Resources for the Beginner Hardware Hacker?

StandardDeviant asks: "What would be good resources for a programmer looking to start a hobby in hardware hacking? By that I mean circuits, microcontrollers, computer controlled hacks, and such...sort of like a hobby-level EE education. It's just this itch I've had recently to dig down to the other extreme of the 'tower of abstraction' they bleat about so much in CS, also I find it ironic that I know more about the math (Maxwell's laws, and so on) behind electric widgets than I do about using them to build things. I'd be interested in pointers to good websites, books, magazines, parts sources, you name it! As an example: I've been looking recently at the microcontroller/circuit stuff from Iguana Labs, and of course browsing through Radio Shack. Thanks!"

Comments

Maxwell's Laws?

[aqu4fiend]

Heh ... you think Maxwell's laws will help you in real hardware hacking?

Someone really has been living up high on the tower of abstraction....

But seriously, I'd recommend picking something that you really want to build, (then eliminating your first choice 'cuz it's to fscking hard) and looking for resources on that. You'll get alot further if you pick a more definite goal than "I want to learn to build circuits". As you start working/learning, you'll have new ideas/goals which will lead to further ideas, etc., and the great cycle will have begun ...

Re:fpga's

[Phil Thomas]

An FPGA might be a little bit over this guy's head, seems to me like he's more interested in microcontroller applications.

You may want to try building a robot. It's usually easy to find an application for a robot, you are already looking at 8051 stuff, those chips along with Motorola 68HC11's are excellent for embedded robot control. Usually there is quite a bit of hardware hacking involved to setup sensors, motors/servos etc. and you can find tons of info about robot construction all over the web. One site I've found particularily useful: The EE Compendium. Good luck!

Fundamentals first.

[AntipodesTroll]

I wont paste a bunch of URLs, google can give you those.

But as an ex EE student (concentrating on digital electronics) i'd have to say that you will be best served if you understand the very basic fundamentals first.

It might sound boring, working out how/why a simple multivibrator (ooer!) cct works, or in just which direction current flow occurs when looking at the cct symbol for a diode. But you wont regret it, when you wonder whats up with your registered digital interface, or pondering what the deal is with open-collector outputs.

Besides, if youre really interested in electronics, this stuff IS interesting. Software writing starts to feel kinda like an arbitary exercise, after you have designed and built a few simple electronics circuits.