Just saying hello

[willrocker]

Hello Everyone!
I'm new here (well i registered a couple of years ago but have never been very active)
Just wanted to say that i hope i can contribute somehow to the community, I haven't had much experience in electronics but i would like to get a further understanding. I have an arduino i have been playing about with recently and i would like to extend my knowledge of how i can use microcontrollers and make something more advanced than using a pot to turn a servo!

Thanks,
Will

[oldvan]

My friend, you should NEVER look down on yourself for
what you have not yet learned.  We are all ignorant, just in
different directions.  Your desire to learn is the most
important thing.

Today you build a pot turning a servo.

Tomorrow maybe a PIC16F88 blinking a LED.

Soon you’ll have is a PIC chip controlling a servo or stepper
motor.

Later on you make a DSPIC chip optimizing positioning and
charging for a solar panel.

After a while you build a DSPIC chip controlling a small robot.

Some day you could build a solar powered robot that explores
the moon harvesting Helium 3.

Here at Sonsivri we are fortunate to be joined by some of the
best minds on Earth, combined with the availability of current
tools for learning and friends from all walks of life freely
sharing their knowledge and experience.

The World is at our fingertips here, and I plan to make the
absolute most of it.

Consider it a challenge and join me.

John

PS:  Engrave “Thanks Sonsivri” on the lunar explorer.  

[sphinx]

i too remember my young days when i started and made my first electronic gadget in school att age 10 not knowing anything about electronic and that started my interest in electronics. i started scrapping old electronics using parts o play with and using germanium diodes as tiny lamps with a short lifespan i have allways been interested in mechanics and electronics and how things work, and now many years later i still have that urge to learn about computer linux programming electronics and mechanics. we all start somewhere and continue from there, i remember lots of trial and error projects i did and some i did with lots more planning.

sweden has a say half burned half won.

never be afraid of trying doing things but be causious when u do especially when youre around higher voltage, mechanics things that might hurt you or like i saw today lazers.

it allways very fun to watch people that are eager wanting to learn new stuff making mistakes and also succed with that, i remeber i was doing it that way. not allways being patient want results now sometimes doesnt work that way. step away from project or what youre doing come back later with a fresh mind and continue that can i lots of cases help alot.

and who knows in time where you will be in future, but my trip has been very fun and i am holding on to my ticket and the train of knowledge going forward sometime very slow sometimes faster

so start with babysteps and go from there and have fun, and make mistakes and learn from them, i still do those

if you wanna learn it starts with asking, looking into it and reading

/regards

[willrocker]

Thanks guys, very inspiring posts!
oldvan - i will indeed inscribe "thanks sonsivri" if i ever get to that poinbt
sphinx - i know what you mean, i've got quite a few books lined up on my shelf now about electronics, and have read plenty of articles etc online. I will indeed start with small steps, im thinking of building a very simple robot, just some continous servos to power it, and an ultrasonic sensor, start from there and try and write the code all by myself (well without too much copying and pasting of other peoples work!) and try and go from there. Does that sound like a good idea? or perhaps too advanced?

[sphinx]

the only one that knows how much you know is yourself, dont start things too difficult start with parts of that and go from there, like small buidingblocks and put your blocks together. and if you find something thats working and modify it, no need to invent stuff moer than a couple of time if find something that works for you take the idea  or if you find something that might work for modify i. and also look at circuits and their schematics on info blade and u have lots of work done for you. same goes for software its may bee easier to modify software for a project insted of making something from scratch. dont be afraid of taking others work into your project if you can less time/work you need to spend on it. when that specific project is made you can allways look back and have that as a sptepping stone for future projects or making one all by yourself

i love my old 302 501 circuit books series books i still go back to them on occasion to rip some ideas from them
and google and yahoo is your friend too there is so much on the net to read and get partial projects already done by others

/mike

[willrocker]

Ah ok, thats a good mentality! most books seem to make 'blocks' and then put them together, the 'Getting started with arduino' book (which i suppose is a fairly good but basic introduction) shows you how to make each individual component and then in the final project you put them all together which is pretty logical.