Foundation of Design Calculations?

[surfmore]

I'm just starting school for electrical engineering. I would like to begin designing my own stompboxes. I know the overall objective is to manipulate the signal of the input wave. Diodes are used to clip the wave and transistors are used to amplify the wave. I know how to analyze circuits and perform testing calculations.

However, I do not  know how to design a circuit for a desired output. I've search extensively for basic design calculations and processes but most sites just give a schematic with all the values already in.

If anyone could help me understand why the resistor, capacitor, and diode values are what they are, and how to calculate them, it would be a tremendous help and a huge benefit for my future.

Thank,
Josh

[cd]

Start with the two relevant Craig Anderton books:

DIY Projects for Guitarists
Electronic Projects for Musicians

The 2nd may be a bit too low level, but both are usually easily found at a library whre you can skim through them for what interestes you.

There's also a book posted at hammer.ampage.org - I forget the title but it's by Jack Darr.  TONS of use ful info there.

As always, read everything at www.geofex.com, especially in the "Technology Of" section.

[smashinator]

Read all the "technology of" articles.  Read as much as you can stand in the forum.  Also, breadboard effect circuits and experiment with them.  Tweak resistors and capacitors and see what happens.  Ask lots of specific questions here in the forum (eg. how can I make my *insert circuit here* do such and such?).

In January this year I knew NOTHING about electronics.  Now, I know slightly more than nothing about electronics, but at least I know not to sit on a hot soldering iron. :lol:  

Seriously though, this forum, Aron's site, AMZ, and Run Off Groove are awesome, awesome resources for how things work.  GGG and tonepad are good too.

[niftydog]

I'm just starting school for electrical engineering.

Have patience, my friend. Many of us have been right where you are now and the best thing you can do is try to soak up as much info as you can - even if you can't see why you need to know the information! If it seems pointless now, it will inevitably be crucially important at some point in your future!

A good start is understanding what the individual components are "supposed" to do. Like caps, yeah they store charge, so what does that mean? What can you do with one?!?! It will all become clear in the next few months of classes.

You'll soon discover that there are no short text books on electrical engineering. They are all long and detailed, and none of them explain everything. So to say "If anyone could help me understand why the resistor, capacitor, and diode values are what they are" and expect a concise reply in this forum is a little ambitious to say the least! Sorry, the truth hurts.

My boss has been in this industry for like 20 years, and we both learn from each other on a daily basis. Share, collaborate, listen, discuss... you could conceivably study electronics for the rest of your life and still have stuff to learn. But don't let that scare you, a little knowledge goes a long way; the detailed nitty-gritty is just a very thin layer of icing on the top.

Above all; don't be afraid to blow something up just to find it's limits. Cleaning up electrolytic capacitor guts should be looked apon as a learning experience!

[cd]

Above all; don't be afraid to blow something up just to find it's limits. Cleaning up electrolytic capacitor guts should be looked apon as a learning experience!

Speaking from experience, make sure you wear goggles or glasses to protect your eyes if you're planning on blowing up a capacitor

[niftydog]

and in some cases, hearing protection!

[Hal]

HAHA.  Back in 9th grade there was a basic electronics class in my school.  I wasn't enrolled in the class, but I had a free period, and often showed up.  Kids used to _constantly_ tape electros to "t-square" rulers, and plug them into the wall.  It was rediculusly funny...the teacher would flip out and the kids would LAUGH! Once they blew the circuit breaker in the room...I guess it somehow shorted when it blew up or something.  Good stuff.

[niftydog]

sheesh... we had far more imagination than that! (no offence)


(DISCLAIMER; just don't do it, this can be dangerous and in extreme cases fatal!)
Take a high quality capacitor from a disposable camera flash unit. Secure it to the underside of a plastic chair using two thumbtacks (or similar) so that the points of the thumbtacks protrude slightly on the top side of the chair and also so that 1 thumbtack is eletrically connected to the positive terminal, and 1 to the negative terminal.

Now, charge the cap, wipe the foolish look of excited anticipation off your face and wait for the teacher to plonk his/her ass in the seat!

Once the victims posterior skin has shorted the terminals of the capacitor you may remove the startled individual from the ceiling by way of a step ladder. Be sure to have a shot of brandy on standby.

At work we modified a film cannister cannon igniter to accept a remote camera shutter trigger with a long lead. The device could be primed and place beneath the victims desk, then triggered "remotely". This was a fine art however, as the fuel we used tended to settle if left for too long and there were a number of misfires. But when it worked... FREAKIN' POP!!!

(no words can describe the sound. Imagine a three hundred foot giant doing the whole make-a-face-like-a-sex-doll thing and making that pop sound by whacking your hand against your mouth.)

HE HE HE... ah, fun with explosives... so many memorys.