carl Hayes

    Can you suggest some text for me to purchase. I agree with your statement 100% and I truyl love math. Its just that I have no reference books to show me how to apply the calculus to my circuits.
    One that I have always found useful and to the point is Advanced Engineering Mathematics by C. R. Wylie, Jr.· But there are many others.· The Wylie book (my copy, anyway) is published by McGraw-Hill.· I find no ISBN in it, but the Library of Congress catalog number is 59-13221.· It's an old book (1960), but -- guess what -- the stuff in it·is all true today.

    I found that in practicing electrical engineering, which was my first career, I seldom did much calculation using the calculus, or LaPlace transforms, or finite differences, etc.· But I daily used my understanding of it.· Understanding what differentiation and integration were, for example, made thinking about capacitors and inductors easy, and made it simple to think about op-amp integrators and differentiators.· In designing control systems, such an understanding made many concepts clear and simple, when otherwise they would have been muddy.

    But sometimes I needed to calculate things too; and then I often needed to hit the books again.· Wylie has been a good companion.



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    · -- Carl, nn5i@arrl.net
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2009-10-15 03:46
    Carl Hayes said...


    ...One that I have always found useful and to the point is Advanced Engineering Mathematics by C. R. Wylie, Jr.

    .... Wylie has been a good companion.

    And here it is for less than $5:

    www.betterworldbooks.com/Advanced-Engineering-Mathematics-id-0070721807.aspx
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