Visual Images: Stamp Projects, Workshops & Workbenches.

Archiver

Hi all,
First, a great thanks for all the advice, recommendations, and
explanations.
I now have a nice list of books to investigate and have also discovered
that Mcgraw/Hill has a bookstore in NYC...I'm stop by and take a look
at their technology/electronics series.

I do tend to read a great deal (NOT about math or physics and nor do I
intend to) so the solution may be to gain additional book knowledge
from the recommeded texts supplemented by ALOT of experimentation and
fiddling around.
And no, I do not need to know everything under the sun, I too am
looking for practical knowledge for electronics applications...if the
circuit works that's the goal. But if it doesn't work I have to have a
sound, working, practical knowledge base so I can think it through and
understand why it's not working and how to make it work (and yes, with
as LITTLE math as possible).

Two final thoughts on the subject.
Is an oscilloscope a necessary diagnostic tool once one graduates from
a beginner to an intermediate level (and I'm still very much a
beginner). I've hoped I don't need to buy one as my electronics budget
is already stressed.
Finally, could you folks post some links that have good pictures of
your shop/workbenches and/or images of your completed Stamp cicuits.
I've managed to gather all these tools, supplies, and components and it
seems to have grown into this huge disorganized mess resting ontop of a
spare door on my tablesaw. It has got to the point where I need to
think about design and layout of a sensible, yet small, work area.
Also, I've been poring over schematics and equations, but it would be a
tremendous help and inspiration to look at some images of completed (or
uncompleted for that matter) Stamp circuits and projects, to see the
construction, design sensibility, physical layout...in short how all
the symbols and abstractions are incarnated into the physical world.
I'm a visual person and I think it is time to augment my understanding
with some images.
Please post either to the list or e-mail me privately depending on the
relevance to this group.
Thanks for all the support and guidance!

Cheers,
-Neal

Archiver

Just today there was a problem where a data line was floating in
between logic zero and logic one, as opposed to the +5 or gnd you
would expect to see. Problem was there was an octal latch with an
output that would not completely shut off. This would be missed with
a logic analyzer or DVM. Scoping the data lines one at a time found
the problem quickly (identifying the tainted chip took a bit longer)

This failure occured on a product incorporating a proven design, the
problem was almost certainly in hardware.

This is the kind of problem that makes me nuts until I find it.
Problems like this can make a unit operate strangly. If it's
something on a breadboard, of if the design is unproven you may be
driven to question the design, the code, everything...

I could not do this stuff at work, or at home, without a scope. It
lets you really see what's happening inside the wires. Once you have
one you'll never understand how you got along without it. It is
impossible to do many things in electronics without this useful tool.
This includes just about everything that involves the processing of
analog signals.

I got my scope (dual trace, 20mhz - - nothing fancy) at a hamfest
for 40 bucks. I'm sure you can find a halfway decent one on ebay.

I will email you a picture of my home workshop as soon as I can get
the picture scanned. I am proud of what I accomplished with the
resources available.

I will also send you some of my completed stamp code. This will show
you how not to do it. The biggest thrill for me is looking at
something and finally understanding just what it is I'm looking at.
Being a newbie is so much fun...

Regards

Rich

--- In basicstamps@y..., lovegasoline@y... wrote:
> Hi all,
> First, a great thanks for all the advice, recommendations, and
> explanations.
> I now have a nice list of books to investigate and have also
discovered
> that Mcgraw/Hill has a bookstore in NYC...I'm stop by and take a
look
> at their technology/electronics series.
>
> I do tend to read a great deal (NOT about math or physics and nor
do I
> intend to) so the solution may be to gain additional book knowledge
> from the recommeded texts supplemented by ALOT of experimentation
and
> fiddling around.
> And no, I do not need to know everything under the sun, I too am
> looking for practical knowledge for electronics applications...if
the
> circuit works that's the goal. But if it doesn't work I have to
have a
> sound, working, practical knowledge base so I can think it through
and
> understand why it's not working and how to make it work (and yes,
with
> as LITTLE math as possible).
>
> Two final thoughts on the subject.
> Is an oscilloscope a necessary diagnostic tool once one graduates
from
> a beginner to an intermediate level (and I'm still very much a
> beginner). I've hoped I don't need to buy one as my electronics
budget
> is already stressed.
> Finally, could you folks post some links that have good pictures of
> your shop/workbenches and/or images of your completed Stamp
cicuits.
> I've managed to gather all these tools, supplies, and components
and it
> seems to have grown into this huge disorganized mess resting ontop
of a
> spare door on my tablesaw. It has got to the point where I need to
> think about design and layout of a sensible, yet small, work area.
> Also, I've been poring over schematics and equations, but it would
be a
> tremendous help and inspiration to look at some images of completed
(or
> uncompleted for that matter) Stamp circuits and projects, to see
the
> construction, design sensibility, physical layout...in short how
all
> the symbols and abstractions are incarnated into the physical
world.
> I'm a visual person and I think it is time to augment my
understanding
> with some images.
> Please post either to the list or e-mail me privately depending on
the
> relevance to this group.
> Thanks for all the support and guidance!
>
> Cheers,
> -Neal