[QUOTE=sambooo;32267616]You're calling it a Duino because you couldn't get all of the letters on, [i]right[/i]?[/QUOTE]
I'll be what I wanna do.
Also I am now in possession of a thermoelectric module, and I have no idea what to do with it. :saddowns:
1 MOSFET and 2 voltage Regulators!
[img]http://i55.tinypic.com/xng7yp.png[/img]
Ok, I'm in a design class an we were issued auduino due's for our base project. We'll be interfacing it to LCD displays and stepper motors for the class, and I have to come up with an idea for a term project using the device as well as a selection of external sensor chips and devices. I have a few ideas milling about in my mind but any suggestions for a fun and interesting project are welcome.
I had a chat with some of the lab advisors and I managed to get ActiveRobotics off of them... the result: controlling a CRS-F3 robot arm with an xbox controller. I'll probably have a video soon, the movements aren't that smooth yet but it's fun to play with.
The Arm:
[IMG]http://www.phym.sdu.edu.cn/rolf/image/arm_overview.jpg[/IMG]
Also, does anyone know of any good indoor positioning systems? The only ones I was able to find were Active Bat and Cricket, and both of those are harder to get than the holy grail.
Screw perfboards! Freeform soldering is the way to go!
[img]http://i56.tinypic.com/119b191.png[/img]
ok i have an UNO board, and im looking to get into some more advanced stuff, what is this AVR i keep seeing people post about and were would i start with one?
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32297171]ok i have an UNO board, and im looking to get into some more advanced stuff, what is this AVR i keep seeing people post about and were would i start with one?[/QUOTE]
You shouldn't use something more complicated just for the sake of it being more complicated. Realistically unless you have a really good understanding of how the C language works at the core, you're only going to be way MORE limited when you attempt to jump into manually programming the chip in assembly. If something is simpler and can do what you want to do it makes a lot more sense to use that.
[QUOTE=Elspin;32298206]You shouldn't use something more complicated just for the sake of it being more complicated. Realistically unless you have a really good understanding of how the C language works at the core, you're only going to be way MORE limited when you attempt to jump into manually programming the chip in assembly. If something is simpler and can do what you want to do it makes a lot more sense to use that.[/QUOTE]
Wow, hold it there cowboy, he didn't say he wants to program in assembly!
[QUOTE=DrLuke;32298821]Wow, hold it there cowboy, he didn't say he wants to program in assembly![/QUOTE]
True, but he's talking about "getting started with avr" instead of an arduino, which is the microprocessor itself and usually implies you want to talk to it very low-level without the rest of the arduino including the bootloader etc. Everything else I said still applies either way in regards to making things more complicated just for the sake of being more complicated.
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32297171]ok i have an UNO board, and im looking to get into some more advanced stuff, what is this AVR i keep seeing people post about and were would i start with one?[/QUOTE]
I'd suggest you get a prototyping board where you have your whole avr with all peripherals on a single board, including some way of serial communication (FTDI or RS232). Then you need a programmer, it will upload the code to the avr, as it can't just do that over the serial.
Also, to clear things up: The Arduino is basically just a library for AVR, so you can theoretically code normal AVR-code in the arduino IDE. Maybe you'll find this easier to start, as you don't have to use any extra hardware, but I think the IDE is a major pain in the ass (adding libraries etc.)
[QUOTE=Elspin;32298206]You shouldn't use something more complicated just for the sake of it being more complicated. Realistically unless you have a really good understanding of how the C language works at the core, you're only going to be way MORE limited when you attempt to jump into manually programming the chip in assembly. If something is simpler and can do what you want to do it makes a lot more sense to use that.[/QUOTE]
Thats the thing i do want to get started using assembly, i know most of C, and i want to start getting out of embedded solutions, and start doing my own stuff, i know they listed some books on the first page, but which one would you suggest to start
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32300040]Thats the thing i do want to get started using assembly, i know most of C, and i want to start getting out of embedded solutions, and start doing my own stuff, i know they listed some books on the first page, but which one would you suggest to start[/QUOTE]
Becasue outside of My Digital Class from highschool, i know basic circuits, Bool, K-maping, but i wanna get more advanced, or atleast get my feet wet, before i decide to double major in Electrical and Computer science
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32297171]ok i have an UNO board, and im looking to get into some more advanced stuff, what is this AVR i keep seeing people post about and were would i start with one?[/QUOTE]
The AVR is a series of microcontrollers (MCUs) by Atmel. There are 8-, 16-, and 32-bit AVRs. Of the 8-bit, you've got ATMegas (big chips with plenty of peripherals and GPIO pins), and the ATTinys (little chips that are absurdly cheap). The Arduino itself uses an AVR ATMega 168 (at least the old ones do, I think they switched to the 328, but it's the same aside from the size of the program memory). The ATTiny 2313 is popular for smaller projects, but it doesn't have an ADC. I generally keep a few ATTiny461/861 around, as they're cheap (about $2 each) and they have a lot of useful stuff (including an ADC!). There's also the XMega, but the one time I tried one (on a major school project) it ended up being way more effort than it was worth. I ended up having to buy a second programmer to set a fuse bit to enable JTAG so that the first programmer would work (because both the programmer and the chip support PDI, but [i]that[/i] specific programmer doesn't talk PDI to [i]that[/i] specific chip, contrary to what Atmel's site would have you believe), also the datasheet is pretty fragmented and huge, and it's got a bunch of weird 'protection' features that means you have to flip hardware locks which allow you to change settings for like 16 clock cycles.
