Experiment 36: The Lock, Revisited
316 Chapter 5
FundAmentAls
Unexplored territory
If you’ve taken the time to complete most of the projects in this book with your
own hands, you have gained a very rapid introduction to the most fundamental
areas of electronics.
What have you missed along the way? Here are some topics that remain wide
open for you to explore. Naturally you should search online if they interest you.
The informal, learning-by-discovery approach that I have used in this book
tends to be light on theory. I’ve avoided most of the math that you’d be expect-
ed to learn in a more rigorous course on the subject. If you have mathematical
aptitude, you can use it to gain a much deeper insight into the way in which
circuits work.
I didn’t deal much with computer architecture, either. We didn’t go very far into
binary code, and you didn’t build a half-adder, which is a great way to learn how
computers function on the most fundamental level. Perhaps you should think
about assembling one.
I avoided going deeply into the fascinating and mysterious properties of
alternating current. Here again, some math is involved, but just the behavior of
current at high frequencies is an interesting topic in itself.
For reasons already stated, I avoided surface-mount components—but you
can still go into this area yourself for a relatively small investment, if you
like the idea of creating fascinatingly tiny devices. This may be the future of
hobby electronics, so if you stick with it, you’ll probably end up in the world of
surface-mount.
Vacuum tubes were not mentioned, because at this point, they are mainly of
historical interest. But there’s something very special and beautiful about tubes,
especially if you can enclose them in fancy cabinetwork. In the hands of a
skilled craftsperson, tube amplifiers and radios become art objects.
I didn’t show you how to etch your own printed circuit boards. This is a task that
appeals to only certain people, and the preparation for it requires you to make
very neat drawings or use computer software for that purpose. If you happen to
have those resources, you might want to do your own etching. It could be a first
step toward mass-producing your own devices.
I didn’t cover static electricity at all. High-voltage sparks don’t have any practi-
cal applications, and they entail some safety issues—but they are stunningly
impressive, and you can easily obtain the necessary information to build the
equipment. Maybe you should try.