Whether you are just getting started in electronics or you have boxes of parts, it is good to know what are the most critical parts to have in your kit. James asked the element 14 community for what they considered to be essential passive components like resistors, capacitors, switches, wires, and even diodes. In this video, he consolidated their puts and explains what to think about when buying these parts for your kit.
As a kid, I got the book “Upgrading and Repairing PCs.” (Now in its 22nd edition.) It was the first book to explain to me the PC architecture. I considered, how were there so few pins on an AT-style keyboard connector when there were 101 keys on the keyboard? That is when I first learned about the keyboard matrix.
The keyboard matrix itself did not amaze me, but instead the idea there was an entirely separate 8-bit microcontroller inside of the keyboard. Early keyboards may have used the P8049AH, which, there is still some stock available to purchase. I was fascinated with the idea an entire computer was necessary to run the keyboard, to use my “real” computer. Why did it take something as complicated as a microcontroller?
Hey Newsletter Readers: Looking for Best Resistor Sorting Method? My Bad!
Here are some ideas of what you can do with the humble voltage divider. This elementary circuit has a few inventive uses. To be upfront, one of these uses is NOT as a voltage regulator. If you need a voltage regulated, get a voltage regulator! At some point or another, I’ve built all five of these voltage divider circuits. For me, the voltage level shifter is the most common.
- Measure Battery Voltage
- Signal Level Shifter
- Reference Voltage
- R-2R Ladder
- One Analog Input with Many Buttons
Every Addohms project follows the same pattern. About 80% of my original idea makes it into the video while the remaining 20% I make up on the fly. Of course, when I do that, I spend 80% of my time on that 20%. AddOhms #10 on BJTs is no different.
For now, there is going to be a two part series on transistors. #10 is the first part of this two part series. We cover BJTs here and will cover MOSFETs in the next one. (And hey, that one is already 20% written!)
Check out Addohms.com or the AddOhms YouTube Channel for more videos.
These days it is pretty rare to see a press release from a semiconductor company touting 5V TTL capabilities. Diodes is upgrading their 5V TTL logic as reported by Electronics Weekly. While the 5V operating will easily appeal to hobbyist, the package sizes may not. They are not through-hole components. However, the 74ACHT series will provide you surface mount solutions for AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, Inverter, and Schmitt trigger glue logic.
Diodes can be found at www.diodes.com.
