I know half of you are going to think this is stupid, but.......................I got my first led to blink!!!! yay!!!! sorry about this post if it is illegal. I just wanted to say that because i am really happy!!!
I remember very well when i built my first LED flip flop with 2 red Leds, 2 transistors 2 capacitors and 4 resisitors.
Very proud I was when it worked.
I didn't have proper veroboard and used stiffcardboard in which I pricked the holes for the components.
I second (or third...) the comments on a rite of passage, congrats.
Try changing the capacitor and resistor values of the 555 timer circuit, and see how different values changes the blink rate. (Hint: using a potentiometer, in place of the resistor, allows you to vary the resistance.)
Here's a very simple LED flasher for the Junebug kit, of course it can be made to work with any 18F series PIC. It's as short and simple as I could write it.
Code:
;*** Blink3.asm will flash LED 3
;*** Junebug DIP switches 1,2,3 on all others off
list p=18F1320
include <p18f1320.inc>
CONFIG OSC=INTIO2,WDT=OFF,LVP=OFF
org 0h ; reset vector
clrf LATA ; zero PORTA output latch
movlw b'00111111' ; RA7 & RA6 outputs (LED 3 & 4)
movwf TRISA
Loop btg LATA,6 ; toggles 0/1 RA.6 (LED will flash)
decfsz WREG ; use W as a delay counter
bra $-2 ; jump back to previous instruction
bra Loop ; loop forever
END
I remember very well when i built my first LED flip flop with 2 red Leds, 2 transistors 2 capacitors and 4 resisitors.
Very proud I was when it worked.
I didn't have proper veroboard and used stiffcardboard in which I pricked the holes for the components.
This was my first circuit. I salvaged all the parts out of an old cassette tape deck. Finding matching caps and resistors took a while
I didn't have any type of project board, so I took a small PCB from the tape deck and sanded the traces off the back with a belt sander, removed all the componets and redrilled it for my LED circuit. I hand wired the back and it looked awful. It worked though, and I was amazed. lol
Then the first time I tried to do a 555 led flasher, I killed the first 2 ICs by hooking the battery up backwards, and then still had numerous problems getting it blinking. I think there is a whole topic here about it.
My frist PIC led blinker didn't work right away either. I tired to use an ancient PIC the first time, and never got it to work. With alot of help from Bill I got it working with a slightly new PIC.
So i'll forth saying its a rite of passage in the electronics world, and not always as easy as it looks!!!
My first project (not counting a couple of electromagnets) was an induction coil, which I built with the intent of shocking others. It worked great . I got the plans from a book titled " Electrical book for boys" which had been my grandfather's when he was a kid. The book was published around 1900, and had some incredible plans and information, such as: a spark-gap transmitter, motors, generators general analog test equipment, electroplating, lead acid batteries. telegraph, and even an actual telephone.
Back then I used a piece of scrap lumber with a number of nails partially pounded into the board, for most of my projects. Any components would be mounted to the nails.
I wish I still had it, but I haven't seen it since about 1980, when my family made a cross country move. I'm 99.99% certain it was thrown away just prior to moving, so it's been "lost to history".
The projects were surprising complex and detailed. Writing this really jogged my memory about it. I'd really like to get another copy.
Here's a book publisher that reprints and publishes old technical books. I just ordered their catalog (Free in the U.S., but $4.00 for anywhere else) It looks interesting; I can't wait for the catalog to arrive. http://www.lindsaybks.com/index.html
IHere's a book publisher that reprints and publishes old technical books. I just ordered their catalog (Free in the U.S., but $4.00 for anywhere else) It looks interesting; I can't wait for the catalog to arrive. http://www.lindsaybks.com/index.html
One of my first "original" circuits was an astable with two 2N222, calculated to the minimal detail, blinking a red LED. I felt in heaven when it started to blink.
Few weeks ago, some 30 years later I assembled another flip flop able to blink TWO LEDs this time! Spent some time checking the design!