Steve Anderson wrote:Harry, I concur with Klass's posting above. We're all learning, all acquiring wisdom from others and experience when things don't quite go as planned.
Its always fun trying a project but nicer knowing its more likely to work than a leap of faith ! Reason i have used your DAC circuit now 3 times and Klass hes modulation circuit twice ....i also like to be able to repeat something then it sinks in more and doing something once .
One of the most useful skills is filtering out 'The Wheat from the Chaff'. The 'net IS a wonderful resource but it's also full of downright rubbish. Filtering one out from the other has become an essential skill in this day and age, whatever field you may be involved in.
Yes its some thing i didn't realise more so the pre internet magazine thing i didn't think that mistakes would be in in published circuits ,i recall Steve O saying the Argus monitor flaws and my SSTV at the start fiasco.
My thinking lately is trusting what i know works and if its new i want it shown to work and explained ..i even of late got the breadboard out out to check as in testing my 4066 switching circuit here .
One of the best tools for learning in this realm is a circuit simulator, they're not perfect but they are a very useful tool. Instead of spending time and money on building a circuit that is supposed to work, you simulate it and if the circuit is up to the task all should be well. A circuit that would take you hours to physically build can be simulated in a few minutes.
That is something i have yet to try ,would be nice to have catalog of parts in software form so i do see the point of it !
It's great for learning the "What If I do This?" So you change a resistor value and see what happens. They take a while to get to grips with but it is worth it. You can't blow anything up, you can change things as you see fit, and you can do all this while you're on an airplane (rules allowing).
BTW does it show if a part is destroyed along circuit chain with wrong high voltage ? or it just says this change will not work ? I should look if there's any videos out there as i have not seen one working .
There are a number of freebies out there - others please make suggestions - but the full-blown versions do cost quite a lot. But even so the freebies are still a useful tool for NBTV stuff. The freebies usually limit you to the number of components in a circuit or some other constraint - so all you do is break a circuit down into bite-sized pieces and do one chunk at a time...as if you were actually testing it on the bench!
Steve A.
I will look about whats out there ,lack of software parts might be a problem you would want as many as possible but i don't do that in the real world just most of the time stick to sameish opamps and timers and such BC type transistors ...