What book should I get to teach myself electronics? I know a little bit about electronics and a lot about electricity. I've been programming with a dozen or so different languages for 35 years (mostly proprietary programming languages to the power industry, but I know BASIC like I know English...), so this C++ is coming to me fairly easily. What I am after is a book about electronics engineering, I guess. For example, there is a tutorial in my Arduino book about using a mosfet transistor to turn on a DC fan motor. Simple enough, but the author puts a diode in the circuit- and I'll be damned if I can figure out why. I want to know why.
I did a forum search and got some amusing threads. Some ranting about C++ and saying it "sucks", and others just way off. I found a long thread with a bunch of books that are mostly out of print, so I decided that the advice probably wasn't up to date. I was thinking of getting Electronics for Dummies, but I figured that might not be the best.
I guess the question is, what's a good electronics book for a semi-noob who's programmed hundrends of computers and PLCs both simple and very complex, but doesn't know why a diode is needed in a fan circuit? lol /hang head
c131frdave:
What book should I get to teach myself electronics? I know a little bit about electronics and a lot about electricity. I've been programming with a dozen or so different languages for 35 years (mostly proprietary programming languages to the power industry, but I know BASIC like I know English...), so this C++ is coming to me fairly easily. What I am after is a book about electronics engineering, I guess. For example, there is a tutorial in my Arduino book about using a mosfet transistor to turn on a DC fan motor. Simple enough, but the author puts a diode in the circuit- and I'll be damned if I can figure out why. I want to know why.
I did a forum search and got some amusing threads. Some ranting about C++ and saying it "sucks", and others just way off. I found a long thread with a bunch of books that are mostly out of print, so I decided that the advice probably wasn't up to date. I was thinking of getting Electronics for Dummies, but I figured that might not be the best.
I guess the question is, what's a good electronics book for a semi-noob who's programmed hundrends of computers and PLCs both simple and very complex, but doesn't know why a diode is needed in a fan circuit? lol /hang head
For general electronics people are always recomending Art of Electronics (1989). This may be one of the "out of date" books that you mentioned, but it really isn't out of date on the laws of electricity and discrete components, both active and passive, and this is where general electronics knowledge starts. ICs have changed a lot but that is really another subject and there is no one book that covers all ICs in any meaningful way anyway. Art of Electronics + a couple of hundred IC data sheets seems like a good start.
+1 on Art of Electronics.
There are several re-issues of AoE, being updated as technology progresses. You can buy the latest edition at Amazon.
The first edition (1980) I had back when I was in 6th grade (still had vacuum tube examples). Saw the book in a bookstore, opened it, thought to myself it looks cool and I have no freaking idea what those lines meant so decided I want it for my "summer reading"... mom just looked at me funny, but she bought it for me anyway. Best investment that started me on electronics engineering.
vasquo:
+1 on Art of Electronics.
There are several re-issues of AoE, being updated as technology progresses. You can buy the latest edition at Amazon.
The first edition (1980) I had back when I was in 6th grade (still had vacuum tube examples). Saw the book in a bookstore, opened it, thought to myself it looks cool and I have no freaking idea what those lines meant so decided I want it for my "summer reading"... mom just looked at me funny, but she bought it for me anyway. Best investment that started me on electronics engineering.
To the best of my knowledge, there are only two editions, the last one being the 89 edition. A third has been planned for some time but keeps getting pushed back. With that said, there is a lot to know about electronics and the basic technology has not changed at all since 1989 anyway. So AoE may serve as a foundation, then get more books to suit your particular specific interests.
If you are just starting, I suggest the Introductory Circuit Analysis by Boylestad. Forget the Art of Electronics.
The book could be purchased used on Amazon (9 or 10 ed, in a good condition) for about $15 to25.