I have a question.

[poopeater]

I DO NOT THINK THIS WILL BE A POINTLESS PROJECT! My favourite saying is "An education is worth more than any sum of money"! I would rather save $400 now on learning about this stuff, than have to spend $5000 later for college. The more i can cram into my head now, the more money it should save later(schollerships!).

I am not dissing Microcontrollers. I love microcontrollers myself! I mean, microcontrollers are pritty much a simple computer, shoved into a small IC. A processer is just the processer. I just wan't to use a processer, not a microcontroller. Besides, a processer would look cooler, because there would need to be more things hooked up to it....

Well, it's not going to save you any money in the future. A college isn't going so say, "well, you already built a computer, so here are college credits for free". It doesn't work like that. You'll have to pay the same, regardless of your background.

Secondly, I don't know how many scholarships you think you are going to get with spelling like this. Your spelling is HORRIBLE. If I was on a scholarship review committee, I wouldn't even look twice at your application, to be quite honest. You say that education is worth more than money. I urge you purchase yourself a dictionary or something, and fix the problem with your spelling. I know you probably don't care about it, but it makes you look like a grade-A simp when you try to communicate via written word.

 

[Hayato]

Ok. I'll correct the ones you answered. The other ones you gonna study.

Qo you know what is a baud rate?
Y.A.: This i do know. Baud rate is bytes/sec.

Well, it's erroneous to call baud rate as bytes per second or bits per second.
1 Baud is 1 Data unit or 1 Symbol unit.

If a data unit is composed by 8 bits (or 1 byte), then 1 baud is 8 bits or 1 byte.
If a data unit is composed by 16 bits, then 1 baud is 16 bits.
If a data unit is composed by 20 bits, then 1 baud is 20 bits.

It all depends on the communication protocol used.

So baud rate = data unit rate = symbol unit rate = a given quantity of bauds transmitted on a given time.

Qo you know how high frequencies behaves in PCB trails? And in a round conductor, like a wire?
Y.A:I think i experience this once. Doesn't it act like an antenna? Producing noise?

Well, if you put AC or pulsed DC in a wire, it will act as an antenna. So it is not the expected answer.
The expected answer is that higher the frequency, more superficially it "travels" inside the conductor.
Take a look.
Each circle represents a transversal cut of a solid conductor.
Blue = "used" space.
White = "unused" space.

 

[Marks256]

Poopeater, you opend my eyes! You are totally right! I should just forget about college because my dreams are way to over rated. I think i will set my goals lower. I would like to flip burgers at Burger King all of my life! Yes, i can see it now! I get married to some lady named Big Bertha! Have 15 kids, and live in a beat down trailer park! Ahh, i can hear my kids now; "Aw dad! The kid down the street got a new bike! Can i have one too?". Unfortunatley, i would have to reply; "Aw Billy-Bob, i'm sorry, your mom and i can't afford it right now. Man, only if i would have gone to college and make something out of myself."

Listen jerk(aka; PoopEater), i don't want my life to go to waste. I am the type of person who's biggest fear is failure. I ABSOLUTLY FEAR FAILURE. I don't mean like; "Oh crap, this circuit doesn't work", because i can deal with that. No, i am talking about failing in the long run. I don't want to endup flipping burgers my whole life(obveously like you...)!
Around my commmunity, my school and buisnesses give out schollerships based on achivements. If i was to build a computer, and show it to the right people at my school, then they may relize; "Hey, this guy has potential."
Also, i really don't know why you are critiquing my spelling, because this is an electronics forum, not a spelling/grammer forum. I came here so i can learn something, and all the people like you are pissing me off! Hayato has been the biggest help so-far(i would like to thank him; thanks!).

 

[Teh0therside]

These people are trying to help you to the full extent of their ability. The poster that you are insulting is just preparing you for the failures you are likely to encounter while pursuing this project. I can guarantee you that acting properly towards those you are working with and speaking to will bring much more success than this one project.

 

[Marks256]

I guess you are right. Actually i know you are right. I just with they would spend more time actually helping me, than preaching to me, telling me that it will be a hard complicated task. I allready know that it will be hard!

Now, nobody has answered my question yet; WHERE DO I START?

I just checked out my local library, but there were no books there, or that could be orderd, that would help me at all. I am now stuck. I really want to learn all of this stuff. What "modulation" is, and how it works, and how to make a decimal to binary converter using nothing but simple logic. I just need somewere to start. Something that will help "Bring it all together". HELP! PLEASE!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Now, nobody has answered my question yet; WHERE DO I START?

You start at the beginning, you need an electronics education before you start - what projects have you built previously?.

 

[poopeater]

Poopeater, you opend my eyes! You are totally right! I should just forget about college because my dreams are way to over rated. I think i will set my goals lower. I would like to flip burgers at Burger King all of my life! Yes, i can see it now! I get married to some lady named Big Bertha! Have 15 kids, and live in a beat down trailer park! Ahh, i can hear my kids now; "Aw dad! The kid down the street got a new bike! Can i have one too?". Unfortunatley, i would have to reply; "Aw Billy-Bob, i'm sorry, your mom and i can't afford it right now. Man, only if i would have gone to college and make something out of myself."

Listen jerk(aka; PoopEater), i don't want my life to go to waste. I am the type of person who's biggest fear is failure. I ABSOLUTLY FEAR FAILURE. I don't mean like; "Oh crap, this circuit doesn't work", because i can deal with that. No, i am talking about failing in the long run. I don't want to endup flipping burgers my whole life(obveously like you...)!
Around my commmunity, my school and buisnesses give out schollerships based on achivements. If i was to build a computer, and show it to the right people at my school, then they may relize; "Hey, this guy has potential."
Also, i really don't know why you are critiquing my spelling, because this is an electronics forum, not a spelling/grammer forum. I came here so i can learn something, and all the people like you are pissing me off! Hayato has been the biggest help so-far(i would like to thank him; thanks!).

Whatever, kid. Like it or lump it, your spelling will be an obstacle to you in the future. Whether it be in getting scholarships, or if it won't manifest itself until you are actually working, mark my words. Your spelling is definitely bad enough that you should do something about it. I mean, most people don't expect engineers to be literary scholars, but there is a limit.

 

[Marks256]

You start at the beginning, you need an electronics education before you start - what projects have you built previously?.

None worth being proud of... What type of projects should i be working on?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

None worth being proud of... What type of projects should i be working on?

The normal sort of progression would be to start with small transistor projects, then perhaps multiple transistor projects, then IC's, probably 741 (or a more modern version!) and 555's, then logic chips (TTL and/or CMOS). The work towards larger and larger IC projects, bear in mind the large numbers of joints you have to solder in a large project, it's easy to make a bad joint or short multiple pins if you're not well experienced at soldering.

I suggested earlier building a simpler computer, I've finally found the book I was looking for, it's called "Z80 Microcomputer Design Projects (By William Barden Jr.)", I don't know if you could find one anywhere?, but have a look here **broken link removed**.

It takes you through building and programming a simple Z80 computer, and it's aimed at a fairly 'easy' level of experience. I often meant to build one, but never did get round to it!.

 

[Marks256]

Ok, i will start studing. I am going to desolder a bunch of components now, then start working...