Hacking Electronics: An Illustrated DIY Guide for Makers and Hobbyists

Hacking Electronics: An Illustrated DIY Guide for Makers and Hobbyists

by Simon Monk
Released March 2013
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
ISBN: 9780071802376

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Book description

Bring your electronic inventions to life!

"This full-color book is impressive...there are some really fun projects!" -GeekDad, Wired.com

Who needs an electrical engineering degree? This intuitive guide shows how to wire, disassemble, tweak, and re-purpose everyday devices quickly and easily. Packed with full-color illustrations, photos, and diagrams, Hacking Electronics teaches by doing--each topic features fun, easy-to-follow projects. Discover how to hack sensors, accelerometers, remote controllers, ultrasonic rangefinders, motors, stereo equipment, microphones, and FM transmitters. The final chapter contains useful information on getting the most out of cheap or free bench and software tools.

  • Safely solder, join wires, and connect switches
  • Identify components and read schematic diagrams
  • Understand the how and why of electronics theory
  • Work with transistors, LEDs, and laser diode modules
  • Power your devices with a/c supplies, batteries, or solar panels
  • Get up and running on Arduino boards and pre-made modules
  • Use sensors to detect everything from noxious gas to acceleration
  • Build and modify audio amps, microphones, and transmitters
  • Fix gadgets and scavenge useful parts from dead equipment
    •

