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Need help learning schematics — Parallax Forums

Need help learning schematics

rtumattrtumatt Posts: 8
edited 2012-04-26 14:07 in General Discussion
Hello all,

Im very new to the parallax world and coming from a programming background (thats my day job) iv always been interested in trying to program a stamp. I have recently purchased the Stampworks Experiment Kit, which im currently on experiment 3. I am fine with the code however the schematics of the circuits i need to build completly baffle me and I struggle a lot to understand what is going where and more importantly WHY what i put where has an effect. Can anyone point me in a direction of any reading material which will teach me how to read a schemetic and perhaps some general knowledge about the stampworks circuit board.

Kind Regards

Matt

Comments

  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2012-04-23 10:01
    I'm sure there are quite a few resources on the web these days, but I'd always recommend "The Art of Electronics" if you can beg/borrow/buy a copy, its a great book. I think circuit diagrams are straightforward to read once you have a feeling for the basics of electricity and electronics, that's the knowledge that gives you insight.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2012-04-23 10:11
    Another resource is the ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook. There's a good section on electronics fundamentals. You can probably find it at your local library. Pick up a used copy. The basics of electronics and schematics hasn't changed all that much for years.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2012-04-23 10:18
    @Matt: For starting out, you can't go wrong with any book by Forest Mims, sold by Radio Shack. The best, biggest, most complete ones are OOP, but you can still find them on Ebay or Amazon. Start with :

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/GETTING-STARTED-ELECTRONICS-FORREST-M-MIMS-III-/140741077769?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c4d26b09

    more info at http://www.forrestmims.com

    and then get:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Forrest-Mims-Engineers-Notebook-II-/390410175047?pt=US_Texbook_Education&hash=item5ae6428247
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-04-23 10:26
    Hey Matt

    You have programming background, you could start with the PROP. Quickstart is only $25. I started with a blinky LED, and worked my way up to down converting timing pulses for a laser rangefinder. If I can do it, anybody can.

    The exercises in the prop manual are a good place to start, but that are a gazillion resources for a gazillion topics. Just dive in and ask any random question, and somebody will point you in the right direction. Eventually you start to figure out where to look for what.

    If you really want to concentrate on the Stamp, post in the Stamp forums, and the Stamp guys will help stamp out your bugs.

    EDIT - I second the Forrest Mimms books, I still use those.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2012-04-23 11:09
    If you need to start with the basics, there isn't a better book to begin with than this one:

    Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims

    Mine is old and battered but still gets looked at occasionally.
    GettingStarted.jpg
    512 x 640 - 68K
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-04-23 11:10
    You've made quite an investment in the Stampworks kit so I imagine you want to stick with it and not move right now to something else. The tutorial book that comes with the kit is fine for the programming aspects, but if you're needing something a little more generic for electronics check out the free resources on this page:

    http://www.parallax.com/tabid/535/Default.aspx

    especially "What is a Microcontroller" and "Basic Analog and Digital." Both introduce circuit parts and their related schematic symbols upon first use. "Basic Analog and Digital" goes into much more detail, and isn't as beginner-oriented, so start with WAM.

    Forrest's book are fine, but none of it is in relation to microcontrollers, so there's a lot of coverage of things you won't touch on in the Stampworks kit. That may throw you off by introducing too many new concepts that aren't reinforced in the activities. If you want a reference book that includes a rundown of electronic parts and their symbols, see Forrest's "Electronic Formulas, Symbols & Circuits." RadioShack, among other sources, currently sells it. From there "Art of Electronics" and Forrest's GSIE are excellent segues in your learning experience. "Getting Started" is also in RadioShack, for only a dollar more than Amazon's price, so you can flip through it to see if it's something you think you can use.

    -- Gordon
  • Wa_MoWa_Mo Posts: 17
    edited 2012-04-24 02:07
    rtumatt wrote: »
    ....t to understand what is going where and more importantly WHY what i put where has an effect. Can anyone point me in a direction of any reading material which will teach me how to read a schemetic and perhaps some general knowledge about the stampworks circuit board.

    I can see what you mean.
    The book, accompanying the kit, just shows the circuit without going into the details of why.
    You need not spend any money on books (of course, the right book will help immensely), there are a bunch of tutorials available through the internet,

    eg: http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/

    or just type basic electronics into the search bar.

    Look for the datasheet of each semiconductor you use, and check for voltage and current ratings.

    eg.: http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/

    While the mathematics of electronics can be quite complicated for time varying voltage sources, for simple DC circuits Ohm's law is adequate.
    Learn how to apply resistors, capacitors and transistors. The above mentioned website does a nice job of explaining.

    If you can get hold of the northamerican edition of Elektor, they have an ongoing tutorial Electronics for Starters beginning with the January 2012 edition. Click on Magazines and 2012.

    -- Walter
  • bill190bill190 Posts: 769
    edited 2012-04-24 06:53
    Here is a link to the StampWorks Manual...
    http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/books/sw/Web-SW-v2.1.pdf

    On Adobe Reader page 43 (manual page 33) is Experiment 3 "DISPLAY A COUNTER WITH LEDS".

    Is that the schematic you do not understand?

    If yes, ask questions, then we will be looking at the same diagram(s) as you are.
  • rtumattrtumatt Posts: 8
    edited 2012-04-26 11:42
    Firstly iv been a programmer for the last 8 years and never have I been on a programming forum which members help you out this much!! So a massive thanks to everyone who has replied to my question I can tell im enterting a good community here. Ill take your suggestions away and do some more research and no doubt be back with a lot of silly questions.

    Again thanks everyone
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-04-26 14:07
    rtumatt wrote: »
    Firstly iv been a programmer for the last 8 years and never have I been on a programming forum which members help you out this much!!

    You'll find this forum different than most. It's got a lot of great contributors (don't know about this Erco guy, though!). The forum is very much a reflection of the company that sponsors it.

    -- Gordon
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