The Kickstarter for my reference posters is officially live!  If you’d like the opportunity for a slick set of posters covering the subjects you want most, this is for you.  There will be voting on which posters to include, and contributors may submit additional poster ideas.

So what are you waiting for?  Oh yeah …the link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zarthcode/ee-reference-posters-for-makers-hobbyists-and-pros?ref=users

Update:  The project is currently 67% funded with just 18 days to go!

I tend to get involved in a lot of projects where I have a need to build a “one-off” part.  3D printing is usually an option.  But sometimes, things just need to be made out of metal.  For the money, I felt that I would get some great mileage from a CNC mill.  Overall, I want a mill that will be great for prototyping, but is usable for (very) small scale production if I need to make multiples of a part. Here’s what I ended up with:

I have a decent number of ongoing projects in the works. One of the smallest is adding some nice reference material to the (rather bare) walls in my lab.  In this case, directly above my electronics bench.

Electronics is a skill that really depends upon how often you use it.  If there is anything an experienced EE will tell you, it’s this:

You have to drill the basics,  constantly!

Before, I would “refresh” myself by re-reading chapters of the 1994 ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook.  (Sure there are many later editions, but this one still had chapters on some of the more “arcane” stuff, such as vacuum tubes!  I was in grade-school at the time, and it was my first. )

I have just completed the final draft of my first (of many) electronics reference poster – dealing with my favorite equation, Ohm’s Law! It has a (very) quick example/ summary of series and parallel resistances, and their equations.  In addition, the resistor color code is provided, as well as the SMD resistor codes (including EIA-96).  It was as much as I felt comfortable cramming into a single poster.  It’s supposed look nice & stylish, as well!

I’ve already started planning several additional posters to accompany this one.  Ideas include:

• The power equation, and it’s derivations when combined w/Ohm’s Law (hardly original, but still useful.)
• Capacitance & Inductance
•  series and parallel measurement
• SMD codes
• Thru-hole markings/codes
• RC circuits, timing.
• Filters
• Reactance equation
• Diodes
• Transistors (BJTs, FETs)
• Basic Logic
• Schematic Symbols
• Truth Tables
• Slightly Less-Basic Logic (This one is tentative)
• Flip-Flops (JK, D, SR, etc)
• Latches

I’ll be submitting a kickstarter proposal soon, if it is accepted, and it turns out enough supporters – you can have a complete set of reference posters for a song. (Failing that, I’ll figure out a way to offer them at decent prices).