    Table of contents

    1. Cover 
    2. About the Author
    3. Title Page
    4. Copyright Page
    5. Contents at a Glance
    6. Contents 
    7. Acknowledgments
    8. Introduction
    9. Chapter 1: Getting Started
      1. Getting Stuff
        1. Buying Components
        2. Where to Buy Things to Hack
        3. A Basic Toolkit
      2. How to Strip a Wire
        1. You Will Need
      3. How to Join Wires Together by Twisting
        1. You Will Need
      4. How to Join Wires by Soldering
        1. Safety
        2. You Will Need
        3. Soldering
        4. Joining Wires
      5. How to Test a Connection
        1. You Will Need
      6. How to Hack a Computer Fan to Keep Soldering Fumes Away
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
      7. Summary
    10. Chapter 2: Theory and Practice
      1. How to Assemble a Starter Kit of Components
        1. You Will Need
      2. How to Identify Electronic Components
        1. Resistors
        2. Capacitors
        3. Diodes
        4. LEDs
        5. Transistors
        6. Integrated Circuits
        7. Other Stuff
        8. Surface Mount Components
      3. What Are Current, Resistance, and Voltage?
        1. Current
        2. Resistance
        3. Voltage
        4. Ohm’s Law
      4. What Is Power?
      5. How to Read a Schematic Diagram
        1. The First Rule of Schematics: Positive Voltages Are Uppermost
        2. Second Rule of Schematics: Things Happen Left to Right
        3. Names and Values
        4. Component Symbols
      6. Summary
    11. Chapter 3: Basic Hacks
      1. How to Make a Resistor Get Hot
        1. You Will Need
        2. The Experiment
      2. How to Use Resistors to Divide a Voltage
        1. You Will Need
      3. How to Convert a Resistance to a Voltage (and Make a Light Meter)
        1. You Will Need
      4. Hack a Push Light to Make It Light Sensing
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
        3. Construction
      5. How to Choose a Bipolar Transistor
        1. Datasheets
        2. MOSFLT Transistors
        3. PNP and N-Channel Transistors
        4. Common Transistors
      6. How to Use a Power MOSFET to Control a Motor
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
      7. How to Select the Right Switch
        1. Push-Button Switches
        2. Microswitches
        3. Toggle Switches
      8. Summary
    12. Chapter 4: LEDs
      1. How to Stop an LED from Burning Out
        1. You Will Need
        2. Diodes
        3. LEDs
        4. Trying It Out
      2. How to Select the Right LED for the Job
        1. You Will Need
        2. Brightness and Angle
        3. Multicolor
        4. IR and UV
        5. LEDs for Illumination
      3. How to Use a LM317 to Make a Constant Current Driver
        1. You Will Need
        2. Design
        3. Breadboard
        4. Construction
      4. How to Measure the Forward Voltage of an LED
        1. You Will Need
      5. How to Power Large Numbers of LEDs
      6. How to Make LEDs Flash
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
      7. How to Use Stripboard (LED Flasher)
        1. Designing the Stripboard Layout
        2. You Will Need
        3. Construction
        4. Troubleshooting
      8. How to Use a Laser Diode Module
      9. Hacking a Slot Car Racer
        1. You Will Need
        2. Storing Charge in a Capacitor
        3. Design
        4. Construction
        5. Testing
      10. Summary
    13. Chapter 5: Batteries and Power
      1. Selecting the Right Battery
        1. Battery Capacity
        2. Maximum Discharge Rate
        3. Single-Use Batteries
        4. Rechargeable Batteries
      2. Charging Batteries (in General)
        1. C
        2. Over-Charging
        3. Over-Discharging
        4. Battery Life
      3. How to Charge a NiMH Battery
        1. Simple Charging
        2. Fast Charging
      4. How to Charge a Sealed Lead-Acid Battery
        1. Charging with a Variable Power Supply
      5. How to Charge a LiPo Battery
      6. Hacking a Cell Phone Battery
      7. Controlling the Voltage from a Battery
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
      8. Boosting Voltage
      9. Calculating How Long a Battery Will Last
      10. How to Design for Battery Backup
        1. Diodes
        2. Trickle Charging
      11. How to Use Solar Cells
        1. Testing a Solar Panel
        2. Trickle Charging with a Solar Panel
        3. Minimizing Power Consumption
      12. Summary
    14. Chapter 6: Hacking Arduino
      1. How to Set up Arduino (and Blink an LED)
        1. You Will Need
        2. Setting Up Arduino
        3. Modifying the Blink Sketch
      2. How to Make an Arduino Control a Relay
        1. Relays
        2. Arduino Outputs
        3. You Will Need
        4. Construction
        5. Software
      3. How to Hack a Toy for Arduino Control
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. The Serial Monitor
        4. Software
      4. How to Measure Voltage with an Arduino
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      5. How to Use an Arduino to Control an LED
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software (Flashing)
        4. Software (Brightness)
      6. How to Play a Sound with an Arduino
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      7. How to Use Arduino Shields
      8. How to Control a Relay from a Web Page
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Network Configuration
        4. Testing
        5. Software
      9. How to Use a Alphanumeric LCD Shield with Arduino
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      10. How to Drive a Servo Motor with an Arduino
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      11. How to Charlieplex LEDs
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      12. How to Type Passwords Automatically
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      13. Summary
    15. Chapter 7: Hacking with Modules
      1. How to Use a PIR Motion Sensor Module
        1. You Will Need (PIR and LED)
        2. Breadboard
        3. You Will Need (PIR and Arduino)
        4. Construction
        5. Software
      2. How to Use Ultrasonic Rangefinder Modules
        1. You Will Need
        2. The HC-SR04 Rangefinder
        3. The MaxBotix LV-EZl Rangefinder
      3. How to Use a Wireless Remote Module
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
      4. How to Use a Wireless Remote Module with Arduino
        1. You Will Need
        2. Software
      5. How to Control Motor Speed with a Power MOSFET
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
        3. Software
      6. How to Control DC Motors with an H-Bridge Module
        1. You Will Need
        2. Breadboard
        3. Using the Control Pins
      7. How to Control a Stepper Motor with an H-Bridge Module
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      8. How to Make a Simple Robot Rover
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Testing
        4. Software
      9. How to Use a Seven-Segment LED Display Module
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      10. How to Use a Real-Time Clock Module
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      11. Summary
    16. Chapter 8: Hacking with Sensors
      1. How to Detect Noxious Gas
        1. You Will Need
        2. The LM311 Comparator
        3. Breadboard
        4. Using a Gas Sensor with an Arduino
      2. How to Measure Something’s Color
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      3. How to Detect Vibration
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      4. How to Measure Temperature
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      5. How to Use an Accelerometer
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      6. How to Sense Magnetic Fields
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      7. Summary
    17. Chapter 9: Audio Hacks
      1. Hacking Audio Leads
        1. General Principals
        2. Soldering Audio Connectors
        3. Converting a Stereo Signal to Mono
      2. How to Use a Microphone Module
      3. How to Make an FM Bug
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Testing
      4. Selecting Loudspeakers
      5. How to Make a 1-Watt Audio Amplifier
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Testing
      6. How to Generate Tones with a 555 Timer
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
      7. How to Make a USB Music Controller
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      8. How to Make a Software VU Meter
        1. You Will Need
        2. Construction
        3. Software
      9. Summary
    18. Chapter 10: Mending and Breaking Electronics
      1. How to Avoid Electrocution
      2. How to Take Something Apart AND Put It Back Together Again
      3. How to Check a Fuse
      4. How to Test a Battery
      5. How to Test a Heating Element
      6. Finding and Replacing Failed Components
        1. Testing Components
        2. Desoldering
        3. Replacement
      7. How to Scavenge Useful Components
      8. How to Reuse a Cell Phone Power Adapter
      9. Summary
    19. Chapter 11: Tools
      1. How to Use a Multimeter (General)
        1. Continuity and Diode Test
        2. Resistance
        3. Capacitance
        4. Temperature
        5. AC Voltage
        6. DC Voltage
        7. DC Current
        8. AC Current
        9. Frequency
      2. How to Use a Multimeter to Test a Transistor
      3. How to Use a Lab Power Supply
      4. Introducing: The Oscilloscope
      5. Software Tools
        1. Simulation
        2. Fritzing
        3. EAGLE PCB
        4. Online Calculators
      6. Summary
    20. Appendix Parts
      1. Tools
      2. Components
      3. Component Starter Kits
        1. Resistors
        2. Capacitors
        3. Semiconductors
        4. Hardware and Miscellaneous
        5. Modules
    21. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Hacking Electronics: An Illustrated DIY Guide for Makers and Hobbyists
    • Author(s): Simon Monk
    • Release date: March 2013
    • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
    • ISBN: 9780071802376