As most of you first learned about electronics and then started with Arduino, I may be strange as I started with Arduino first. Now I'm going to order some basic stuff and I want to know what you guys would suggest me.
I bought a resistor set (and 80 LEDs and a diode set) some months ago, so I won't have to order any.
What values of capacitors should I get and how much of each? What IC's (logic, amplifiers, ...)? And what transistors?
Have you ordered from that website? Prices seem very cheap to me. I would suggest you order small amounts from them to see how the quality and shipping go.
I have a multimeter - although I think I burned the fuse of the ampere-measering. I had a thing like this for christmas 2 years ago:
But then I met Arduino, and you can't pull out the transistors to pull them in a breadboard - that's why I want to order some. But with all those current, voltage, and amplification ratings... it's just a bit confusing
That shop seems to have a good rating, btw. Shift registers are on my list
I have a multimeter - although I think I burned the fuse of the ampere-measering.
You should definitely give a high priority to replacing the fuse, and making sure it's really the fuse that got burned up. You don't want to find out that the meter is ruined after you've spent your whole budget on parts.
Which raises the question of how big your budget is: if you let us know that you just want to spend, say, $50 or so to see whether you want to get serious about the hobby, it will keep people from suggesting that you buy $30 temperature sensors or lots of expensive servos.
You will probably find that there aren't enough resistors in that assortment to go with all the LEDs, and you'll want to buy a few dozen of the values you need for them. Check the specs on the LEDs, to find out what their operating voltages are, and pick resistors that will limit them to 10-15mA or so. E.g., if it's a typical red LED that's spec'ed for 1.7V, you'll want a resistor in the 220-330 Ohm range to run it off 5V.
For transistors, get a couple dozen low-power NPN and PNP switches like 2N2222 and 2N3906, and a few beefier ones like the TIP120 for experimenting with motors and other big loads.
You'll want some 5K pots for analog inputs. Mostly linear, but grab one or two log pots just so you can learn about the difference, and will have one on hand if you ever do a project where you want non-linear control.
Thank for the replies!
They don't have 0.47 uF ceramic capacitors, but they do have them in 'mylar' form. Would that work too?
And I opened the multimeter - it is the fuse. On the side it says F200mAL250V. On Tayda, they only have a 'ceramic fuse time delay' of 200mA. Could I use that one, or should I buy a 160mA or 250mA fast acting?
I've got over a thousand .1 axial monos I bought years ago, for a product idea that didn't take off as expected. They're on strips cut from tape-and-reel. Now the adhesive has dried out, so every time I go to grab a few, they spill all over the place.
So I can't ebay them, even at a loss, and, barring an earth-shaking medical breakthrough, it's highly unlikely I'll live long enough to use them all.
74HC595's - already on my list
ULN2803A's - check
RGB LED's - not available at Tayda
2n2222a Transistors - already on my list
Those guys at Tayda are great! I asked them why they don't sell 32.768KHz but DO sell a real time clock chip that needs an external 32.768kHz crystal. Today, I got an e-mail back with a 'sorry for the late reply' (I mailed on saturday in the evening but I didn't expect an answer so fast, I mean, who works on sunday?), and a message that there's now a 32.768kHz crystal available! In 2 days! I'm starting to love them!
My cart is currently about $81 (with the $11 shipping included). That's ?62, of which I currently have ?40. One month of waiting left...
And I managed to get three $6 samples (a I2C seven segment driver). Samples are awesome!
Like I said, eBay is your fried for leds... I got a bag of 100 RGB leds on ebay for $8 shipped... I know that tayda is great. I just don't think it's smart to limit yourself to 1 seller just because "there service is great."
If you plan on doing anything with DC motors, or anything else that might need an h-bridge (or you want to learn about h-bridges), get the complement (PNP) of the 2n2222 as Ran mentioned (2n3906) as well.
Also - you might want to buy one or two L293 or L298 h-bridge ICs (note that the L298 can -not- be plugged into a breadboard or perfboard as-is - but it does have a higher current rating than the L293 and can be bridged as well - there are people and places online that sell adaptor PCBs). Once again (and especially with these parts, as they can eat into your budget) only buy these if you think you will be doing projects with DC motors (and even then, you might want to wait); I don't consider them expensive parts, but I don't know your budget, either.
