Talk:Circuit Theory

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I Setup a basic outline on the main page. I think this is a good amount of material to cover in this book, and we can save other topics for other books on the subject. I think we can limit Fourier and Laplace analysis in this book, and instead focus on those subjects in detail in a later book. We can also save semiconductors (diodes and transistors) to another book, because those topics require a certain background in electric fields. --Whiteknight 22:32, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

I've moved all formatting information to the Circuit Theory Contributers page --Whiteknight 19:45, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Forward Slash Convention

I'm going to be changing over all the links in this book to use the forward-slash convention. --Whiteknight TCE 17:33, 10 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] examples

Examples would be good, showing step-by-step how to analyse and design buildable projects. (not just a list of parts with soldering instructions, though that might be included at the end) Some examples that come to mind are:

  • safely connect AC power to a computer's microphone jack (to see the waveform -- a UPS would be interesting)
  • safely connect AC power to a computer's line-in jack (to see the waveform -- a UPS would be interesting)
  • build a modem from a soundcard (for audio) and serial port (for on-hook control)
  • build a modem from a soundcard (for audio) and parallel port (for on-hook control)
  • drive LEDs (of various types) off of a parallel port
  • build a stun gun
  • low-power FM transmitter for audio from a common cheap microphone
  • low-power FM transmitter for audio from line-out
  • low-power AM transmitter for audio from a common cheap microphone
  • low-power AM transmitter for audio from line-out
  • build a crude AC-to-DC step-down power supply
  • build a switching AC-to-DC step-down power supply
  • build a DC-to-AC power supply, stepping up of course
  • build the whole UPS, with power loss and low battery signals :-)
  • abuse a transistor or two for measuring temperature
  • build a capacitance-based proximity switch
  • build a theremin
  • modulate an LED (FM, AM, PM, etc.) to transmit audio, and then receive it
  • power a small fan or light from a USB port
  • build an original-style pair of telephones
  • the HERF gun (EMP gun)
  • fluorescent light power supply
  • lightning-protected antenna
  • ligntning-protected computer-to-outside line, for pool or garden monitoring and control

AlbertCahalan 04:47, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I definately am interested in adding alot of good examples, but i run into a few problems:
  1. nobody else besides me has really contributed yet to this wikibook
  2. we need to get alot more of the theoretical framework written down before we can attempt any design examples
  3. examples are going to require diagrams (and they can't all be ASCII) and lots of formulas which can be very time-intensive to produce.

Also, some of these examples wouldnt really fit into this wikibook, because it is mostly an exposition of time-domain analysis of DC circuits. Circuit Theory 2 has AC current and frequency methods. Many of these examples that you have listed will require information on semiconductors, electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic wave propagation, TTL, and Digital logic, which are all well beyond the scope of this book. Also, some of the examples, such as a "stun gun" or an "EMP gun" would be better suited for a text like "how to get arrested" or "how to hurt those around you", and are less suited for a serious text on Circuit Engineering techniques. I definately do plan to add many examples in the future, however. Also, i think i would like to incorporate examples from software suites such as MatLab and PSpice, among others. --Whiteknight 14:15, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Note that the semiconductor part can often be glossed over. Analysing the rest can still be useful. AlbertCahalan 02:09, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
A serious text can certainly include entertaining examples. It should have them, to draw the reader's attention. There's nothing wrong with building a stun gun. You can test it on yourself. AlbertCahalan 02:09, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
That's true, there is nothing saying that our examples cannot be "real-world" examples, or that they can't be interesting or entertaining. However, the current scope of this wikibook is far to limited to be covering nearly any of the topics listed above. Later EE books (if we ever get around to making more) can certainly tackle some of those topics. The average reader of this wikibook simply doesnt have enough background knowledge of the subject, and would be far too easily distracted by "flashy" examples, and might gloss over the mathematically rigorous (but very important) principals. --Whiteknight 11:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] What This Book Is Not

Perhaps it would be simpler to define the narrow scope of what this book is then the large scope of what it is not. However, in wikibooks tradition, I will attempt to outline my perspective on what this book is and is not, and then open the floor up to discussion on the subject:

  1. This is not a mathbook. We do not need to teach calculus here, but instead we can assume that people reading this book will have a certain knowledge of calculus before hand. We can certainly point people in the direction of the math bookshelf, however.
  2. This is not a physics book. There is a certain amount of mathematical rigour that a physics book on this subject will contain that this book will not. It is less important to know the mathematical details that govern a capacitor then it is to know how a capacitor is used in a circuit. To employ a capacitor, for instance, an engineer needs only to run down to RadioShack, and purchase one. We can treat the capacitor then like a black box with a given input/output relationship.
  3. This book is not open-ended. This book has a very clear scope: It covers time-domain analysis of circuits with DC sources. Within that small framework however, we can write whatever it is we please, so long is we dont break rules 1 and 2.
  4. This book is not monolithic. I don't expect that any book will be able to contain the sum total of all knowledge on circuit theory. Even if our subset is restricted to time-domain analysis of DC circuits, we can't possibly hope to include all possible information. This book should instead contain the bare fundamentals, and allow additional "advanced topics" or "corrolary topics" to be given their own books. This way, people can read on specifically the topic they are looking for.
  5. This is not the Electronics wikibook. That book has already been written, and there is no sense rewriting a book of that caliber. This book has a specific audience (Electrical Engineering students), and a specific premise (teach the fundamentals without bogging the reader down with unnecessary details).

I think this is a nice layout of what i think this book should and should not be. If people have a differing opinion, please mention it here. For a general outline of my thoughts on the subject, see my user page. --Whiteknight 21:41, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] New Sections

I would like to add some new material to this book. Specifically, I would like to add more information about 3-phase power, and 3-phase networks (Y and Delta). If anybody else has any requests or suggestions for new material, leave a message here. --Whiteknight(talk) (projects) 14:54, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

Also, I would like to include information about Op-Amps, and a few other subjects. I'll get around to it eventually. --Whiteknight(talk) (projects) 19:12, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Book Components

I have created a number of components for use with this book:

These templates and categories are explained further on their respective module pages and talk pages. --Whiteknight(talk) (projects) 15:39, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

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