Starting Electronics

by Keith Brindley

Starting Electronics is unrivalled as a highly practical introduction for technicians, non-electronic engineers, software engineers, students, and hobbyists. Keith Brindley introduces readers to the functions of the main component types, their uses, and the basic principles of building and designing electronic circuits. Breadboard layouts make this very much a ready-to-run book for the experimenter, and the use of readily available, inexpensive components makes this practical exploration of electronics easily accessible to all levels of engineer and hobbyist. Other books tell readers what to do, but sometimes fail to explain why – Brindley gives readers hands-on confidence in addition to real scientific knowledge, and insight into the principles as well as the practice. All written explanations and steps are supplemented with numerous photos, charts, tables and graphs. Concepts and practical aspects are explained thoroughly with mathematical formulae and technical schematic drawings. Each chapter introduces a concept or tool, explains the basic theory, and provides clear instructions for a simple experiment to apply the concept or tool, with quiz sections and answers, at the end of each chapter. New chapters on multimeters and soldering will be added, covering the fundamentals and experiments, with a basic parts list and an expanded and updated buyer’s guide.

Genres: Science, Reference

296 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

Reviews

[Adam Wainwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent starter for electronics, based upon some magazine articles written over a period of time. The author is a bit chummy but this is a very British book in that respect!

Basics such as breadboards and tools are discussed then we're dipped into Ohms law via resistors then into chapters on capacitors, ICs, filters and oscillators, diodes, transistors then Analogue ICs finally digital ICs before finishing with a section on soldering.

Some of the questions at the end of each chapter have to be read and re-read as they are trick ones so be careful of the wording! The section on oscillators baked my noodle a bit until I could think out where electrons are going and the experiments are quite useful. Based on the book I bought some 555 timer chips, some 7400 series logic gates and played around and it's quite fun. Capacitors always took me a while to 'get' but now I'm happy after playing with a 470uF capacitor plus various .25W resistors between a 5V potential seeing the capacitor charging and discharging over time; it not being instantaneous.

One suggestion for peeps: break open a spare USB A -> whatever cable at the 'whatever' end and solder a two-block of header pins to the red and black. Seal while maintaining the red and blackness of the wires to the pins and you have a handy lead to use as a 5V supply when coupled with any USB power source!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is simply one of the best introductions to the electronics (more theoretical than Robot Building for Beginners) I've ever read. I think it must precede any university course on electronics as it is a very short, joyful read that puts all your knowledge about electronics together and prepares you to deeper courses.

Now off to Practical Electronics for Inventors, yay!

[Russ Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent introduction

[Kevin Browder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beginner book. American authors should take a page from Brindley. He's proof positive that REAL intelligence can be understood by someone without a doctorate.

[Sanjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book for introductory purpose.

[Nathan Mclatchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book, would have chosen an easier one if I could go back in time.
It did however throw me in at the deep end, and as I was going to read more of this subject it helped a lot.