Finally - you might want to think about (and perhaps purchase) something for storage of your parts. I always reccommend Stack-On multi-drawer bins, but they are fairly expensive, and you need the room for them, and they may not be ideal for your "workbench".
Another idea, though, that is fairly cheap and great for someone starting out (or someone needing portability), is a multi-tray fishing tackle box. The multiple fold/fan out trays are perfect for holding a multitude of small, easily scrambled-up parts (since that is what they are designed to help prevent), and there are generally compartments to allow you enough room for a small multimeter, a soldering iron, and some solder (and other "larger" items).
two L293 or L298 h-bridge ICs seems fairly cheap at e-bay,
From what I've researched, ebay is the cheapest for those two components.
The difficult thing to find/buy though, are multiwatt-15 heatsinks; DigiKey has "something", but they don't show pics, and their part descriptions are none-too-clear. SparkFun has a large heatsink for those devices, but if you are wanting to encase your PCB, you'd need a tall box for that heatsink (or let it stick out).
I managed to find some heatsinks that should work OK at Apache Reclamation here in Phoenix, for only $0.15 USD each - but I have yet to find anyplace or anyone selling the nice thick heatsinks you see mounted on L298 driver PCBs and shields sold on Ebay (not sure why that is, you can get everything else on there).
Does anybody know of a good and cheap source for multiwatt-15 heatsinks?
Does anybody know of a good and cheap source for multiwatt-15 heatsinks?
I suggested recycled 386/486 CPU coolers to someone who recently bought an L298 shield. But I like overkill on safety items, and don't usually worry much about aesthetics. :
Whilst not a suggestion of components, a good place to get them cheap is to see if any local amateur radio clubs are having fairs. My local group have one every year and there are usually lots of stalls selling components and equipment at budget prices.
If you are working with RGB leds .. make sure you have the correct resistor sizes. Hard to find locally (for me anyway). I use 100ohms for the green and blue legs and 180ohms for the red leg. Many times you can get the RGB LEDs from e-bay with resistors included, but make sure you specifically say 5v (maybe check first that you can before ordering) .. or you will most likely get resistors for a 12v system. One e-mail seller send me both 5v and 12v resistors .. labeled .. how nice.
First off all: thank all of you for helping! I don't know what I would do without you!
Also - you might want to buy one or two L293 or L298 h-bridge ICs (note that the L298 can -not- be plugged into a breadboard or perfboard as-is - but it does have a higher current rating than the L293 and can be bridged as well - there are people and places online that sell adaptor PCBs). Once again (and especially with these parts, as they can eat into your budget) only buy these if you think you will be doing projects with DC motors (and even then, you might want to wait); I don't consider them expensive parts, but I don't know your budget, either.
The L298 was exactly why I went to Tayda. They seemed the only one to sell them so cheap ($2.16; I searched through Google products, if you don't know that service, you definitely should check it out at L298 - Google Shopping).
That was because I ordered a 'Mr Basic' and needed a motor driver for it.
(Photo/render of robotshop)
Does a L298 need cooling? This is what I found about the motors:
The motors are rated 4.5V-6V with a no load current of 250mA and a stall current of 1.8A @ 4.5V each.
At Tayda they sell only 1 kind of heatsink, nothing of information, only '4 fins aluminium TO-220'. :-? It looks small, and TO-220 is a kind of transistor package (I'm so proud I know that, I studied that for the Sparkfun Free Day). Is this the heatsink you are talking about?
It's the 'multiwatt heatsink' of Sparkfun. god I hope I get some luck at Free Day, I convinced my parents so that they would write a note so I don't have to stay in the study (after school, you have to stay 1.5 hours, untill 18.00 to study)
Finally - you might want to think about (and perhaps purchase) something for storage of your parts. I always reccommend Stack-On multi-drawer bins, but they are fairly expensive, and you need the room for them, and they may not be ideal for your "workbench".
My mom works in a laboratory, they just throw away these awesome boxes there. I asked her to keep them to make me happy Now, all my resistors are in a nicely labeled box. doublet.site11.com/other/fotos/resistor_boxes.jpg
And here are the today-arrived samples from AustriaMicroSystems in a nice DVD-a-like box. There antistatic foam and plenty of space in it, so I might use this to store ICs in. "Commercial value: $25.xx". doublet.site11.com/other/fotos/samples-7-seg.jpg
