I figured I was totally scrued up.
It's just something I want to do.
I have an idea for a PDA I would like to build that sounds fun, just
my personal little PDA. I could totally customize it, and it would
be cheaper than anything I could buy more than likely.
I also want to just learn how these things work. I've often found
them interesting.
I have been digging around for some electronics tutorials, but
haven't found all that much that doesn't consist of a ton of pictures, etc etc.
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:inthaneelf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>The Elf
To: <mailto:programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 2:34 PM
Subject: Re: using breadboards
lol, odd list to send this to, but I used to do modular electronics,
so your in luck.
firstly, that setup will not do the job, you need to find a basic
electronics tutorial and read it, smile, not ragging on you, just the truth.
there are basic principles that you haven't grasped yet.
for a battery charger, you need the 110 volt (wall) plug, a
transformer, you need a full wave rectifier (I'll explain in a
minute) and you may want some filter capacitors, though there not
really needed for a bat charger.
now then, your first mistake is that your setup would have put wall
type current, called AC for alternating current, into resisters and
batteries which are DC (direct current) devices , that's a large
shocking flam buoy recipe.
number two, you said resisters to bring the current down, yes
resisters will drop current, but not in the way you need it to, this
kind and type of current step down is done with a transformer
(that's why so many things with removable wall plugs have that large
box either at the wall end, or in the middle of the cord, the box is
mostly the transformer that reduces the voltage and changes the
amperage of the wall current.
and without the full or half wave bridge rectifier I mentioned
before, your still plugging DC parts into an ac circuit, another flam buoy!
the full wave bridge rectifier I have been mentioning is the
component that changes the AC current coming out of the transformer
into DC current for the batteries to charge off of.
here is the correct series of components for a simple power supply:
1. 110 volt power plug, which you attach to a specific set of
contacts on a 110 AC to... (output voltage equals the number of
batteries going into the battery holder, times 1.5 volts) so if you
have a battery clip for 2 batteries, then its 3 volts, if its four
then it's six volts) AC transformer (note here, all the transformer
does is change the voltage and amperage of the power, not its type,
at this point you still have AC current running through the thing).
3. to the output side of the transformer you attach the input leads
off the full wave bridge rectifier (this is the device that changes
the power from AC, to DC so its the same type of current as your batteries).
4. to the output side of the FWBR you can either:
4-1. insert two filter capacitors to screen out noise the circuitry
generates, but this is not needed in a simple charger(*note,! the
filter capacitors have to be hooked up the correct way, one end is
positive one negative).
or,
4-2. attach your battery holder, making sure you get the polarity of
the wires correct to the battery holder , or your making a loud bang
and a lot of stink and a hazard out of your batteries.
another point, this simple setup has no way, like many chargers you
buy do now a days, to tell when the batteries are fully charged, and
stop trying to charge them, and this will heat up, and eventually
give you another ka boom.
the circuitry for a regulator is not to hard, but I can't pull it
out of my head like I can a simple power supply.
that is the basics of a power supply and it will work as a charger.
and it will not cost much, but why reinvent the wheel, unless your
going to try for some work in the electronics field? which I would
not advise, some of the stuff is extremely complex, and some of it
quite delicate, and none of it is marked in a method that can
be read with our current tech abilities.
laters,
inthane
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:tyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>Tyler Littlefield
To: <mailto:programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 12:06 PM
Subject: using breadboards
Hello,
I'm looking to start using breadboards to create some small things.
I'd like to start off with something small, possibly a battery
charger or something similar.
I found a small tutorial on instructables, but not totally sure how
to get going.
It explained how things work somewhat, but not accurately enough for me.
It mainly used pictures to explain, which didn't do me a whole lot of good.
Any ideas on how I can set this up?
I understand the polarity--hooking one negative end to the positive
etc so that the circuit forms a loop, I'm just not sure how to do what I want.
So, here's my idea.
If I figure out the layout, I can set up a power cable going from
the outlet to the breadboard.
Then I can place in jumpers to bridge the gap.
I can take the 120 volts down to 9 with some resisters (?) and hook
a battery pack to the other end that will charge the batteries.
I'm thinking I'm way off, but... ideas would be great.
If I could, I'd like to set it up so it'd charge like 4 at once,
then I could cut down the 120 to 36. Possibly put in a heat sink to
keep it from getting really hot.