Disclaimer: All files are packed into a RAR archive for best compression. WinRAR is shareware which can be found at RAR Labs' website. Documents containing notes and formulas will be in the PDF format. The PDF's can be opened with Foxit Reader (an alternative to Adobe Reader). The schematics can be opened with TinyCAD, which is free and simple to use. For the spice lists, if you know what they are and how to use them, you probably already have software to use them. I don't have any recommendations on that. If you do, however, please email me (especially if it's freeware/shareware, non-time/use-limited). All files, unless otherwise noted in the readme.txt in the archive, are released under the terms of the OWL without exception. Please drop me an email letting me know how you're using my stuff. I might put a special menu on this page alone directing folks to you guys (and gals) if I really like what you're doing. If I don't put up a link, don't take it personally.

Electricity

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I am going to begin putting up links to project files and the like for my electricity class. This section will probably not be updated very often.

Electronics

Since I am doing electronics as an elective and not my main, this section will get updated more often toward the end of every trimester.

Projects

Right now I'm working on 555 Timers as part of the electronics elective for my class (I'm studying Industrial Electricity as my main course). So far I've studied the basics of 555 timer operation and the absolute basics of astable and monostable operation. There are tons of tutorials out there, so unless I'm feeling froggy you won't feel any tutorials here. Just links to examples of circuits I've worked on, TinyCAD schematic drawing files, and possibly spice lists if I can get them to build properly (I tend to use generic parts in my schematics, but that will have to change, I imagine). If anyone knows of any good TinyCAD libraries that include IC chips such as the venerable 555 timer, please let me know.

My first project, where I chose the values and built the circuit all on my own, was a standard astable 555 timer. The TinyCAD drawing and PDF print-out of the schematic is here (no notes, just the readme, license.txt, and TinyCAD drawing). I just chose the values arbitrarily, with an eye to getting the timer to oscillate at a rate that was notably with the LEDs. You can view a video of the finished project at my YouTube channel. This circuit was started on 3 December 2010 and finished on 06 December 2010 (I did not work on it on the days of the 4th and 5th).

On 7 December 2010 I built, using someone else's schematic, another 555 timer circuit, again in the astable mode of operation, but this time for the purposes of pulse width modulation. By modulating the pulse width, I was able to achieve a form of speed control on a small DC motor. This archive has no TinyCAD drawing since I used someone else's schematic, just a scan of the schematic I used and some pictures of the finished circuit (motor unhooked). I will be using a new camera to take future pictures instead of my cell phone. You can get that file here (updated 12December 2010).