Circuit Diagram Reading For Dummies

[AtDuskGreg]

I just found this board from a reference made to it on the Tape Op board. I am a musician with a recent interest in building various different music-related electronics projects. Ideally, I would like to be able to build the monthly diy projects in Tape Op. I have basic construction skills (soldering, etc.) and am passable in basics physics (1 college year). I find the biggest obstacle to my goal is the ability to effectively read a circuit diagram. I can look at a circuit diagram and do academic type problems about calculating the resistance at a certain point based on rules of adding resistances, but I can't translate the diagram into somethign that would help me build the actual project in real life.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice in this direction, and/or could point me to any good sources for learning this skill.

Thanks a lot -- excited to have found this forum!

[smoguzbenjamin]

Practice! Look at a schematic and think "that connects to there and there, then they go there..." etc. After a while it'll go quicker and quicker and after a while you'll see not a bunch of lines and symbols, but a ckt lying at your feet!

good luck!

[Bill_F]

I'm not the greatest at this, but I'm getting better. What helped me was to sketch things out on a grid as if I was actually laying out the parts for a PCB or perf build. The more I've done this the more I've seen the logic of how things fit together. I'm able to do my own layouts now (for perf or PCB) and they actually WORK! As I go I'm able to tackle more and more complicated circuits. But not to complicated yet, that will come in time.

I still have a million questions, but thankfully I've found the right place to get these answered.

Start with simple circuits. A Fuzz Face, a booster such as the RangeMaster or Minibooster. You will progress.
Also a site like JDs http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/ is a great resource. You can print out the schematic and the parts layout and see how things connect.
Hang in there and little by little things will begin to make sense.

Hope this helps,
Bill

[ErikMiller]

The biggest boost to my ability to read schematics was Electronic Projects For Musicians.

The advice to just jump in and attempt to build something simple is very sound. In the process of doing that, you'll learn a lot.

[Jason Stout]

Look at the beginner project on this forum! Lots of information!
Jason

http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewforum.php?f=6

[ExpAnonColin]

There's a bunch of resources out there as to what schematic symbol means what.  Once you understand that, you can start understanding functions and what they are actually DOING in the circuit.  Slow, gradual learning curve.

What's "tape op"?

-Colin

[Peter Snowberg]

Get your free subscription:

http://www.tapeop.com/

Take care,
-Peter

[AtDuskGreg]

Thanks everyone for all the good advice!

I guess, the one big step that's hardest for me is making the jump from the circuit diagram to the layout -- connecting the logic of the circuit with the physical alignment of the parts on the perf-board/PCB.

I'm working on the first project from Electronic Projects for Musicians right now, and I think I'm doing pretty well, but I've found that the more I look at the circuit diagram, the more confused I get.

Anyway, Tape Op is a magazine about "creative recording" run by Larry Crane of Jackpot Recording Studio in Portland, OR. Its a great magazine about all kinds of interesting things for DIY (and up) recording. Their message board is a pretty definitive place to get questions about recording answered. They couldn't answer this one, though, and so sent me here.

[smoguzbenjamin]

Take it easy, don't try to understand what everything does in one go. One step a time. You learn slowly at first, but it goes quicker and quicker as you advance!