Customer Reviews

Timer, Op Amp, and Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I simply love this little book. Reading it has made me remember why I wanted to become an engineer in the first place - to build circuits that do cool and interesting tasks. You just don't see books like this anymore. Since the standardization of computing hardware, most engineering books are written at a very high level and do not have anything to say on circuitry that is readable by someone without a master's degree. That's where this book comes in. In less than 130 pages and for only $13 this book contains easy-to-read instructions on the construction of dozens of interesting yet simple circuits. The author even manages to make the 555-timer device, which is perhaps the simplest of all IC's, the centerpiece of dozens of interesting circuits. Each circuit requires only a page or two of information which includes complete schematic instructions and some notes on what the circuit does and why it is useful. Circuit assembly tips and pin-outs of IC's are included. I think what I liked best about this book was its section on optoelectronics. In simple language the author describes lenses and optical fibers, and then goes on to describe simple circuits that use the power of light to perform practical tasks. Since it is presented in "engineer's notebook" format, there is not much in the way of theory presented in this book. It is really good for students who are maybe thinking about a career path in engineering and would like to get a taste of what circuit design is about. However, even if you are a practicing engineer, I think that you will find the circuits in this little book both useful and entertaining. I highly recommend it.

It is unfortunate the info and backround presented in this book is missing from his 'Engineer's Notebook'. His books seem to always overlap some of the same circuits. Sometimes I feel the publisher has him thin out info to sell more titles. His 'Circuit Scrapbook' should have remained his scrapbook. It has typos, incomplete info and contradicts his other statements using the same IC's and circuits. As a result, some circuits do not work as described or not at all. I've purchased about all his books dating from 1980 so I feel I have a good perception of his work. Sometimes I feel I have paid twice for the same info/circuits because of this duplication. This book is a good one but should have been included in his 'Engineer's Notebook'

This book provides easy to understand information on several useful electronic components. Many of the newer components are much more complex and in most cases - overkill. I believe this book is a good value for anyone that needs this level of technical information.

I like the electronics books by Forrest Mims III, including this one. His books are excellent for scientific professionals like me who need to construct an eletronic circuit, but do not have training in electonics. I used the circuit on the bottom of page 104 to measure the time delay between a signal to open a light shutter and the actual opening time. The diagrams are very clear, and the components are labeled, so that you can buy what you need and assemble it yourself. Well worth the low price!

This book lists the A. P. C. as "Stepped Tone Generator." Another interesting project is the Sound Effects Generator. This is a good book for people who are just getting into breadboarding and want to make interesting sounds. Amplifier and filter schematics are also provided.

To be honest, a lot of the info in this book would've been much more useful before the internet, but I imagine the same is true for many such books now. Pretty much all the background information on the actual timer & op amp components and the basic "building block" circuits that go along with them can be found online now, but even these parts may still be useful to some as an offline reference.

That said, there are still some projects in here that make it worth the purchase - especially for those who are new to electronics, as the circuits in this book are all pretty low in both parts-count and complexity. Many of the projects are of the "fun" sort, but will still teach you things which come in handy later in other things.

I bought this as a gift for a friend that was missing this one book from the entire collection. This series is GREAT!.

This book is definitely for beginners. There's little or no theory but the explanations of how-to-do-it were useful. I think anyone could do the projects but I doubt they would learn much theory. They would however, learn some skills and terminology that could be useful as the novice grows in knowledge. I think this book has the potential of getting someone interested in electronics without any threatening math and theory to scare them away. If you are beyond beginners status in electronics this book has little to offer beyond what could be a few useful circuits. There is no explanation of how the circuits actually work but they do tell you what they are for.

I can basically recommend ANY book by Forrest Mims, at least all of them that i've ever seen. Enough said. If you're into electronics, get this (any any other Mims book).

I am an equipment tech at a Biomedical research lab. I have found this book to be a very useful tool. The circuits all work and are designed to be simple and reliable. If you know what you want but don't have a week to work out the kinks this book is for you. I am in the process of getting all the volumes of this series because of this book.