Hobby Electronics Projects for EE Freshman

[soul]

As a freshman student in electrical engineering, I need some projects that are simple but enjoyable. I search it on google but results were not satisfying. If you know useful web addresses about this topic, please share with me. Thank you.

 

[ranger]

You can try getting some electronics kits. I think Radioshack had a kit called Sensors. Not sure if its in production anymore, but it may have been replaced by more recent kits. Just drop by your local shack and inquire. Also you can find many schematics on the internet of circuits that do useful things and demonstrate some basic concepts in electronics. One excellent resource is discover circuits.

BTW, its awesome that you are showing some interest in building circuits at such an early stage in your undergrad studies. Such an attitude will be invaluable over the coming years.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

If you're interested in robotics or control software, an excellent website to look at is http://www.parallax.com/ since they have do-it yourself robots that can include breadboards on top for building basic circuits that control some of their functions.

http://www.parallax.com/tabid/182/List/0/CategoryID/67/Level/a/SortField/0/Default.aspx

 

[chroot]

Get a subscription to Make Magazine. You'll never have to search for project ideas ever again.

- Warren

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Get a subscription to Make Magazine. You'll never have to search for project ideas ever again.

- Warren

Very cool magazine, I'm going to have to subscribe now

 

[billnaylor]

Try clicking here:

www.electronworks.co.uk[/URL]

Technical articles, electronic kits, projects etc

Hope this helps!

 

[mgb_phys]

There is a very cheap opensource AtmelAVR based uC board called Arduino
There are a bunch of submitted and suggested projects here http://www.freeduino.org/

 

[cf8]

There is a very cheap opensource AtmelAVR based uC board called Arduino
There are a bunch of submitted and suggested projects here http://www.freeduino.org/

Wow, I forgot all about that site you linked to!

I own an Arduino Duemilanove and I really like it. So far I've just done basic communication (to Arduino; from Arduino), controlling an LCD, and controlling LEDs, but I must say it is a lot easier to learn than I thought it would be. Also, there is an http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl" , if you need Arduino-specific help. That said, however, I'm sure there are many people on this forum that could help, too. (I'm not recommending one forum over the other; I've used both, but each for different reasons.)

 

[mgb_phys]

Have you seen this one? http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/
It's not quite an Arduino (same proc family but not binary compatible) but you can use most of the same source and dev kit with a couple of patches.
It has the USB integrated and can even drive a USB keyboard/mouse

 

[cf8]

I don't think I have... I'll have to find out more about it, though; it looks interesting.

Mildly off-subject, but I could use a low-cost (like maybe $5) development board of some sort. It would only need about 4 I/O pins; I'd be okay if I had to use some sort of board to program it, instead of built-in USB (but built-in USB would be fine, too).

 

[mgb_phys]

there's this one, it's $15 and through-hole so you can repair it, no USB adaptor
http://www.nycresistor.com/2007/10/16/cheapest-arduino-ever/

Or getting slightly silly http://lab.guilhermemartins.net/paperduino-prints/

 

[cf8]

Actually, the Paperduino looks more like what I was thinking. Something minimalistic and cheap; I'd like to replace the ATMega168 with something like http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=211", but I'd have to find out what other components would be needed, and how they would be connected to each other. Low cost is my goal, because I wouldn't want to be upset if it got destroyed. (I'm wanting drop something like a small firecracker/noisemaker from a remote-controlled helicopter; I wouldn't want to waste $15 every time I made a mistake.)

 

[Bob S]

Do a google search on "Electronics kits".