Recommendations for good electronics books?

[Vermonter73]

I'd like to be able to build drivers....with some features :twothumbs

Back in school I had a good introduction to DC and digital. But nowadays I'm a bit rusty and I'd probably be the guy making the burning smell

Any recommendations on good books? Or other resources?

Thanks for any info!

 

[MrAl]

Hi there,

There are so many books out there it's hare to say which are best, but
remember you can also ask questions here regarding the type of circuit
you want to build. Understanding circuits is all about understanding
circuit analysis...being able to look at a schematic and translate that
into mathematical equations that when solved yield the secrets of that
circuit.
Also, since circuit analysis has progressed programs called 'simulators' have
begun to come about. These programs allow you to draw the circuit in
a window and then do a time analysis on it to see what output you get.
Best part is, there are free versions on the web. Linear Tech makes one
you can download and it's quite useful.

Dont forget to use your fav search engine too, as there are many circuit
examples on the web for many different kinds of devices including drivers.

Learning about the different parts that goes into a driver or other circuit
can sometimes be best if you download the data sheet for the particular
part you have in mind. You get this by going to the manufacturers web
site and doing a search for the part, then downloading the data sheet.
The data sheets usually come in pdf format, so you need Acrobat Reader
as a minimum, which is also free. There are going to be lots of specs
in many of these data sheets, so you might end up doing another search
to find out what a particular spec means.

 

[OhMyGosh]

You can learn a lot by reading the chip manufacturer's spec sheets and application notes. Study the circuits and try to understand what each part does and why it is there.

See any of NewBie's posts for a link to his website. Lots of good info there.

If you are a beginner and don't know the schematic symbols and basic formulas and parts, a small book should get you started. You need to know basic things like resisters, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors. If you have a good understanding of those parts you will know 75+% of electronics. It really isn't as complex as it seems. Radio Shack used to have some good intro books but I don't know if they still have that kind of thing.

Don't worry to much about reactance and ac circuits starting out. That isn't to important for DC circuits for a beginner.

As you get more advanced you move from the 'ideal' parts to 'real world' parts where inductors have some capacitance and resistance and current limits, and a capacitor's resistance(ESR) is often more important than its capacitance. Most of you time will be spent on dealing with the limitations and deficiencies and cost of real world parts, rather than the basic circuit.

 

[HCaul]

My two favorites:

The in-depth classic is Horowitz and Hill's Art of Electronics. The digital stuff is out of date, but it remains the best practical introduction to analog circuit design in print. Not for the squeemish, though. This is a serious, big, no-nonsense book aimed at engineers. It's highly readable, though, and assumes nothing beyond high school math.

A great practical introduction is a book called "Practical Electronics for Inventors". I don't have my copy handy and don't recall the author, but it's still in print. (Amazon has it). Very readable, assumes no background at all, and FULL of practical advice. I get one for everyone who works in my shop.

H Caul

 

[paulr]

I was also about to recommend Horowitz and Hill. It cuts through a ton of nonsense. Every page is a revelation.

 

[OhMyGosh]

I just ordered Art of Electronic at Amazon - thanks for the recommendation. Kind of expensive but I don't mind if I know it is good.

 

[paulr]

I should have mentioned, the book has its own web site:

http://www.artofelectronics.com

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,

Oh yeah, of course there is the EE course right here on CPF written by
yours truely The course is in the sticky threads section.

 

[Vermonter73]

The Art of Electronics sounds like just what I'm looking for. I can read schematics and know the basic formulas still, and can understand data sheets. I just need a refresher to put it all together and to remember where to put a resistor to keep from frying my circuits

Thanks for the info!

 

[sysadmn]

Once you're past the refresher, look into National Semi's Analog University http://www.national.com/AU/design/. It's been mentioned several times in response to similar questions (usually by me A similar resource is their tutorial: http://www.national.com/appinfo/power/files/f4.pdf