Make: Electronics: Learning Through Discovery

Description

“This is teaching at its best!” Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the
world’s most successful integrated circuit). “A fabulous book: well written,
well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It’s very
good at disarming the fear. And it’s gorgeous. I’ll be recommending this book
highly.” Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk. A
“magnificent and rewarding book. … Every step of this structured instruction
is expertly illustrated with photos and crisp diagrams. . . . This really is
the best way to learn.” Kevin Kelly, in Cool Tools. The first edition of Make:
Electronics established a new benchmark for introductory texts. This second
edition enhances that learning experience. Using full color on every page,
hundreds of photographs and diagrams convey concepts with unmatched clarity.
Platt uses a hands on approach throughout. You learn by building your own
simple circuits. You begin by blowing a fuse or burning out an LED to
demonstrate voltage, amperage, and electrical resistance. As it says on the
cover, “Burn things out, mess things up that’s how you learn!” The hands on
approach continues with basic switching circuits. You can cut open the sealed
case of a relay to see exactly what goes on inside. Unique 3D diagrams
illustrate components as they are plugged into a solderless breadboard. A
simple circuit reveals how a capacitor stores and releases electricity. While
Make: Electronics minimizes the amount of theory that you need, it does show
you how to figure out Ohm’s Law and do the simple math to calculate the time
constant of a capacitor. A buying guide shows basic tools ranging from pliers
to a low cost multimeter. Components such as transistors and capacitors are
shown in color photographs so that you will quickly recognize them. A simple
“finger test” demonstrates how transistors switch or amplify current. The book
then shows functional circuits that you can build to create light and sound,
leading to a plan for a simple intrusion alarm. Platt includes three chapters
explaining how to solder wires and build a permanent circuit. However, the
skill of soldering is not essential for other projects in the book. You learn
all about integrated circuit chips: how they work, what they do, how they are
identified, and where you can buy them. Build your own oscillator and one shot
circuits, and learn how to chain timer chips together. A simple circuit can
test the speed of your reflexes. Other circuits include a combination lock for
a computer, or a game in which players compete to be the first to press a
button. There is a novel, simplified circuit to build electronic dice. Make:
Electronics includes advice about setting up your work area, storing parts,
and buying additional tools, if you decide to venture further into the field.
The final section of the book explains inductance and the components that make
use of it, such as loudspeakers and a simple AM radio. Finally, three chapters
explain microcontrollers, with projects that can use an Arduino. A shopping
guide will minimize your investment in parts for the projects. Alternatively,
kits from independent vendors contain exactly the parts that you need. Ideal
for Beginners This book assumes that you have no prior knowledge. It explains
each concept in meticulous detail, and is friendly, patient, and fun. Positive
reader feedback has been received from people ranging in age from 8 to 84.
More than 200,000 copies have been sold. If you only buy one book about
electronics, this should be the one. Read more

Features:

Product Details:

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Make Community, LLC; 2nd edition (October 6, 2015)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 347 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 2
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 62
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 11 – 17 years
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.49 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.5 x 10 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #221,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #29 in Circuit Design #50 in Robotics (Books) #116 in Robotics & Automation (Books)