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Electronics Lab Challenge

e14 Contributor
e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

Hey Ben,

Huge fan of The Ben Heck Show!


I have a question for you.
What would be your recommendation for an electronics lab kit for someone fairly inclined with computers/programming to get started with?
I've noticed the 300-in-1 and even the 500-in-1 kits, but they seem like they were made in the early '80s and have not been updated since.

What I'm looking for, and maybe you could team up with element 14 to create this, would be a kit that would include following:
• DC Circuits
• AC Circuits
• Capacitors
• Diodes
• Transistors
• Solid State Devices
• Amplifiers
• AM/FM Communications
• Pulses and Wave shaping
• Instrumentation/Control Circuits
• Resistors
• Switches
• Inductors
• Transformers
• FET's / MOSFET's
• Speakers
• Processor (Arduino perhaps?)
• LCD
• Camera
• Prototyping Board (Like the Arduino ProtoShield Bare PCBs)
• And of course, a selection of Tools

So, I realize some of the stuff above may be redundant but I'm basically looking to get into electronics and processor programming.
I do like how the actual 300-in-1 kits have the spring clips that seem to work ok for understanding concepts, but I'd also like to be able to solder an actual circuit but be able to re-use the board.

From what I've seen in the little research I've done is that most of the kits lack the LCD/Camera and the use of a processor.

Maybe it could be a challenge you could do for a show?
The Ben Heck Electronics Lab Kit

Otherwise, if you or anyone else you know, element 14 perhaps, have any recommendations as to what the best kit would be to get started, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!
-Kurt

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

    I would refer go with PSoC (programmable system on chip) just today i got CY8CKIT-050 PSoC 5 development kit. Which has in built capseance.

    You can program any digital and analog design on single chip (Max code capacity 256K for development kit on chip memory). Have analog port, USB interface, RS232 interface, Paralel port shared with LCD display port. On board potentio meter, Switches led's and on board bread board. You can design and interconnect ADC, DAC, Amplifier, PGA,Filter, (Any value you can program in limit of chip) Protocol :UART, I2C, CAN, 

    Refer Cypress' PSoC on www.cypress.com.

     

    Thanks

    Parag

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

    Just my addtions to your list/

     

    Solder iron

    Helping hands or third hands

    Solder

    Solder wick

    Solder stand

    Multimeter.

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

    Go and get yourself a used digital analog trainer off of ebay.   There are two Elenco modles for sale right now.  XK-550 and XK-750 are the same untis but come with different accesories.  Get Forrest Mimms books and/or Make Magazine has one.  Get an inventory of resistors, switches, caps... and follow along in the books.  In a very short time you will have an excelent foundation to build on and a very nice prototyping board with inventory to play with.  Then move up to some through hole soldeing kits and on to arduino and other processors.  Find a hacker space in your area. Visit www.sector67.org.  The attached file is a list of items that you'll need to get through the Make Electronics book. All of it is available right here at Newark.

     

    Good Luck

     

    MSS

    Attachments:
    Parts list.xlsParts list.xls
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