Basic intro text to electrical engineering?

**mecc69** · 06-24-2017, 11:36 AM

Looking for a basic intro level text for electrical engineering. Starting to screw around with raspberry pi's, arduino's, PLC's, etc and quickly realizing I get the logic/programming side of it (or know where to get info), but I need some sort of reference text for understanding the input/output side of this stuff. This is mostly just me screwing around with ideas I have, but some of it is potentially applicable professionally.

Anyone have a recommendation for a text that is fairly approachable and comprehensive?

**rod9301** · 06-24-2017, 12:00 PM

Electrical engineering is not a text, it's four years of college.

You may want to read a physics book.

**mecc69** · 06-24-2017, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by rod9301

Electrical engineering is not a text, it's four years of college.

You may want to read a physics book.

Figured I would get this response. Super useful.

**::: :::** · 06-24-2017, 12:17 PM

MIT has online free coursework
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electric...puter-science/

**Mazderati** · 06-24-2017, 12:20 PM

An intro physics text should have a lot of useful and applicable information but it probably will not be that approachable. Another avenue you might explore is learning how to use a multimeter which will have a lot of carryover. First link that came up: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/scien...ltimeter.shtml

**billyk** · 06-24-2017, 12:31 PM

Radio shack introduction to electronics book

**mecc69** · 06-24-2017, 12:32 PM

I have taken a year of physics and Calc through applied differential equations as well as matrix and power series methods.

I appreciate the links to the MIT course work. NPTEL has some stuff as well. I learn best by doing and reading, watching videos can be a bit of time waster for me so I am looking for sort of a catch all 101/201 text. Not sure I am using the correct terminology here either.

Basically want to start towards using sensor, motors, etc with micro-controllers to automate some tasks and generally fuck around.

**Beaver** · 06-24-2017, 12:54 PM

Do you have your feedback loops figured out? Typically 0-10v or 4-20mA, some devices are loop powered, some power the loop.

When designing a system like a water treatment plant for example the mech Eng specs the control valves, flow, level, pressure, chlorine, pH.... Sensors then I design my PLC to get the info in and out as needed. So your first step is to design the process then gather the data into your PLC to play with as you want and output as needed.

Discrete I/o can be passive (contact) or active (voltage) you've got to make sure your I/o can handle your loads/voltages, if not you can cook shit. Use interposing relays if you need to.

A shit ton of different systems out there. I could go on and on but fuck that, the lake is calling.

**mecc69** · 06-24-2017, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Beaver

Do you have your feedback loops figured out? Typically 0-10v or 4-20mA, some devices are loop powered, some power the loop.

When designing a system like a water treatment plant for example the mech Eng specs the control valves, flow, level, pressure, chlorine, pH.... Sensors then I design my PLC to get the info in and out as needed. So your first step is to design the process then gather the data into your PLC to play with as you want and output as needed.

Discrete I/o can be passive (contact) or active (voltage) you've got to make sure your I/o can handle your loads/voltages, if not you can cook shit. Use interposing relays if you need to.

A shit ton of different systems out there. I could go on and on but fuck that, the lake is calling.

This is exactly what I want to learn about. I understand how to spec the "control valves, flow, level, pressure, chlorine, pH" part of it, but I am struggling with understanding setting up the circuits.

Here is a simple example of something I am kicking around:

I want to set up a microcontroller to run a simple program (ladder logic on a plc or python on raspberry for example) that will take a temperature value (from a thermocouple) and actuate a 24V valve to apply hot or cold water to regulate the temp. Add on would be data collection of temperature and volume of water flowed.

I want to be able to design (and actually understand what is going on, not just follow something someone else did) the circuits to do this. I think my physics text has limited application here.

**riser4** · 06-24-2017, 02:09 PM

You looking for the logic side or the electricity side? This is the former. http://www.learngroup.org/uploads/20...th_Edition.pdf It seems similar to the book we used in EE 131 Intro to Digital Design many moons ago. Heck, it might even be the same book. It was a long time ago. I can't believe there's an actual PDF of this posted for anyone to read, so grab it if you want it.

