Electronics beginner guides

[goofiesnacks]

Does anyone know of some good guides/electronic kits that help you learn basics about circuit elements and work your way up? For instance, a book called Make: Electronics has 36 experiments done on a breadboard that involve resistors, LEDs, switches, etc. It seems like a good book and has good review, but the lab kit required for it is way too expensive. Does anyone know of any books/kits that are similar to this book?

 

[goofiesnacks]

By the way, here is the link for the book that I'm talking about:

http://www.makershed.com/Make_Electronics_book_by_Charles_Platt_p/9780596153748.htm

 

[IRstuff]

There are LOTS of kits available on the web, like:

https://www.sparkfun.com/categories/157

However, the question is what are your objectives?

I personally don't think that you necessarily need to brute force your way through all the components of the kits your reference. I mean, sure, it's desirable to slog through all the resistor and capacitor experiments, but are they really necessary? A decent, free sircuit simulator can do more for you for the basic circuit elements. Again, your objectives should dictate what you need to learn.

A BOEBot kit might make more sense for certain objectives:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Robot...efault.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

or even a LEGO NXT:

http://www.frys.com/product/5978894?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

or something simpler/cheaper:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10170

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[goofiesnacks]

Thank you.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Radio Shack used to carry this stuff, but here you can get it from the author:

http://www.forrestmims.com/

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[IRstuff]

Well, if that's what you really want to do, you can buy the parts piecemeal, starting with the breadboard:

https://www.sparkfun.com/categories/149

You can get components from Digikey:

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/dkse...&newproducts=0&ptm=0&fid=0&quantity=0&PV13=33

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[ScottyUK]

Learn how analogue electronics works. If you understand analogue then digital will be easier, especially when it doesn't behave as expected.

 

[DRWeig]

There are some decent, if not high-quality, texts here:

http://www.electronicstheory.com/COURSES/ELECTRONICS/cindex.htm

google the phrases below for many more online tutorials:

electronics 101

passive components 101

basics of electronics

tutorial capacitor inductor

etc...

Best to you,

Goober Dave

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[electricpete]

Just to follow up IRStuff's comment about circuit simulators - there are some fine ones available for free.
LTspice for example.
Build you circuit - probe the waveforms with current and voltage traces. Try to understand why it does what it does. In many ways not much different than hands on ....and it's a lot easier/cheaper.

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