Me too
I only started about a year ago. I bought an Arduino kit (pre-built) and then searched the web for step-by-step projects until I learned enough to be able to do the things I wanted to do. The spinny-text thing uses that Arduino. I'm a programmer by day, so it was far easier to program than it was to put the electronics together (for me anyway). I've recently learned how to print my own circuit boards, so that's made life a hell of a lot easier. I designed this board (and others - over the past 2 weeks - the time that I've been able to do this) using a program called 'Fritzing' - it's not brilliant, but it is free and quite easy to use.

As a kid I used to prize open microchips to see what was in them. Of course, I only ever resulted in breaking them into tiny chips of plastic and never seeing anything.

Try and find "Electronics for Dummies" and/or "Electronic projects for the Evil Genius" - I've not created any of the projects in them, but I have learned a thing or two by skim reading them (particularly the former).

Micro-controllers are easier than 'classic electronics' as I call it. If a pin is high/low it doesn't care if it was resisted to 1k or 100 ohms - it's just high or low.

I can read *some* basic circuit diagrams, but get lost once it goes past beginner stages.

Another web site that I like to look at where there are loads of little projects is instructables.com - there's tonnes of things on there ranging from the complete electronics idiot through to people making their own wind turbines completely from scratch - including the motor/rotors etc...

Let me know if I can help any more - it's good to have others in the same boat ;-)
(dchurch bah, Sun 20 Nov 2011, 16:56, 1 reply)

I'd strongly recommend - for anyone in this position.
Get 'The Art of Electronics'.
www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957

The first third of the first 6 chapters are a very good introduction to electronics, and the rest goes into more detail.
It's as light on the maths as can be, and very readable.
(speedevil, Mon 21 Nov 2011, 15:15, closed)

Ha
I have just that book sitting next to me!

Cheers!
(dchurch bah, Mon 21 Nov 2011, 18:41, closed)