[QUOTE=ROBO_DONUT;32300749]The AVR is a series of microcontrollers (MCUs) by Atmel. There are 8-, 16-, and 32-bit AVRs. Of the 8-bit, you've got ATMegas (big chips with plenty of peripherals and GPIO pins), and the ATTinys (little chips that are absurdly cheap). The Arduino itself uses an AVR ATMega 168 (at least the old ones do, I think they switched to the 328, but it's the same aside from the size of the program memory). The ATTiny 2313 is popular for smaller projects, but it doesn't have an ADC. I generally keep a few ATTiny461/861 around, as they're cheap (about $2 each) and they have a lot of useful stuff (including an ADC!). There's also the XMega, but the one time I tried one (on a major school project) it ended up being way more effort than it was worth. I ended up having to buy a second programmer to set a fuse bit to enable JTAG so that the first programmer would work (because both the programmer and the chip support PDI, but [i]that[/i] specific programmer doesn't talk PDI to [i]that[/i] specific chip, contrary to what Atmel's site would have you believe), also the datasheet is pretty fragmented and huge, and it's got a bunch of weird 'protection' features that means you have to flip hardware locks which allow you to change settings for like 16 clock cycles.[/QUOTE]
Lol Damn you know alot. i followed about half of that, i wanna start learning, so where should i start, did you take any classes? or did you self teach? lemme know please
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32302630]Lol Damn you know alot. i followed about half of that, i wanna start learning, so where should i start, did you take any classes? or did you self teach? lemme know please[/QUOTE]
Most of us here are self taught, as for learning electronics there is plenty of information in the op.
I suggest you start learning and experimenting the classical way, I.E buy a breadboard, book and a bunch of components and start building.
Or you could go for the lazy guy approach and buy an Arduino, Arduino is great for beginners as it has plenty of time wasting projects that most people learn nothing from.
[QUOTE=Chryseus;32303555]Most of us here are self taught, as for learning electronics there is plenty of information in the op.
I suggest you start learning and experimenting the classical way, I.E buy a breadboard, book and a bunch of components and start building.
Or you could go for the lazy guy approach and buy an Arduino, Arduino is great for beginners as it has plenty of time wasting projects that most people learn nothing from.[/QUOTE]
Showcase number 1 bob!, as i stated i have an UNO board and its fun, but i wanna start getting advanced, i was looking at getting Principles of Electric Circuits but thats a 100+ book and when college starting lets just say money is a tad bit tight lol, so what book on there would you say would be good for me?
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32303706]Showcase number 1 bob!, as i stated i have an UNO board and its fun, but i wanna start getting advanced, i was looking at getting Principles of Electric Circuits but thats a 100+ book and when college starting lets just say money is a tad bit tight lol, so what book on there would you say would be good for me?[/QUOTE]
If money is a problem, there is a free book called "The Internet". Take a look at [url]http://ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/[/url].
[QUOTE=ddrl46;32304208]If money is a problem, there is a free book called "The Internet". Take a look at [url]http://ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/[/url].[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the link
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32302630]Lol Damn you know alot. i followed about half of that, i wanna start learning, so where should i start, did you take any classes? or did you self teach? lemme know please[/QUOTE]
Both.
I study comp. eng. in school, and I play around with electronics in my free time.
I can't recommend you any books because I don't actually read (I kinda skim things, I'm pretty illiterate and have no patience). The only exception was my textbook on transport phenomena (and semiconductor devices) which I found interesting enough to read in its entirety on the train, but I don't think you'll be interested in that just yet.
The best way to learn, I find, is just by doing stuff. If you read about what you're doing while you're actually doing it, you'll retain the information better. If you can scrape like $30-50 together, you can probably buy a sack of miscellaneous electronics to play around with. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who could rattle off useful parts to have if you're interested. Just make sure you go to a good retailer, like Mouser or Digi-key. Radioshack (and, to a lesser extent, SparkFun) have like 1000% markup on the small parts, and it adds up really quick.
