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.
