Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Darren New wrote:
>> Invisible wrote:
>>> How many resistors can you see? Because I count NONE!
>>
>> I look at an Intel chip stuck to my motherboard, and I don't see any 
>> transitors, either.  The gate-level logic is working with bits, not 
>> voltages. You're not going to see the analog stuff that makes the bits 
>> work there.
> 
> ....which is why I'd rather work at the gate-level. ;-)
> 

The problem is that digital electronics are based on analog circuits.  A 
lot of digital circuits can be wired up with out knowing anything about 
analog, but when something doesn't work as you expect, you might quickly 
get lost.


And as you have found out with LEDs, even when you think you are only 
dealing with digital, you are dealing with analog as well.

You don't have to understand breakdown voltages and the like to 
successfully work with LEDs, you just have to understand some of their 
base characteristics.

Even something as simple as a button or switch can cause problems.
When you close the contact there are literally thousands of connections 
made and broken in the very short time before the contact is completely 
closed.  If you have a counter, it might count 4 or 5 on each button 
press, not just one.  That's what debounce circuits are for, but they 
can be analog - go figure.



Electronics can be deceptively simple, but insanely complex.


I think you have the capacity to really work well in electronics - but 
you just don't have the background in how it all comes together.  That 
comes mostly with experience.

Books will tell you how to calculate you need a 524 ohm resistor - 
that's insane.
Experience will tell you that 470 ohm (a typical value) is OK.

Don't get discouraged when things don't work as you think they should.
Pretend that you don't know anything about what is not working and go 
research it.  You will learn loads and loads.
If a LED doesn't light, go learn how it works.
The same goes for most anything else.

Don't try to build a rocket ship - build something simple.
Get a book that doesn't just say hook this wire here and there, but that 
actually goes through how it all works.
The CMOS Cookbook I pointed out earlier is a good book in that reguard.




Tom

Post a reply to this message