Well, just experimenting, reading a lot of stuff on the internet, experimenting some more, breaking stuff and the such is what you want to do. Learning from a book can be tiresome.
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
Also, I almost finished my PSU now!
It's in a working condition, so I can theoretically use it already, but it doesn't yet have the automatic overheat shutdown and a status LED installed, so yeah. Have some pictures anyways:
Overview:
[img]http://i53.tinypic.com/29llf0k.png[/img]
Control Panel;
Top left: Select to display raw input, adjusted input or nothing
Top Right: Output raw input, adjusted input or nothing
Bottom: Select Polarity (To turn the whole thing off, just flip the switch)
Potentiometer: Voltage Control
[img]http://i55.tinypic.com/k9ooh.png[/img]
Banana Plugs;
Top Left: 3.3V
Bottom Left: 5V
Top right: Raw input or adjusted input
Bottom right: Ground
[img]http://i53.tinypic.com/rro7rl.png[/img]
If you want to make a similar PSU and need help, just contact me.
My Thanks goes to Chryseus for helping me with the op-amp and to ddrl46 for rating my dumb for no apparent reason on every post.
[QUOTE=ROBO_DONUT;32304528]Both.
I study comp. eng. in school, and I play around with electronics in my free time.
I can't recommend you any books because I don't actually read (I kinda skim things, I'm pretty illiterate and have no patience). The only exception was my textbook on transport phenomena (and semiconductor devices) which I found interesting enough to read in its entirety on the train, but I don't think you'll be interested in that just yet.
The best way to learn, I find, is just by doing stuff. If you read about what you're doing while you're actually doing it, you'll retain the information better. If you can scrape like $30-50 together, you can probably buy a sack of miscellaneous electronics to play around with. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who could rattle off useful parts to have if you're interested. Just make sure you go to a good retailer, like Mouser or Digi-key. Radioshack (and, to a lesser extent, SparkFun) have like 1000% markup on the small parts, and it adds up really quick.[/QUOTE]
Ok so in the range of parts what would be a good starter project, or a good set of starter parts?
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32307481]Ok so in the range of parts what would be a good starter project, or a good set of starter parts?[/QUOTE]
I dunno exactly what you've got so far. If you've got an Arduino, I'd assume you already have some stuff to work with.
You're going to need a wide assortment of resistors and capacitors. For resistors, values 100-100k ohm in metal/carbon film (metal generally has better tolerances, but it's not a huge deal usually). Make sure you get standard values (1.0, 1.5, 2.2, 3.3, 4.7, 6.8, multiplied by some power of ten), as non-standard parts will be much more expensive. Capacitors should be in the range of 0.1uF to 100uF, and should be ceramic/MLCC for small values (1uF or lower) and electrolytic for large values.
You don't need to get every possible value. I only stocked up on 100, 330, 1k, 3.3k, 10k, 33k, 100k and 330k initially, and I started getting other values later.
Microcontrollers: As I've said I'm partial to the ATTiny461/861, and they're generally enough for small projects. For really tiny projects, look at the ATTiny13, and for bigger projects, the ATMega88/168/328.
Make absolutely certain that you get all ICs in DIP (Dual Inline Pin) or PDIP packages.
Microcontrollers generally have an internal RC oscillator that runs at low speed. If you want the chip to run at full-speed, you'll need a crystal/ceramic resonator. I keep 20MHz and 12MHz ceramic resonators. Also keep load capacitors for resonators -- the datasheets will mention the exact value, but it's generally in the range of 15-22pF.
Shift registers are pretty nice. They come in two types -- serial-input, parallel-output (SIPO) and parallel-input, serial-output (PISO). They can be used to do serial/parallel conversions, but they're more often used by hobbyists to multiplex I/O because they require only two pins (data and clock) to cover any number of outputs. I use the parts 74HC164 and 74HC165, but the 74HC595 is also quite common.
LEDs, sensors, and whatnot are fun, buttons, too.
Operational amplifiers and comparators are useful for working with analog signals. Common op-amp parts are the 741 (old and crappy, but really, really cheap), the NE5534 (which has slightly better specs). You can get some really fancy op-amps from Burr-Brown or Analog Devices, but it's probably not worth the cost except in some really specific cases. Comparators are much like operational amplifiers, but they're specifically built to 'compare signals' instead of actually amplifying anything. They actually share the same schematic symbol on diagrams because, ideally, they do the exact same thing. The differences are just in practical implementations. The LM339 is a cheap, simple quad analog comparator with open-collector outputs (meaning it can output just about any logic level).
