Project Suggestions/Ideas?

[Joshua]

Hey Everybody,

I'm a beginner, and have been playing around with electronics 'officially' for a couple of months(I've really been dealing with electronics my whole life, fixing stuff, etc...), and was wondering if anybody had any good suggestions for a project I should do. I've found that I end up just playing' around every night, but never really accomplish anything. At the beginning, I invested quite a bit in getting 'set up'(ordered an E12 set of resistors, a large assortment of capacitors, transistors, diodes, etc...), and I also have a soldering iron, and a scope[yes,...the rigol].

I would like to make something cool, or useful. Possibly something that I could use for my electronics.

I would like to do something that I can learn alot from. In other words, I don't want to put the parts in the breadboard, and download some code, and it work - I want to know WHY it works, and HOW it works. (I was thinking of making one of those balancing robot mini-segway things, but it seemed like I would probably just download the code to the Arduino, and not actually know how the program works, because I'm not to that 'level' yet.)

It would be cool to be able to etch my own board, or have one professionally made(iTeadStudios??). I have played around with Eagle (Sparkfun tutorials, etc...) and have found that I really enjoy laying out a pcb, it's like the coolest of all puzzles.

Something I thought about, would be something that uses some sort of communication that I could learn about. (something like I2C, or something that I don't know much about, but would like to learn about it. NOTE: I don't know anything about I2C, but just recognize it as some form of communication.)

Also, if it's something microcontroller based, than I would like to possibly learn more about PICs or AVRs. I have the PicKit3 and the UsbTiny AVR programmer from Adafruit, and have programmed them before to blink an led, but other than that I have no experience. I have only used the Arduino, and am not all that knowledgeable about it.

I am also willing to buy stuff like chips, or whatever the need may be.

I know I've already said it, but I guess the biggest thing, is that I want to learn from this project, and come away better at electronics than before, even if the project ends up being something not all that 'cool' or useful.


Any thoughts, ideas, or advice, are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Joshua

[Mechatrommer]

lcr meter, err.. with pc software

[Joshua]

lcr meter, err.. with pc software

Mechatrommer, Thanks for the reply. An LCR meter sounds like it might be a 'dandy' thing to have. I believe I don't quite get the part about the pc software.(sorry ) Are you saying to make a lcr meter that interfaces to the computer, or are you merely making a joke?

I don't know if this is what you were gathering, as I might have given the wrong impression, but I would like to clarify my first post. I have no objection to doing something with someone else's code, as long as the code is not so much more advanced that I can't learn from it. In other words, i don't want to copy and paste the code into the Arduino software and hit upload and it just work. I feel like that gains me nothing on the software side of things.

Anyway, thanks for the reply,
Joshua

[sacherjj]

What other hobbies are you in?

Are there things that friends and family do that a simple electronic device could make easier or just cooler?

You talked about a balancing robot, putting Gyro and Accelerometers on an Arduino board (Uno or something similar) is a great way to get started.  I might start with one simpler sensor first to learn I2C interfacing.

Cheap Gyro and Accel sensors can be had from third party Wii Motion Plus and Wii Nunckucks.  You can actually buy a small board that hooks to the nunchuck controller to talk to it.  

The great thing about Arduino for beginners is that it is easy to read a value and use the Serial.println to push it back to the PC.  So you can quickly see if things work or not.

There is no reason you can't make a balancing "segway" type robot yourself.  Modify two servos for continuous rotation.  (you remove the physical stop and replace the pot for position sensing with a resistor divider, many tutorials online.)

Now hook those up to the Arduino and figure out how to make them go forward and backwards.  I believe that they have a Servo package now.  When you convert them to motion, yours servo position is more of a speed in each direction.  Maybe best to start with driving a single, non modified servo first.

Here is the key to doing anything:

 - Break it into small parts.
 - Attack each part.
 - Figure out what you need to learn to make it happen.
 - Learn that.
 - Screw up.
 - Learn from fixing the screw up.
 - Screw up.
 - Learn from fixing the screw up.
 - Screw up...

