12 replies to this topic

[Mario Vernari]

I have noticed that most of you love playing with chips and shields, but few has some good knowledge of circuitry. I'd propose another section of this forum (or somewhere else), dedicated much more to the circuitry, instead of programming. Let's say how to build a simple OP-AMP circuit, solve some logic, analog in general, etc. Anyone of you think that could be useful?

[Chris Walker]

Perhaps a good section for the new Wiki?

Chris

[Stefan]

Good suggestion, and would be a very nice wiki section as well. I know little about cirquits, I've been a programmer by profession for many years but did not much with electronic parts.

[Michel Trahan]

Not too general, meaning, applicable to our needs ... pull-up resistors, what to watch for, etc ... This is why I want every tutorial to have its own Fritzing diagram, to help learn, and documentation to say why it was done with this or that resistor/capacitor ... Wow, what a great community we have here

[Mario Vernari]

The Wiki could be all right. Stefan and Michel: please come to an agreement! About Fritzing, it is a great tool, indeed! Maybe it's because habits, but I am having hard time when I try to understand how a circuit is, by seeing from Fritzing. I mean the bread-board connections. It is much like to see a PCB instead of a schematic. I would suggest the schematic primarily, then a possible application by using a bread-board, so Fritzing. OK, anyway. Yesterday there was a request for a power meter using Netduino. I'll try to post a tutorial on the Wiki.

[Stefan]

Stefan and Michel: please come to an agreement!

We agree to each other, unless there's a langual problem I haven't noticed
I love the community too!

[Michel Trahan]

We agree to each other, unless there's a langual problem I haven't noticed
I love the community too!

There is no language problem that I see either LOL

I agree with the fact that schematic are good, but newbies like me like to see the real things and use the mouse to see what the piece of equipment is (what is the value of that resistor connected there) ... a schematic is very good when you know what to look at ... with the fritzing diagram I can understand the schematics I can relate things easier

By the way, I want everything in the wiki but I want to put more structure on the whole thing with documentation for the tutorials ... that is why I am creating my own site for my tutorials, and the fact that many friends of mine (french) want to see the tutorials in french ... I'll oblige them with pleasure ! I'll link them in the wiki once done too

[CW2]

I agree with the fact that schematic are good, but newbies like me like to see the real things and use the mouse to see what the piece of equipment is (what is the value of that resistor connected there) ... a schematic is very good when you know what to look at ... with the fritzing diagram I can understand the schematics

In Fritzing, it is possible to switch between 'breadboard' and 'schematic' view - so if there is a download link for the project file published along with the image...

[Nevyn]

I would suggest the schematic primarily, then a possible application by using a bread-board, so Fritzing.

I think Fritzing is easier to understand for someone new to electronics as a hobby.

Regards,
Mark

[Dan Morphis]

I think Fritzing is easier to understand for someone new to electronics as a hobby.

Regards,
Mark

If its not to difficult for the person doing the diagram, why not do both a Fritzing and schematic? I much prefer schematics, occasionally glancing at a Fritzing diagram to see if there is a better way to layout the parts.

Another option would be for whoever is creating the article to do the design in their tool of choice, and other members could translate it into the other.

-dan

[Nevyn]

If its not to difficult for the person doing the diagram, why not do both a Fritzing and schematic? I much prefer schematics, occasionally glancing at a Fritzing diagram to see if there is a better way to layout the parts.

\i think it depends upon the audience. I agree with yoiu in that I prefer schematics but in my blog posts I try to provide Fritzing diagrams. We all see things differently. Someone new to electronics will have to learn to read a schematic if they wish to follow up with this hobby but to do both for a complex project may be overkill. Would you really want to Fritzing a quadrocoptor project?

Regards,
Mark

[Michel Trahan]

Would you really want to Fritzing a quadrocoptor project?

That I'll have to try LOL

And I thought that by using Fritzing and doing the wiring diagram, the schematics would have been done automatically no ?

As for forcing people to use one tool over the other one ... not for here but on my web site I will. Everey project will have the same look and feel, consistent. And it will be for newbies mostly ... I even want to do a Solid Works of my future quadcopter to find the center of mass and put the sensors there

[Mario Vernari]

the fact that many friends of mine (french) want to see the tutorials in french

I do not want to hurt any french people, but I never understood why the hell the MUST have everything in their own language, otherwise...nothing!
I am making an effort by writing in english...OK, a surrogate of english...but at least everyone could understand me!

Well, schematic and layout...
I'd distinguish who wish to learn and who only want to see something working.
From the learning viewpoint, the schematic is much more clear, because it is a graphical representation of a circuit, that is oriented toward the physical comprehension.
Let's take this small circuit I have suggested not long ago.
I agree that I would have posted the Fritzing layout also, but...

...the layout representation is much a Lego bricks instruction to let you build XYZ. Finally you got exactly XYZ...but what if you wanted something different that XYZ?
Even a good practice guy may have hard time understanding the mess of wires and components, before modifying something.
The layout is a completion stuff, anyway, as a PCB.

I would also point some useful software tools, since here the only software applications are compilers and graphical tools.
There are at least three very nice circuit simulators: two are from Texas Instruments and one from Linear Technologies. They are all totally free.
Texas offers FilterPro, that is a very intuitive (also very basic) utility to develop active filters using op-amps. I have written an article about.
Texas also offers Tina, which is a much more serious circuit simulator.
LT makes the same with LT-Spice: a simplified, but effective way to test analog circuits before crying over paper and books.
I will post something about these simulators, because I think should be important that everyone could understand a bit where to put its fingertips.

Let me some time, anyway.