**mecc69** · 06-24-2017, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by riser3

You looking for the logic side or the electricity side? This is the former. http://www.learngroup.org/uploads/20...th_Edition.pdf It seems similar to the book we used in EE 131 Intro to Digital Design many moons ago. Heck, it might even be the same book. It was a long time ago. I can't believe there's an actual PDF of this posted for anyone to read, so grab it if you want it.

Electricity side mostly, but this looks interesting. Thanks!

**Beaver** · 06-24-2017, 04:27 PM

I don't know where to find book learning on this stuff. I was thrown in the deep end and flailed around a lot but had someone I could ask questions and other jobs I could look at.

Thermocouples are generally 2 wire devices so they'll be loop powered, power comes from the PLC or external power supply. The PLC input measures the current or voltage in the loop then the PLC converts it to a number and puts it in a register. When you make a loop make sure it is a loop. Power supply to device, to PLC input to power supply.
Outputs are the same except usually the PLC is also the loop power, the device typically needs operation power to run a motor to actuate the valve proportionate to the PLC signal. 20ma = open, 4ma = closed or vice versa. Could also be 0-10v signal.

**hutash** · 06-24-2017, 07:28 PM

Just don't touch the black wire to the white wire, everything g else is unimportant.

**Harry** · 06-25-2017, 09:31 AM

Don't listen to hutash, the red wire is the important one.

**snoboy** · 06-25-2017, 12:26 PM

Practical Electronics for Inventors, by Paul Scherz is probably what you are looking for.

**Sluff** · 06-25-2017, 12:52 PM

V=I x R

**riser4** · 06-25-2017, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by mecc69

Electricity side mostly, but this looks interesting. Thanks!

I'm now pretty certain that's a newer version of the text we used in the fall of 1998 at UVM for EE131. Repressed memories. I am guessing that a PDF accessible to everybody is not really supposed to be floating around. It is your lucky day. Grab it or turn them in.

**SJG** · 06-25-2017, 02:42 PM

what you are doing is basic electronics, not "engineering". A basic electronics book(s) will be far more useful than EE textbooks for what you are doing. So is basic logic and programming stuff.

Physics knowledge is a good warm-up, but not required at all. I've met a lot of brilliant folks with no college degrees at all, and more than my fair share of morons with "sheepskins" from high end universities.

FWIW, I have EE and ME degrees.

**shroom** · 06-25-2017, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by riser3

I'm now pretty certain that's a newer version of the text we used in the fall of 1998 at UVM for EE131. Repressed memories. I am guessing that a PDF accessible to everybody is not really supposed to be floating around. It is your lucky day. Grab it or turn them in.

what a world we live in!

**wicked_sick** · 06-25-2017, 03:55 PM

I think I might have a couple old texts that I kept because they cost so damn much. I'll have a look tomorrow morning when I get home from work. I also have a good friend who is a controls specialist for a local manufacturing company. I'll ask him if he can recommend any good learning resources.

https://www.csimn.com/CSI_pages/PIDforDummies.html

**RShea** · 06-25-2017, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by SJG

what you are doing is basic electronics, not "engineering". A basic electronics book(s) will be far more useful than EE textbooks for what you are doing. So is basic logic and programming stuff.

Physics knowledge is a good warm-up, but not required at all. I've met a lot of brilliant folks with no college degrees at all, and more than my fair share of morons with "sheepskins" from high end universities.

FWIW, I have EE and ME degrees.

I'd agree with this. Along with the flow, resistance and logic for design and understanding voltages and types of power sources. Be better off going to find a good Electronics trade school book than a Electrical Engineering book.

**stradissimo** · 06-25-2017, 10:12 PM

Check out Circuit Cellar magazine. They publish lots of DIY-electronics project articles. I've seen everything from simple filter circuits to fpga-based synthesizers spelled out in their pages. If there is required code, they'll usually put it on their website http://circuitcellar.com/.