Again, all ICs should be DIP or PDIP.
555 timers are a pretty versatile IC.
You might want transistors to switch larger loads.
Signalling transistors:
BJT, NPN, 2n3904
BJT, PNP, 2n3906
MOSFET, n-channel, 2n7000 (I really like these)
Power transistors (for motors and such):
MOSFET, n-channel, IRF510
BJT, NPN darlington pair, TIP-120
You want signalling transistors in TO-92 packages and power transistors in TO-220 packages.
As for diodes, 1n4148 is a typical signalling diode, while 1n4001/1n4002/etc are power diodes.
Diodes should be in leaded, axial packages like resistors.
You might look into zener diodes for voltage references, but you probably don't really need them right now.
You'll need a few good voltage regulators. The LM317 is a variable voltage regulator (which can also be configured to act as a constant-current source), while the LM7805 and LM7812 are 5-volt and 12-volt regulators, respectively. Look for TO-220 packages.
I know this is a big list, so feel free to cut out whatever you don't think you'll use and just keep the stuff that sounds interesting.
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
Oh dear god that is a wall of text i am very sorry
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
also, breadboard and wire if you don't already have it.
[QUOTE=ROBO_DONUT;32309969]
Oh dear god that is a wall of text i am very sorry
[/QUOTE]
Oh god no, Thank you soooo much my good friend! you have done alot for me over like 3 different posts lol
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
Time to go shopping lol
[editline]15th September 2011[/editline]
Lol now i have like 400+ topics to learn too
Once I finish with my current project (using my LED light strips (courtesy of adafruit) as part of the lighting in a theatrical production (play sounds to lame)) (holy shit I need a syntax highlighter for all those parentheses!) I'm totally going online and buying all those things and nerding the fuck out.
Speaking of my project, does anyone know somewhere I can get info on DMX and it's protocol (and how to make it talk to an Arduino)?
I'd also suggest some digital logic such as:
CMOS 4011 quad 2 input NAND gate (7400 TTL)
CMOS 4001 quad 2 input NOR gate (7402 TTL)
CMOS 4070 quad 2 input XOR gate (7486 TTL)
CMOS 4013 dual D type flip-flop (7474 TTL)
CMOS 4068 hex inverter (7404 TTL)
CMOS 4017 decade counter (7490 TTL)
CMOS 4047 monostable / astable multivibrator (74121 TTL)
Robo also mentioned the SIPO and PISO shift registers which you can also get in CMOS, CMOS has a lower power consumption and a wider operating voltage than TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) components.
4034 SIPO
4021 PISO
As for op-amps / comparators just get the cheapest general purpose types available to you, they all have roughly similar specifications and only really differ when it comes to the type of transistors used such as bipolar, FET input, MOSFET but you won't need to worry about any of this unless you really get into analog electronics.
Get a book with with plenty of projects or simply look around the internet for interesting schematics, once you build something learn how it works don't just skip to the next project.
The best way to learn electronics is through trial and error.
Oh and don't forget to get some quality tools, avoid really cheap multimeters and get something decent such as the BK Precision2709B (99$), Fluke 18B (106$), basically anything not really cheap it should have true-RMS, current (AC and DC) down to the micro-amp range, continuity, diode tester and optionally capacitance, split current and voltage input jacks are also extremely useful.
If you want to do soldering make sure you get a good quality soldering station, it MUST have a temperature control and avoid lead-free solder if possible.
Yep, analog electronics also are a lot of fun!
My wallet is crying. I need to get another job unless someone would be willing to sell me some old tools they used?
[QUOTE=BRadNowacki;32320925]My wallet is crying. I need to get another job unless someone would be willing to sell me some old tools they used?[/QUOTE]
You dont [i]have[/i] to get expensive gear, a cheap meter will do what it's supposed to do if you stay at the lower voltages. Just don't expect accuracy.
Often the more expensive tools aren't even better or even worse than the cheap ones.
[QUOTE=DrLuke;32322513]Often the more expensive tools aren't even better or even worse than the cheap ones.[/QUOTE]
More features are not always better, expensive meters like the Fluke 87 are designed for safety and reliability more than anything else.
If you're doing anything with mains then using a cheap meter is just asking for trouble.
If you're not dealing with mains then go for a cheap meter, just make sure it provides all the core features such as AC / DC current down to micro-amps, continuity, diode check, autorange (preferable), voltage down to at least 0.1mV and has an input impedance of at least 10M ohm, true RMS is also very handy.
If it does not have this then it is of no real use to someone working with electronics.
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