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Road map to electronics education — Parallax Forums

Road map to electronics education

silverbacksilverback Posts: 40
edited 2010-04-18 16:57 in General Discussion
Hey guys I would like some feed back about getting a firm footing in the field of electronics.

So far I have the books:

Getting started·in electronics --Forrest Mims III·(Great 1000 foot over-view and desk reference)

All New Electronics Self Teaching Guide (great for drilling formulas, Not very beginner friendly)

and reading the DC Textbook from All about circuits.com

What I am looking for is some more good textbooks that you found helpful in your studies (hard copies perferred- when studying I like reading books more than computer screens)


thanks




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If you convince yourself that something is impossible before you even try; you are sure to prove yourself right.

Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-04-12 03:35
    Sorry, no hardcopies, but VG info nonetheless:

    Old Radio Shack paperback: Engineer's Notebook 2, Forest Mimms (my fave)

    Great links at http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=877820

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2010-04-12 10:24
    The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs and The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill.

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    Leon Heller
    Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-04-12 14:38
    Silverback:

    I'm guessing you're over 40, right? You said you like hardcopy better than screens. I think us old (school) guys like paper, but the next generation will prefer everything online. On their silly iPhones, iPads, iPods, MP4s, with HiFi HiDef WiFi Micro Bluetooth BlueRay Xbee Zigbee 4G Nano dingle dongles. I say throw it all away, and make em' all learn the Dewey Decimal system...

    And I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it wouldn't have been for those dang KIDS!

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • bill190bill190 Posts: 769
    edited 2010-04-12 18:56
    I prefer to read books too! (And over 40.)

    Anymore the field of electronics is quite specialized. Too much for any one person to learn about everything!

    Might want to pick areas you are interested in. Then search google.com using the word book along with that subject. And also look at the bottom of the google search for other suggested searches.

    Then might want to search wikipedia.org for specific electronics topics. Then look at the bottom of the pages for related topics and links. Then get ideas for what subjects you might want to get books and read about.

    Some subject areas...

    Analog electronics

    Digital electronics

    Logic circuits

    Automotive electronics

    Automotive can bus

    Medical electronics

    Aircraft electronics

    Military electronics

    Electrical code

    3 phase electricity

    And on and on and on...
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-04-12 19:07
    Youtube has a lot of video tutorials on electronics...and just about any other topic.
    Search using something like "electronics tutorial" and you will find them.

    I prefer reading from the computer screen or especially a tablet.

    But to quickly learn something I find that making a notebook about it helps me most.

    I just get a notebook and write down the basics by hand. I just made a new one
    for a new assembly language I had to learn. It has single pages devoted to topics
    like, how to move values around, how to add values, interrupt handling...etc.

    I have an old one I used for very basic electronics. It has pages on simple things
    like how to block dc, how to block ac, how to use a transistor as a switch, how to use a transistor
    to amplify a signal, how to build a simple power supply circuit...etc.
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2010-04-12 19:09
    silverback,

    I picked up one of these the other day. I think is is fantastic for beginners! - http://www.amazon.com/MAKE-Electronics-Learning-Through-Discovery/dp/0596153740/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271099397&sr=8-1 It is paperback though.

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    Whit+


    "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
  • silverbacksilverback Posts: 40
    edited 2010-04-17 20:56
    Thanks for all the feed back.



    Erco- I'm not quite 40, close. I like study off hard copy because I find it too easy to get distracted (checking email , facebook, & forum replies) when reading off the computer.

    Picked up the books

    Make: Electronics (thanks Whit for the heads up)-edited-> Had some more time to look through this book- Absolutely excellent for someone getting into electronics. Will you be an electrical engineer after reading it? No, but you will have a lot of confidence and hands-on experience. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

    and

    Electronics Demystified




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    If you convince yourself that something is impossible before you even try; you are sure to prove yourself right.

    Post Edited (silverback) : 4/17/2010 11:34:10 PM GMT
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2010-04-17 22:22
    40 next year... yup, prefer hardcopy... [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    However, I've collected a few softcopy links that aren't bad..

    www.warrantyvoid.us/tiki-index.php?page=General+Electronics+Guides

    OBC

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    Visit the: PROPELLERPOWERED SIG forum kindly hosted by Savage Circuits.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-04-18 11:36
    The US government created a self-study series for the military (I believe the Navy). Since copyright law excludes this kind of material, it is a very good source of self-study material.

    The program is called NEETS. http://www.phy.davidson.edu/instrumentation/NEETS.htm

    Be WARNED that several internet sites have tried to charge money for downloads and printing this, but it is all free and excellent for someone just starting out.

    'The ARRL Manual' used to be excellent, but as things have become digital and minature - it is less valuable.
    'The Art of Electronics' is good, but a bit much for a beginner.

    I've studied both of them in depth. But NEETS really offers everything from motors to antennas and anything inbetween.

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    Ain't gadetry a wonderful thing?

    aka G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse] 黃鶴 ] in Taiwan
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2010-04-18 16:57
    These are some of the books that started me out. They where very helpful.
    This book has a ton of info. It covers topics ranging from dc theory to microcontrollers. It also uses real chips and has usable schematics

    http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Electronics-Inventors-Paul-Scherz/dp/0071452818/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

    this next one is very basic. It was one of my first and it covers a few basic things in a very easy to understand way

    http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Electronics-Third-Keith-Brindley/dp/0750663863/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

    Also you can not brush aside the great learning potential of the internet. There is so much info at your finger tips. it is a truly amazing tool. Hope it helps.
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