I think etching a board is great.  But it can get in the way of learning at first.  You say you want to do something you can learn from, not just put parts on a bread board.  Why can't you learn from putting parts on a bread board?  If you don't follow someone's step by step instructions of where you put something, then you learn a whole lot by messing with a bread board.  

And here is a secret.  It is VERY easy to take that breadboard and move it to a soldered board with the same trace pattern as the bread board and have it work.  It is VERY easy to make an etched PC board and have it NOT work.  Don't let somewhat irrelevant stuff keep you from learning.

Have you Googled I2C?  Do it.  Read.  Get an Arduino and a simple I2C device and figure out how to drive or read from it.  http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/I2C

Now you have I2C under your belt.  Let's learn how to hook up a standard LCD with 4 or 8 bit mode.  Now you can add a display to anything.

Just build up knowledge in chunks and play.  Have fun.  Learn.  And, hell, you might have to use a bread board sometimes....  

[deephaven]

Here is a suggestion I made to someone else.

How about an automatically set clock? You can get seven segment displays very cheaply, so with those and a PIC you could make a clock. Then you could add a receiver module to receive DCF77, MSF60 etc (depending on where in the world you are) which would continually update the clock with very high accuracy. You can choose to make the receiver part yourself or buy a cheap receiver module already built.

You would learn a lot of different technologies for quite a small outlay.

[PurpleBumblebee]

I dont know if you are in to RC stuff but you could make a relay/switch that plugs into one of the rx channels and you can turn stuff on/off remotely.
For Example, turn a light on and off with the transmitter. Light fireworks with it by hooking up a rocket igniter, or maybe turn a camera on/off and also rig it where you can remotely take pictures or video with the camera. 
 If you happen to do the camera thing BE CAREFUL because although its very hard to mess it up you (or anyone ) might find a way to brick the camera. ( I know because 'I' once did it  )

Good luck with finding a project,
PBB

[Joshua]

Thanks for the replies!

What other hobbies are you in?

Well I'm really into music. Infact, up until a year ago, I had always planned on going to college for music. I have now changed, and will be going for electronics engineering.
Do you have any ideas for a project in the music world?

You say you want to do something you can learn from, not just put parts on a bread board.  Why can't you learn from putting parts on a bread board?  If you don't follow someone's step by step instructions of where you put something, then you learn a whole lot by messing with a bread board. 

I love my breadboard - it's very easy for me to plug up what I have in mind. What I intended my statement to mean, is that I don't want to look at someone else's schematic and just hook it up and work. I want to understand that actual functions of the circuit, and whether that be on a breadboard, doesn't matter to me. I am only interested in having an etched pcb, or professionally manufactured one, or even just veroboard like you mentioned, would only be applicable once I have a finished project that works.

Cheap Gyro and Accel sensors can be had from third party Wii Motion Plus and Wii Nunckucks.  You can actually buy a small board that hooks to the nunchuck controller to talk

I actually got one of these boards from sparkfun the other day, but the example code for the I2C from the maker of the board, seemed very daunting. Probably because I don't know anything about I2C...

Get an Arduino and a simple I2C device and figure out how to drive or read from it.  http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/I2C

What sort of device would be good for this?

And, hell, you might have to use a bread board sometimes.... 

I found this quite funny 

Here is a suggestion I made to someone else.

How about an automatically set clock? You can get seven segment displays very cheaply, so with those and a PIC you could make a clock. Then you could add a receiver module to receive DCF77, MSF60 etc (depending on where in the world you are) which would continually update the clock with very high accuracy. You can choose to make the receiver part yourself or buy a cheap receiver module already built.

You would learn a lot of different technologies for quite a small outlay.

This sounds pretty cool. I shall go investigate...

I dont know if you are in to RC stuff but you could make a relay/switch that plugs into one of the rx channels and you can turn stuff on/off remotely.
For Example, turn a light on and off with the transmitter. Light fireworks with it by hooking up a rocket igniter, or maybe turn a camera on/off and also rig it where you can remotely take pictures or video with the camera. 
 If you happen to do the camera thing BE CAREFUL because although its very hard to mess it up you (or anyone ) might find a way to brick the camera. ( I know because 'I' once did it  )

Good luck with finding a project,
PBB

Great Idea! My brother is actually into RC stuff at the moment, and he is also into pyrotechnics such as bottle rockets. This could probably him out some.

