Synopses & Reviews
"This is teaching at its best!"
--Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the world's most successful integrated circuit), and author of Much Ado About Almost Nothing: Man's Encounter with the Electron (Booklocker.com)
"A fabulous book: well written, well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It's very good at disarming the fear. And it's gorgeous. I'll be recommending this book highly."
--Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk
Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics, you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!
Build working devices, from simple to complexYou'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use -- and understand -- electronics concepts and techniques.
- Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failure
- Set up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll need
- Learn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuit
- Create an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lock
- Build an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles
- Get clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why
Synopsis
Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun and experiential way? Start working on some excellent projects as soon as you crack open this unique, hands-on book. Build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them With Make: Electronics, you'll learn all of the basic components and important principles through a series of learn by discovery experiments. And you don't need to know a thing about electricity to get started.
Get step-by-step instructions on building working devices that demonstrate fundamentals such as voltage, amperage, resistance, inductance, and capacitance. Then tackle more complex electronics concepts, including analog/digital conversion, logic gates, and integrated circuits. Along the way, you'll learn valuable tips and techniques, always with clear explanations of what you're doing and why. Start out by breaking things -- experiment with components and learn why you experience failure Set up a tricked-out project space -- your own at-home work area, equipped with all of the tools and parts you'll need for the experiments in this book Learn about all of the key electronic components and their functions within a circuit through a series of clearly presented, well-illustrated experiments Create a car alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio generators, a crystal radio, and a touch-sensitive lamp Work with brushed DC and stepper motors to understand their principles and applications Learn about programmable microcontrollers by building an automous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles
If you've always wanted to learn electronics, but were intimidated by other books and overly-technical websites, this book is for you
Synopsis
With this practical introductory guide, readers can learn important concepts while they work on real projects. "Make: Electronics" provides complete step-by-step instructions for each project, easy-to-follow circuit diagrams, and full-color photographs.
Synopsis
Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred is a geeky toy-making and craft book, stuffed with projects like sewing a stuffed sock squid, building a steam-powered milk-carton boat, soldering an oversized joy buzzer, and crafting working boomerangs. Readers create board games, musical instruments, and cool toys that move. The book assumes no prior knowledge of skills like carpentry, sewing, and soldering, and each project is explained from the ground up. Primers on topics like basic electronics help readers master foundational techniques so that anyone, regardless of their experience or skill level, can pick up this book and successfully build the projects. Projects are suitable for a wide range of builders and are all cheap, or even free, to build-best of all, once each project is built, readers have something totally sweet. Every project includes tips, tricks, and technical data that will help readers expand and modify the projects, or craft something totally new.
Synopsis
MAKE Magazine's special Ultimate Workshop and Tool Guide 2011 reveals the top tools and tricks for today's DIY "maker" workshop -- one that goes way beyond woodworking into the realms of metalworking, electronics, robotics, CNC milling, 3D printing, and more. Whether you need a gift for the do-it-yourselfer who loves technology, or you want to rev up your own work in 2011, the Ultimate Workshop and Tool Guide 2011 shows you how.
This MAKE Special Issue shows you how to:
Set Up a DIY Workshop to Make Anything! »Wood, Metal, Plastics »Electronics and Robotics »Arts and Crafts 6 Ultimate Maker Tools Build Your Own CNC Routers and 3D Printers 99 Cool Tools and Gadgets Workbenches You Can Build 10 Best DIY Fabbing Tools Create a Hackerspace Access More Tools for Less Money Top Makers Show Their Shops
Major Sections Include: ULTIMATE WORKSHOPS - Exclusive: MythBuster Adam Savage's new home workshop! Plus the amazing workshops of all kinds of makers: electronics, machine shops, rocket vehicles, and more DIY - Build your own workbenches, storage, and high-tech tools to prototype anything MAKER - Learn how to start a hackerspace shared with other makers, and more TOOLBOX - The Maker's Ultimate Tools and Buying Guide for setting up your shop plus reviews of more than 100 great gadgets, hot new tools and favorite classics.
Synopsis
Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred is packed with fun craft and toy-making projects for geeks on a budget. Inside, you'll find illustrated instructions for 24 quirky playthings. Part I: Kid Stuff contains child-friendly projects like the Lock-N-Latch Treasure Chest and a PVC TeePee; Part II: The Electro-Skiffle Band is devoted to homemade musical instruments; and Part III: The Locomotivated showcases moving toys, like a muzzleloader that shoots marshmallows and a steam-powered milk-carton boat.
