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Author Topic: what the heck does this dohicky do?  (Read 3189 times)

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Offline mdmedlinTopic starter

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what the heck does this dohicky do?
« on: August 08, 2009, 05:47:12 AM »
So basically at work we replace a lot of electronics.  I, being a mechanic and hopefully computer scientist after I get done with my degree in the spring, know nothing about electronics.  I see the boards they pull out of the machines and I take them apart.  I have become very good at desoldering equipment LOL.  The only things I do take are the DIP chips because they are the easiest.  But the problem that I have is I don't know what those chips do.  I have looked on the data sheets and there is a plethera of information.  I start to read it and then next thing I know I wake up with aso;dnfasn ;oasindv on my screen.  I admit that I know nothing where it comes to electronics.  I don't know a DUART from an A/D converter.  So the question that I have, where is someplace that I can go so that maybe I can learn something.  There are no electronics courses at the University I attend, or I would take them and hopefully learn something.  Your help is greatly appreciated.
Do or do not, there is no try yes I changed my picture, it is of my daughter.

Offline Conscripted

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2009, 06:15:58 AM »
For me I started with the book "getting started in electronics" by Forest Mimms III. http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=getting%20started%20in%20electronics&origkw=getting%20started%20in%20electronics&sr=1 It's a very basic book that does a great job of introducing a few key concepts. After reading that you can move on to things that are a little more complicated. I would also recommend a couple of publications www.servomagazine.com www.nutsvolts.com It worked for me.

Conscripted

Offline mdmedlinTopic starter

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2009, 06:20:50 AM »
I have seen some of those Mimms books.  The ones that I have seen are pretty old.  The paper smells funny LOL.  I will give them a read, but the ones that I have seen might be a little bit dated.  Thank you for the advice.  ;)
Do or do not, there is no try yes I changed my picture, it is of my daughter.

Offline wil.hamilton

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2009, 06:26:54 AM »
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline mdmedlinTopic starter

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2009, 09:52:50 AM »
I have read the tutorials and I guess what I am saying is that I am looking for something a little bit maybe more advanced??? As in, I have a DUART, what the heck is a DUART and how do I use it?  I have tried google, but it leads me to wikipedia and I am a wikiphobe.  I don't believe 90% of the stuff on there.  So, I have this pile of IC's and I don't know what to do with them is basically what I am saying.  They seem cool and we did go over logic gates and what not in my assembly class, so I understand that if I subject gates to voltages then based on the type of gate I have, what the output will be.  That stuff I understand, but I don't know what I can use those IC's for.  I have looked at the data sheets and like I said before, big snoozer.  I mean like one of the IC's is a clock.  What do I need a clock for?  I have many eproms, are those useful?  I thought that was why you had an mcu.  I will take a look at the Mims book when I am getting my textbooks for next semester. 
Do or do not, there is no try yes I changed my picture, it is of my daughter.

Offline kd5kfl

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2009, 10:12:19 AM »
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/

DUART: Dual Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter. Takes in parallel digital data, coverts it to serial and puts it on a wire. Takes in serial digital data, coverts it to parallel and puts it on wires. The heart and soul of a modem.

http://www.williamson-labs.com/

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

Offline mdmedlinTopic starter

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2009, 02:44:16 AM »
Thanks KD those sites were very helpful!
Do or do not, there is no try yes I changed my picture, it is of my daughter.

Offline wil.hamilton

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2009, 07:38:25 AM »
I have tried google, but it leads me to wikipedia and I am a wikiphobe.  I don't believe 90% of the stuff on there. 

for technical things wikipedia is right 99.9% of the time.  if you don't believe what is written there you could always look at the sources listed at the bottom of the article and read them ;)
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline Soeren

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2009, 02:18:54 PM »
Hi,

[...] I am a wikiphobe.  I don't believe 90% of the stuff on there.
Why?
Do you believe what's written here on SoR - usually without any references?
Regards,
Søren

A rather fast and fairly heavy robot with quite large wheels needs what? A lot of power?
Please remember...
Engineering is based on numbers - not adjectives

Offline guru

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2009, 10:16:01 PM »
Oh man! You just brought me back to the past! I lived and breathed his books when I was young. They're awesome!

For me I started with the book "getting started in electronics" by Forest Mimms III.

Offline mdmedlinTopic starter

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2009, 10:56:36 PM »
I take information with a grain of salt.  I am not saying that the people here don't knwo what they are talking about.  I am sure that they do and if they do make a mistake, usually the other people on the boards will be happy to point that out and correct any mistakes that others may have made.  I don't know a lot of the information that others post about because I have not studied electronics, I am a computer programmer.  I am hoping to change that as I go to graduate school.  I have heard that a lot of the techincal information on wiki is believeable because it was created by a bunch of computer geeks.  I do check the sources at the bottom and I go right to the source for the information.  There is a reason why professors in schools in the US don't accept wikipedia as a reference in reports, there is a chance that the information may have been corrupted by unsavory individuals.  I don't think that the people here are the types that will purposefully try to lead you astray.
Do or do not, there is no try yes I changed my picture, it is of my daughter.


Offline Truckstop

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2009, 03:19:43 AM »
Even if the books are dated the forest M. Mimms books are great, and a good source of information. i loved reading them and was disappointed when radioshack stoped selling them. next to components they were the best thing rat shack sold,
The Mongoose: Natures Assassin
The Hyena: Nature's A$$hole
And.....
The Lemming: Natures Retard

Offline 4by4

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2009, 01:48:01 PM »
I am a professional electronics engineer and I have used Mims' little books too. There's nothing really outdated about them. There will always be a need for 555's, quad NAND gates, 741 op amps, etc. , and the simple circuits based on them.

Offline guru

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2009, 08:30:05 PM »
The Forest M Mims III big book is back at Radio Shack ala new cover. Same ol' goodness inside. Didnt see the little books.

Offline Daanii

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Re: what the heck does this dohicky do?
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2009, 10:43:45 AM »
A set of basic, free electronics textbooks on the Internet is at www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/  Also, I like the book Practical Electronics for Inventors, by Paul Schertz.  Both are these are pretty hard core, though.  

 


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