Please elaborate on the camera idea. I also once bricked a camera. Please explain what you did to brick it and what you did to fix it.

Also do you have any information regarding the RC thing? Such as a tutorial. Do you have any pictures of the one that you made, since you seem to speak from experience.
Also, welcome to the forum!! and thanks for making your reply to my question be your first post. The vast majority of responses I've seen on this forum are helpful, not like some forums, where people respond just to bother the person, or make them feel bad for asking questions.


Thanks!
Joshua

[sacherjj]

Most RC things work on pulse width.  1 to 2 ms pulses determine position of a servo.  1.0 ms is all one way, 2.0 ms is all another way.  1.5 ms is centered.

Google, google, google.  There are so many resources our there to read and learn that it is crazy.  I wish that there was this much information when I was messing around with electronics at your age.  (I graduated HS when you were born, judging by the username.)

[PurpleBumblebee]

. . .The vast majority of responses I've seen on this forum are helpful, not like some forums, where people respond just to bother the person, or make them feel bad for asking questions. . .

I Agree!!

[sacherjj]

Something I should also ask is what type of lab setup do you have?

Good current limited power supply?  That is a great project.  Not as sexy, but useful.  Build the rectifier, filter.  Make a 0-24V 50ma-3A limited supply with two linear regulators. 

You could even build a micro based A/D project to display the voltage and current and display power being used. 

Function Generator?  There are some ICs that make this fairly easy.

The process of taking a project from theory through to finished project in an enclosure is a great learning process.  You also can wind up with useful lab equipment (that you KNOW how to fix, because you made it.)

[Mechatrommer]

lcr meter, err.. with pc software

Mechatrommer, Thanks for the reply. An LCR meter sounds like it might be a 'dandy' thing to have. I believe I don't quite get the part about the pc software.(sorry ) Are you saying to make a lcr meter that interfaces to the computer, or are you merely making a joke?

yea i was making a joke. dont take it seriously. as i am as you, struggling with a project that i was suggesting to you

[Joshua]

Something I should also ask is what type of lab setup do you have?

Good current limited power supply?  That is a great project.  Not as sexy, but useful.  Build the rectifier, filter.  Make a 0-24V 50ma-3A limited supply with two linear regulators. 

You could even build a micro based A/D project to display the voltage and current and display power being used. 

Function Generator?  There are some ICs that make this fairly easy.

The process of taking a project from theory through to finished project in an enclosure is a great learning process.  You also can wind up with useful lab equipment (that you KNOW how to fix, because you made it.)

I REALLY like the idea of building a PSU, as I don't have one, and have just been using a 7805 with a ac adapter. Do you have any links or information regarding the construction of this? I would really like to do it well, and it be nice, and also do the display thing as you mentioned. I know that alot of people convert ATX supplies, and I actually have quite a few of those laying around. Would I learn more from converting one of those, or building from scratch? (I feel like I would learn more from the latter.) Also, I do not know how often it is needed, but what about negative voltages?


As for a function generator, I am not really sure as to what there purpose is. I guess that means I don't really need one...? Or maybe I just don't realize how I could utilize such a bit of gear.


Thanks!
Joshua

[sacherjj]

I've been working on a PSU based on modifications of this: http://www3.telus.net/chemelec/Projects/Power-Supply/Power-Supply.htm

I'm working on a board for it with some modifications, but it might be a little while.  I've never used Eagle and am learning.  This is simple enough to wire up by hand on a proto board.

I am only making one with the bottom components (these make the reference for the Voltage Regulator -1.2V, the voltage drop of the regulator, so the voltage can go down to zero.)  Without this, you can use a full wave rectifier without a center tapped transformer and just ground the voltage adjust.  Then you have a 1.2ish and up volt supply.

If you build two of these, you can link them together to make a positive and negative supply for op amp work.  I am doing this in one enclosure.  With one capable of 0V.