First electronics book for a complete beginner?

[chirieac]

Hi,

I'm a self-taught 28 years old programmer. I've decided to start learning electronics to expand my knowledge, but I don't know anything about it and my math skills are not good.
With what kind of book can I start in this field?

I was thinking to buy Make: Electronics (Learning by Discovery)
But I've also saw Practical Electronics for Inventors, which is newer and on the description page there is this quote: "If there is a successor to Make: Electronics, then I believe it would have to be Practical Electronics for Inventors...."

Which one would be better to start with?

 

[Inquisitive]

Hi,

Personally I liked

Complete Electronics Self-Teaching Guide with Projects
By Earl Boysen and Harry Kybett
ISBN 978-1-118-21732-0

It is a good starter book. It assumes no prior knowledge and teaches basics.

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

A friend recently got very enthused about Practical Electronics for Inventors and recommended it. My first was the Radio Shack book "Getting started in Electronics" by Forrest M. Mims III. I noticed it there just recently. Then his book "Engineer's notebook II". That one is probably long out of print.

 

[cowboybob]

... and my math skills are not good. ...

Welcome to ETO, chirieac!

Since you're a programmer, I assume your math skills are adequate to those tasks. But I have to ask; when you say that your math skills are "not good", what do you mean?

Reason I ask is that electronics requires, at the very least, a working knowledge of, and a reasonable comfort level in using algebra.

Please forgive me for askng the question, but it is important to your question. I mean no insult.

 

[chirieac]

Well, when I say they are not good, I think they are bad. Currently I'm working as a web developer, but I've started programming learning C++. Also, worked with Objective-C to make an iOS app. Having said that, I didn't worked on complicated things that required more than basic math skills. Never went to an university, so no chance to learn more math, and what I've learned in my art high school I think is pretty much forgotten.
I will definitely need to start and learn math.

But, for now I just wanted to see how is electronics, if I like it and if I understand it. Getting an electronics book that has some intermediate math I think will push me away if I don't understand it. That's why I've specified that my math skills are not good, to not get recommended a book that requires some intermediate-advanced math.

Currently I'm also looking at this book: Electronics All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Ian Rogers]

I have both of Paul Horowitz books on "The art of Electronics" and the "Students manual for the Art of Electronics"

Both are really good books for learning and reference..

 

[cowboybob]

... Currently I'm also looking at this book: Electronics All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies. Any thoughts on this?...

I looked at it. Interestingly, they allow you look at the first few pages (up tp page 33) but then they skip page 34 which has the first math example (how to determine Power).

If you can do basic equations, for instance: E=IR (or, Volts[E] is equal to Current [I] times Resistance [R]) and variations of that equation, for instance, solving for I (hint: it's I=E/R) then you'll be fine. This is Ohm's Law and without the ability to use it you will have a very difficult time with learning and using electronics.

If not, then you'll need to spend some time improving your math skills to keep from becoming frustrated with electronics.

By the way, the book you referenced is probably as good as any other as a place to start and at an OK price.

I admire your willingness to learn. You've taken the first step (asking ETO for help). This forum is a good place to seek help along your way.

 

[killivolt]

I recently purchased this book used; I am after 30+ years trying to both get deeper into Electronics and Math.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12617240780&searchurl=kn=Delmar%27s+Standard+Textbook+of+Electricity&sts=t&x=-923&y=-100 ;

the book is written for someone with no Electrical or Electronics knowledge. Although I do have a small foundation in Electrical Theory. I have found it a good book for beginners and uses basic Algebra.

This book is very cheap but the info is still good for Beginners; it may seem outdated but all the info is still used today. If you can get through this book; you will be off to a good start.

Once you have done that I would suggest "The Art of Electronics" without something like the book above this book may get off the blocks into deeper knowledge maybe to quickly.

I currently have both books.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=9011472336&searchurl=an=Horowitz+Hill&sts=t&x=-923&y=-100

This is an excellent free Math site with Videos and in addition to online practice problems. I currently work at a University and am taking online courses using an e-learning system. They use Kahn Academy for their Working Examples of the Course; the Videos are embedded into the learning tool.

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra

Good Luck,

kv

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

Don't let the math worry you. Digital electronics requires very little math.
If you are building an analog circuit like a custom amplifier, you will need algebra. Then you would have a real world problem to solve instead of an abstract theoretical equation.
What looks like algebra isn't when you have real numbers to work with.
V / R = I is Volts / Resistance in ohms = Current in amps. I don't know why they use "I" for current.
12 volts / 100 ohms = 0.12 amps

 

[chirieac]

Thank you for all of your replies.
I've decided to buy the Make: Electronics book along with the components pack 1 & 2. It will be nice to have all the components from the start instead of trying to find everything by myself. This way, once I buy the tools, I can start right away with the book.

