Re: using breadboards

Hi Tyler,

No. You would have to dish out lots of money and take several hours just to 
build a digital clock. A PDA is incredibly cheap for what it is because those 
multi-national conglomerates have built the whole thing on one chip that costs 
about $0.25 to stamp out. The rest of the cost is the case and software, oh 
yea, and something to cover the millions of dollars in development costs.

If you want to play around with some basic concepts, thats fun and educational, 
but you will never build anything as complex as a PDA.

:)
Regards,
James

jimpanes@xxxxxxxxx
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Everything is easy when you know how."

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tyler Littlefield 
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: using breadboards


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: The Elf 
  To: 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: Tyler Littlefield 
    To: 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.

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