Taking on a lot at once... Eeeek.

[SurfingOverLand]

Hi guys,

Short term lurker, just popping in to say hello!

As if having a baby wasn't enough toward the end of last year, I thought this year I'd add in the challenges of trying to further myself in my career and prospects in an attempt to better provide for my family.

Electronics has been a growing interest and passion of mine for the last 4 or 5 years but I've only ever dipped my toe in, well not anymore.

From October I'll be taking on a part time university course in computing and electronics engineering whilst working and raising our little dude. Alongside all of that, I'm hoping to find the time to learn;
- Mechanical CAD (AutoCAD / SOLIDWORKS)
- PCB/circuit design and CAD (KiCAD)
- Github (Because I have no idea how to use it!)
- Coding (C, C+ and Python, though some of this will be covered in the course)

And finally, trying to build some projects with my new found knowledge.

Any tips and tricks on my early stages are more than welcome but otherwise, hello!

 

[Delta Prime]

Hello! Right back at you and welcome to maker Pro.
PCB circuit design PCB layout schematic capture programs.
You got to start with the basics of course you know this you know the components. schematic symbol of components that is?
The laws that govern circuit theory.
Ohm's law
Kirchhoff Current Law
Kirchhoff Voltage Law

Electrical heating effect
First Law of Joule
Second Law of Joule

Basic laws of physics
Coloumbs Law of Electrostatics

Faraday's law of electromagnetic inductance

Biot Savart Law for Electric and Magnetic field
That should keep you busy in between diaper changes!
Have fun now.

 

[SurfingOverLand]

Hi Delta,

Thanks for the welcoming!

Yes, always start with the basics. The majority of what you have listed I "feel" I know but have not formally learnt.

However! In preparation for the university course, I have been taking some "bridging courses" to get me up to speed on these basic subjects, the maths had been completed, mechanical engineering is currently being undertaken (almost at the end) and I've saved the best for last, electrical engineering.

I've given myself the challenge of getting these done by September so that I have some time to cover some of the others above before the uni course begins in October.

Busy busy busy!!

 

[bertus]

Hello,

The partner website All About Circuits has a couple of "books΅ online.
You can find them in the education section here:
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/

An other website with a lot of linkpages with a lot of subjects is the EDUCYPEDIA.
Each link on the main page will give you a new linkpage to universites and companies:
http://educypedia.karadimov.info/electronics/electronicaopening.htm

As the internet can be very volatile, links may not work.
Not working link most times can be found back in the internet archive:
https://archive.org/
Put the not working link in the wayback machine and it will show you a calender page on wich snapshots are taken.

Bertus

 

[SurfingOverLand]

Hi Bertus!

Thanks for all of the links, I'll be sure to check them out, it looks like they'll fill some of the gaps in my knowledge!

 

[Delta Prime]

How about getting your hands dirty how about some simple circuits you can build perhaps on a solderless breadboard something to do with your newborn employing mechanical and electrical engineering. What comes to your mind perhaps a turnstile over the crib with LED lights with a simple motor to make it turn change direction fade in fade out different colors nothing too bright just eye-catching. I bet you you get a lot of giggles, oohs and auws
After you have proven that it works using the solderless breadboard then you can transfer that to schematic capture program and have a PCB made. it'll be your own design.

Heck my own description just made me want to have children but I think I'll just continue to practice.

 

[bertus]

Hello,

As for books on electronics, have a look in this library of the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/folksca...ion&sort=-publicdate&and[]=language:"English"

Bertus

 

[Delta Prime]

The site you're on right now has wonderful information. Come on... let me show you around.

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-link-sites.295584/post-1817899

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/audio-information-and-calculators.294610/post-1811043

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-tutorial-books.293766/post-1804242

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/kicad-tutorial-source.293684/post-1803658

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-calculators.293427/post-1802051

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/various-resource-sites.292560/post-1795265

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/resistors-capacitors-zener-diodes-why-the-funny-values.283163/post-1726416

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/power-supplies-common-terms-and-limitations.277724/post-1683936

 

[SurfingOverLand]

How about getting your hands dirty how about some simple circuits you can build perhaps on a solderless breadboard something to do with your newborn employing mechanical and electrical engineering. What comes to your mind perhaps a turnstile over the crib with LED lights with a simple motor to make it turn change direction fade in fade out different colors nothing too bright just eye-catching. I bet you you get a lot of giggles, oohs and auws
After you have proven that it works using the solderless breadboard then you can transfer that to schematic capture program and have a PCB made. it'll be your own design.

Heck my own description just made me want to have children but I think I'll just continue to practice.

What a great ideas Delta, not something I had thought of! I do have a breadboard at my disposal and can likely get hold of a small motor at little/no cost.

The thing I struggle with however, where do I actually start? Circuit diagram presumably?

Hello,

As for books on electronics, have a look in this library of the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/folksca...ion&sort=-publicdate&and[]=language:"English"

Bertus

Thanks for the library link Bertus, that looks to have some great resources covering just about every topic by the looks of it!!

The site you're on right now has wonderful information. Come on... let me show you around.

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-link-sites.295584/post-1817899

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/audio-information-and-calculators.294610/post-1811043

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-tutorial-books.293766/post-1804242

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/kicad-tutorial-source.293684/post-1803658

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/electronics-calculators.293427/post-1802051

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/various-resource-sites.292560/post-1795265

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/resistors-capacitors-zener-diodes-why-the-funny-values.283163/post-1726416

https://maker.pro/forums/threads/power-supplies-common-terms-and-limitations.277724/post-1683936

Thanks again Delta, don't you know I have enough to do already however?! Hahaha! No, seriously, thank you. I will have a thorough read during the nap times!

 

[Delta Prime]

I used to browse DIY kits, a lot of times they give you so much information like component lists
Or what they call a BOM (bill of materials) which would spark my imagination and I would run with it. Put my own stink on it . Those days were so much fun. Staying a breast with current technologies is just as invigorating as it was back then. You never going to grow tired of it.