Learning The Art Of Programming Parts Guide

[congruentsquare]

I am in the process of compiling a comprehensive part list for the Learning The Art Of Electronics. Here's my octopart list right now. The book doesn't really specify how many of each part is required nor does it specify which parts are for each lab which I'll be working on the next few days. There's also some custom parts that the author requires to mail order. I am will be looking for alternatives for the reader. What do you think?

I am going to go through all the previous threads and come up with a getting started guide for beginners with this book. For reference this is a previous thread on the topic.

EDIT---
I am going to update an excel spreadsheet with the exact quantities of the parts and which labs they show up in. I am also going to setup a blog where I will post my experiences learning EE from a CS background.

EDIT 2---
I've updated the part list with some 'drop in' replacements as some of the parts are no longer made or can't be ordered without a large minimum order(e.g. 1000).

https://octopart.com/bom-tool/v4JBbfdA

I am also going to put a much more detailed write up on my blog as I go through the labs with updates to the part list, answers to the labs, new beginner knowledge etc. My will be located at:

www.ElectricCobbler.com

Having it here will allow me to format and organize everything in a more cohesive manner. Right now there's nothing so check back later.

[rstofer]

If you can edit the thread title, it would be a good idea...

DigiKey already has a kit of parts

https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/edu/harvard-lab-kit

I don't know how comprehensive the kit is but it's a long way up the parts ladder.  If a few things come up missing later on just order them.

[scatterandfocus]

No one will find this thread with that title.  But yes, absolutely this is a good idea.  I recently made a list for Make Electronics 2nd edition here:  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/make-electronics-book-2nd-edition-components-list/   I didn't make it a cart at a specific store though, because I think it is a good idea that a beginner should shop for components at various places, weighing prices with quality, and discussing with other people.

rstofer, that is much more reasonable than I would have expected, especially being that all the parts are coming from a big shop such as Digikey rather than straight from China sellers.   Do you know who put that list together?  It would be good to know how complete it is, according to the person who put it together. 

[rstofer]

rstofer, that is much more reasonable than I would have expected, especially being that all the parts are coming from a big shop such as Digikey rather than straight from China sellers.   Do you know who put that list together?  It would be good to know how complete it is, according to the person who put it together.

Not a clue!  I had thought it might have come from MIT.  I have no idea how complete it is.  Part of the learning will be in overcoming problems with the BOM.

I buy almost all my parts from DigiKey and get them in 3 days via USPS Priority Mail.  What DigiKey doesn't have, I get from Mouser.  I'm not into buying floor sweepings from China.

[scatterandfocus]

This question is a bit off the main topic, but it is relative to it and might serve well here for anyone looking to begin into these books.  What do you think are the prerequisites (math concepts, physics concepts, whatever) to have under the belt before beginning into, The Art of Electronics / Learning the Art of Electronics, books with the least amount of headbanging?  And do you think it is a good idea to begin electronics using other resources before getting into these books?  For example, beginner books which are completely algebra based.

[grbk]

Do you know who put that list together?  It would be good to know how complete it is, according to the person who put it together.

Doesn't really answer your question, but it is linked from the official website here, with some additional information and other suppliers: https://learningtheartofelectronics.com/parts-lists/parts-lists/

[ElektroQuark]

The thread title is somewhat misleading: "Learning The Art Of Programming Supplementary Guide".

[rstofer]

This question is a bit off the main topic, but it is relative to it and might serve well here for anyone looking to begin into these books.  What do you think are the prerequisites (math concepts, physics concepts, whatever) to have under the belt before beginning into, The Art of Electronics / Learning the Art of Electronics, books with the least amount of headbanging?  And do you think it is a good idea to begin electronics using other resources before getting into these books?  For example, beginner books which are completely algebra based.

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”
          Lewis Carroll - Adventures In Wonderland

Math is boring!  I think what most hobbyists need is a simple introduction to Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, Thevenin's Theorem and Nortan's Theorem and, for the most part, these just take simple arithmetic or perhaps a wee bit of algebra.  These simple tools will provide enough theory to analyze most circuits.

OK, to be honest, AC analysis will get all wrapped up in 'jw' (jay omega) and j is the sqrt(-1) which we know is imaginary.  Yes, there will be a lot of imaginary numbers in AC analysis.  Every single capacitor or inductor is going to have a reactance that is a function of frequency and a phase shift of 90 degrees (by itself).  It gets a bit more involved.  It's still not difficult, it just takes a little more effort.

Beyond that level, things get out of hand fairly quick.  Transient Analysis (numerically, as opposed to hand waving) will take calculus and differential equations but by that point the hobbyist is well along toward a degree program.  Laplace Transforms and Fourier Analysis comes up about here.

I have the Art... and Learning The Art... volumes but I haven't used them much.  I don't have much interest in going over this stuff again.  If I need something I don't already know, I use Google!  All of human knowledge is on Google - with videos!

What I would not recommend is getting bogged down in the math and losing interest in the bigger picture - hobby level electronics.  It's supposed to be fun!

Everything is on the Internet and there are amazing tools that help with the learning experience.

LTspice for circuit simulation - kind of an advanced topic but approachable by the beginner.  Maybe simulating series and parallel resistors is a good idea.  Get used to the tools, verify the results of DC analysis, etc.  Clearly useful for AC and Transient Analysis.

Khan Academy for their Electrical Engineering track  https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering
Their math track is excellent!

Digilent Inc for their "Real Analog" program complete with lab exercises, etc  https://learn.digilentinc.com/classroom/realanalog/

It might be good to view the videos and see how much sticks on the first pass.  There will be time later to expand on the experience.  But the thing is, this is supposed to be a hobby.  First and foremost, have fun!  Build stuff!  Even if it is just copy-and-paste, there is learning at every step.

[scatterandfocus]

Math is boring!  I think what most hobbyists need is a simple introduction to Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, Thevenin's Theorem and Nortan's Theorem and, for the most part, these just take simple arithmetic or perhaps a wee bit of algebra.  These simple tools will provide enough theory to analyze most circuits.

Math is boring or not, depending on how it is approached.  If it is relevant to a person's curiosities and that person can see personal purpose in it, it can be very interesting and satisfying.  But if it is shoveled in, just because, learning math can become a terrible experience.

"When will I ever use this in the real world?"  That's where the problem stems from, according to me.  What is being learned is being disconnected  from personal curiosity and purpose and conceptual understanding.  And as soon as that disconnect arises, it becomes a pointless drag.  It should always be explicit to the learner why something is being learned and how it falls into the bigger picture.  People love learning, when it isn't made to be a pointless drag.  And there is satisfaction in doing the work of learning when what is being learned remains connected.

But yes, I think that developing the ability to analyze circuits is a good thing, as long as the person learning to do so has a personal curiosity in it and the theory and analysis isn't far outrunning a person's more fundamental conceptual understandings and immediate needs to apply it.