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RadioShack Electronics Learning Lab and Sensors Lab

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You need a person to flip a mechanical switch on and off. With an electronic switch I guess it can be triggered by sensors (eg. Light, dark, temperature, output from another circuit, etc). With all the possibilities it seems like electronics is as much of a art as it is a science.
 
With all the possibilities it seems like electronics is as much of a art as it is a science.

It is!! Steve's recommendation of a transistor may seem simple, but I believe it will take anyone quite some time to learn it fully. Look at the resources section, Steve has posted a primer on BJT's which is a basic type of transistor. Don't be discouraged, it may take you some time to understand some of these concepts - don't give up, the electronics world is a large part of our world, it's well worth working towards an understanding of it ;-)
 
I read BJT's are current-driven and FET's are voltage-driven. Now BJT's are switched on by applying a voltage at the Base, so why do they say BJT's are current-driven?
 
I read BJT's are current-driven and FET's are voltage-driven. Now BJT's are switched on by applying a voltage at the Base, so why do they say BJT's are current-driven?
From what I have read and from what more advanced members on the site are stating, its a tomaytoe/tomahtoe type thing. Its a matter of perspective since you can't have current without potential ;-)

Here is some information if you want to read.

The posts more than the linked website.
 
That is simpler than using an opamp as an amplifier in my opinion ;)
Opamp has two inputs, + and -. When using this as an open loop amplifier, if one of the inputs is slightly higher or lower than the other, the output will swing way or the other.
 
What are thronomisters and entabulators?
Omega, the most important thing you must have is something that none of us can teach you.
You need to have enough of an interest to drive your own curiosity.
If you cannot search for your own answers and attempt to understand something before asking questions then yourself and many others on here will simply be spinning out wheels.

Do yourself a huge favour and understand transistors. Don't just read the wikipedia page, build something with them.
Aside from learning Ohm's Law, and how to sum resistance, capacitance, and inductance in a (portion of a) circuit, you need to understand these things. They are the building block of almost every component you will ever build.
You can build logic gates with them, you can control motors and other heavy loads with them, you can even build an amplifier with them.
Once you understand these things, then you can move to other items.

Also, please please please, do some prior research and scouting prior to asking questions. We love it when you start a question with 'I am trying to learn X, but don't quite understand what happens if I do <blank> to it'
or
'I am trying to build X, but am running into a problem because <something> does not happen.'
It shows interest, initiative, and a willingness to learn.


Edit: have you done a google search for either one of those two words? They will not be something you will ever work with.
 
Maybe I'm better suited for the role of a Steve Jobs, with a bunch of Wozniaks at my command to do the heavy-lifting. And I'll take all the credit.
 
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