Learn Electronics & Microcontrollers
The crystal oscillator is everywhere. The need for precise frequency control sets the stage. Crystals ensure not only accurate timing for microprocessors and microcontrollers, but also in setting the frequencies of any radio or wireless device.
Sure, you can make an oscillator out of capacitors, inductors, and resistors but their limitations are severe. [Read more…] about Let’s Get Crystal Clear: A Primer on Crystal Oscillators
Electronics hobbyists and enthusiasts are a very dedicated bunch. I should know, not only am I an enthusiast, I’m an EE.
In many of my posts, I talk about various topics on electronics and occasionally computers (they are electronic, after all). This time I wanted to do something a bit different and talk about the hobby itself rather than discuss some type of component, protocol, or electrical theory. In that vein, this post will be a bit shorter than some of the others, but no less important if you’re an electronics hobbyist or enthusiast.
Below are three common mistakes I’ve seen many electronics hobbyists make. I’ve also made some of them myself. To help you avoid these mistakes, I list them and then go into some detail about each one.
Be sure to read all three (short) mistakes. At the end, I have a special bonus for those who are interested.
[Read more…] about 3 Common Mistakes All Electronics Hobbyists and Enthusiasts Make
What even mildly-seasoned electronics geek has not used or at least heard of the 555 timer?
Few, as 555 timers have been around since the early 1970’s.
The timers are great for creating pulses of varying widths, among other things.
Why not use a microcontroller instead?
For one thing using an Arduino or a PIC just to create pulses is like killing a mouse with a hand grenade. It works, but it’s an extreme over-kill.
Second comes cost. I talked about the cost of some popular “trainers” like the Arduino in my post about working directly with microcontrollers vs trainers. A 555 timer can be purchased for about $0.35 in quantities of one. Buy more and the price drops.
Things like PICs and trainer boards are not only more complex to work with, they take up more real estate and power than a tiny 555 chip.
There is a myriad of other uses for the timers including switch debouncing, tone generators, triangular waveform generators, a voltage controlled oscillator and more. In fact, people are still coming up with new used for these ICs to this day.
[Read more…] about An Introduction to 555 Timers
You may have heard rumors about ISPs engaging in Internet connection speed throttling. This is especially true when it comes to downloading music, movies, and other media.
But first some background on this post is in order, as it slightly deviates from the other content.
Since 2007, I’ve owned and operated a computer consulting and repair business in my area.
Yes, this is a blog about electronics, but computers and other things that make up the Internet are indeed electronic. And, like the topics of general electronics, microcontrollers, or Arduinos, the topic of computers is technical. Because of this, I may sneak in a helpful post about computers and other technology once in a while.
Now, let’s talk about Internet connection speed throttling, how to tell, and what to do about it.
There is some truth in the rumors, depending on who your ISP is, what you download, etc. We’ll talk about how to tell if your ISP engages in bandwidth throttling and what to do about it.
Please note, however, that we do not condone or endorse illegal downloading of copy-righted material.
[Read more…] about ISP Throttling: How To Tell & What To Do About It
There are many different types of batteries, and they are an invention that, believe it or not, dates back several thousand years.
What appears to be ancient batteries have been unearthed in what is now Iraq. These batteries were made of clay jars filled with vinegar. An iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder was placed in the vinegar. These ancient cells typically produced 1-2 volts.
What ancient Iraqis would have done with 2V remains somewhat of a mystery, but the invention of the first “real” battery is credited to Alessandro Volta around 1800.
Why Volta and the not ancient Iraqis?
For one, no one knows who the original designer of the ancient battery was.
Secondly, it’s likely that Volta had at least some rudimentary understanding of how his battery worked, while no one’s sure if the ancient Iraqis did or if they even used it as a battery at all. The verdict on what exactly this artifact was intended for is still out.
Of course, Volta’s battery (and the ancient versions) were nothing like the batteries you’re used to working with today.
[Read more…] about Types of Batteries & How They Work Part 1
Open source electronics “trainer” boards like the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, the BeagleBone and others have been an enormous boon to introducing more people to electronics and science.
This is because they make working with microcontrollers and programming easier by way of abstraction.
The popularity of these boards has exploded over the past 8-10 years or so.
In the past, using a microcontroller in your projects meant working directly with the micro and supporting hardware, programming in C, and a host of other things.
Be that as it may, there are reasons why the hobbyist should consider learning to work directly with the “naked” or stand-alone microcontroller. We’ll talk about some of those reasons in the words that follow, but first we’ll talk about the difference between a trainer and a microcontroller.
[Read more…] about Getting Naked: Working With Naked Microcontrollers vs Trainers Like Arduino