Unfortunately I will pay more than double for the book and components to be delivered to my country: $162.98 (Shipping) + $87.08 (Duties, Taxes & Others). The products alone costing $171.99.
So, I'm wondering, are there any other books that I may need to buy in the near future from makershed.com. It will cost me less if I buy them now, instead of later.
Is **broken link removed** a good book for Arduino or is there a better one/newer?

 

[chirieac]

About Getting Started with Arduino, I'm seeing reviews saying is too basic for an experienced programmer. I think is not for me since I would like a more advanced book that covers more stuff.

 

[misterT]

About Getting Started with Arduino, I'm seeing reviews saying is too basic for an experienced programmer. I think is not for me since I would like a more advanced book that covers more stuff.

Arduino itself is designed for somebody who is not interested in programming.. so "getting started with Arduino" sounds a very dumb book. I would not recommend beginner programming books for anyone.. you can learn all that stuff online. Buy a good book that delves into programming philosophy, design patterns etc.

One of the best books I know is "Real Analog Solutions for Digital Designers".

 

[chirieac]

Arduino itself is designed for somebody who is not interested in programming..

If that's the case, what other microcontrollers are better than Arduino?

 

[misterT]

If that's the case, what other microcontrollers are better than Arduino?

Arduino is not a microcontroller.. It is hardware that includes Atmel AVR microcontroller.. there are also versions that have a Microchip PIC microcontroller. Arduino IDE is a programming environment that is build using avr-gcc compiler and a library written in C++. They call the code "sketch" because "programming" or "C code" is too scary for some people.

 

[cowboybob]

Arduino itself is designed for somebody who is not interested in programming.. ...

and

Arduino is not a microcontroller.. ...

How so?

While I admire your obvious expertise as an accomplished programmer across multiple platforms and languages, why do you find it necessary to denigrate a simple, but nonetheless "programmable", inexpensive microcontroller often used by entry level hobbyists and some with modest but real world uses for just such a device (such as myself)?

I've always considered ETO as a forum that, unlike many, accommodates the neophyte and the expert alike, as well as all those in between...

 

[misterT]

Arduino is designed to make prototyping and hobby projects fast, fun and easy. Development boards like stk600 are designed for learning, debugging and testing how microcontrollers work and behave.

 

[misterT]

why do you find it necessary to denigrate a simple, but nonetheless "programmable", inexpensive microcontroller often used by entry level hobbyists and some with modest but real world uses for just such a device (such as myself)?

Arduino is a great piece of hardware. I don't think I never denigrated anything in this thread. I only said that Arduino is not a microcontroller.. it is merely a form factor and a programming IDE designed for hobbyists. But there is no such thing as "Arduino microcontroller". The microcontroller on most Arduinos is Atmel AVR.

A great, cheap, combination would be using the Arduino board and Atmel Studio for programming. I would not recommend the Arduino IDE for somebody who is willing to learn something.

 

[cowboybob]

Well, semantics can certainly be a slippery slope to disagreements. And we're getting off topic, but...

I'll admit that a microcontroller, as generally defined, is considered a single chip device around which a computer may be deveoped.

But a blanket comment that the "Arduino itself is designed for somebody who is not interested in programming.. ..." (my emphasis) certainly leaves me with the impression that you consider that the process whereby lines of code I (or any user) have to create, and is then processed and finally uploaded to an Arduino (in order for it to perform a task) is not a "program" (Arduino's use of the term "sketch" notwithstanding).

In short, I write it, it is then compiled and sent to the microcontroller with, of course, sometimes amusing results . That, to me, is the essence of a programming.

So I ask; At what level or in what manner, in your opinion, do the actions described in the sentence above become programming? This is in the arena of semantics I referred to previously.

Lastly,

... I would not recommend the Arduino IDE for somebody who is willing to learn something.

Noted, but I feel obligated to point out that I am using the Arduino IDE and, interestingly, I am learning something... most notably, the efficacy of its syntax error catcher; it will let me upload ineffectual code, even bewildering behavior code but thus far, never trash code.

 

[misterT]

I did not say you can't learn by using Arduino IDE.. I only said that I would not recommend it for learning purposes. Try Atmel Studio.. same compiler, same libraries, and you can even download Arduino plug-in for it.

 

[cowboybob]

OK. Thanks.

I'll give it a look.