Practical Electronics for Inventors, Third Edition [Paperback]

THE ELECTRONICS KNOW-HOW YOU NEED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL INVENTOR

"If there is a successor to Make: Electronics, then I believe it would have to be Practical Electronics for Inventors....perfect for an electrical engineering student or maybe a high school student with a strong aptitude for electronics....I’ve been anxiously awaiting this update, and it was well worth the wait."--GeekDad (Wired.com)

Spark your creativity and gain the electronics skills required to transform your innovative ideas into functioning gadgets. This hands-on, updated guide outlines electrical principles and provides thorough, easy-to-follow instructions, schematics, and illustrations. Find out how to select components, safely assemble circuits, perform error tests, and build plug-and-play prototypes. Practical Electronics for Inventors, Third Edition, features all-new chapters on sensors, microcontrollers, modular electronics, and the latest software tools.

Coverage includes:

    Resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transformers
    Diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits
    Optoelectronics, solar cells, and phototransistors
    Sensors, GPS modules, and touch screens
    Op amps, regulators, and power supplies
    Digital electronics, LCD displays, and logic gates
    Microcontrollers and prototyping platforms, including Arduino
    DC motors, RC servos, and stepper motors
    Microphones, audio amps, and speakers
    Modular electronics and prototyping

Table of contents

Part I - Theory
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Theory
Part II - Devices
Chapter 3. Basic Electronic Components
Chapter 4. Discrete Semiconductors
Chapter 5. Optoelectronics
Chapter 6. Sensors
Chapter 7. Hands-on Electronics
Part III - Design
Chapter 8. Operational Amplifiers
Chapter 9. Filters
Chapter 10. Oscillators and Timers
Chapter 11. Voltage Regulators and Power Supplies
Chapter 12. Digital Electronics
Chapter 13. Microcontrollers
Chapter 14. Electromechanical Devices
Chapter 15. Audio Electronics
Chapter 16. Applied Electronics
Part IV - Appendixes
Appendix A. Power Distribution and Home Wiring
Appendix B. Error Analysis
Appendix C. Useful Facts and Formulas
Appendix D. Component Data, List of Logic ICs, Foreign Semiconductor Codes

Author comments

Paul Scherz is a physicist/mechanical engineer who received his B.S. in physics from the University of Wisconsin. He is an inventor/hobbyist in electronics, an area he grew to appreciate through his experience at the University's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics and the Department of Plasma Physics.

Dr. Simon Monk has a degree in Cybernetics and Computer Science and a PhD in Software Engineering. Monk spent several years as an academic before he returned to industry, co-founding the mobile software company Momote Ltd. He has been an active electronics hobbyist since his early teens and is a full time writer on hobby electronics and open source hardware. Dr. Monk is the author of numerous electronics books, including 30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius and Arduino + Android Projects for the Evil Genius.