Each project costs just $10 or less to make and is suitable for anyone, regardless of experience level. As you build, you'll learn useful sewing and carpentry skills, and the appendix offers a primer on electronics and soldering.
You (and your kids) will have hours of fun making projects like:
- A simple electric guitar
- An oversized joy buzzer that (safely) administers a 100-volt jolt
- Cool, mess-free, screen printed t-shirts
- Kites made from FedEx envelopes
- Booming Thunderdrums made from salvaged x-ray film
- Old school board games like Go, Tafl, and Shut-the-Box
Whether you're a mom or dad in search of a rainy day activity, a Scout leader looking to educate and entertain your troop, or just a DIY weekend warrior, the projects in Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred will inspire and amuse you. Now, roll up your sleeves and make!
About the Author
Charles Platt is a Contributing Editor and regular columnist for Make magazine, where he writes about electronics. He is the author of the highly successful introductory hands-on book, Make:Electronics, and is writing a sequel to that book in addition to volumes 2 and 3 of the Encyclopedia of Electronic Components.
Platt was a Senior Writer for Wired magazine, and has written various computer books. As a prototype designer, he created semi-automated rapid cooling devices with medical applications, and air-deployable equipment for first responders. He was the sole author of four mathematical-graphics software packages, and has been fascinated by electronics since he put together a telephone answering machine from a tape recorder and military-surplus relays at age 15. He lives in a Northern Arizona wilderness area, where he has his own workshop for prototype fabrication and projects that he writes about for Make magazine.
Table of Contents
; Preface; How to Have Fun with This Book; Learning by Discovery; How Hard Will It Be?; Moving Through This Book; Fundamentals; Companion Kits; Comments and Questions; Safari® Books Online; Chapter 1: Experiencing Electricity; 1.1 Shopping List: Experiments 1 Through 5; 1.2 Experiment 1: Taste the Power!; 1.3 Experiment 2: Let's Abuse a Battery!; 1.4 Experiment 3: Your First Circuit; 1.5 Experiment 4: Varying the Voltage; 1.6 Experiment 5: Let's Make a Battery; Chapter 2: Switching Basics and More; 2.1 Shopping List: Experiments 6 Through 11; 2.2 Experiment 6: Very Simple Switching; 2.3 Experiment 7: Relay-Driven LEDs; 2.4 Experiment 8: A Relay Oscillator; 2.5 Experiment 9: Time and Capacitors; 2.6 Experiment 10: Transistor Switching; 2.7 Experiment 11: A Modular Project; Chapter 3: Getting Somewhat More Serious; 3.1 Shopping List: Experiments 12 Through 15; 3.2 Experiment 12: Joining Two Wires Together; 3.3 Experiment 13: Broil an LED; 3.4 Experiment 14: A Pulsing Glow; 3.5 Experiment 15: Intrusion Alarm Revisited; Chapter 4: Chips, Ahoy!; 4.1 Shopping List: Experiments 16 Through 24; 4.2 Experiment 16: Emitting a Pulse; 4.3 Experiment 17: Set Your Tone; 4.4 Experiment 18: Reaction Timer; 4.5 Experiment 19: Learning Logic; 4.6 Experiment 20: A Powerful Combination; 4.7 Experiment 21: Race to Place; 4.8 Experiment 22: Flipping and Bouncing; 4.9 Experiment 23: Nice Dice; 4.10 Experiment 24: Intrusion Alarm Completed; Chapter 5: What Next?; 5.1 Shopping List: Experiments 25 Through 36; 5.2 Customizing Your Work Area; 5.3 Reference Sources; 5.4 Experiment 25: Magnetism; 5.5 Experiment 26: Tabletop Power Generation; 5.6 Experiment 27: Loudspeaker Destruction; 5.7 Experiment 28: Making a Coil React; 5.8 Experiment 29: Filtering Frequencies; 5.9 Experiment 30: Fuzz; 5.10 Experiment 31: One Radio, No Solder, No Power; 5.11 Experiment 32: A Little Robot Cart; 5.12 Experiment 33: Moving in Steps; 5.13 Experiment 34: Hardware Meets Software; 5.14 Experiment 35: Checking the Real World; 5.15 Experiment 36: The Lock, Revisited; 5.16 In Closing; Online Retail Sources and Manufacturers; Acknowledgments; About the Author; Colophon;