Cookbook section

The idea has a lot of merit. Out Circuits Collection is not well organized, nor does it cover a number of fundamental circuits that can be building blocks to further understanding and experimentation. It would enhance the AAC mission of electronics education.

On the down side is the time to vet submitted circuits. Insure nothing infringes on copyrights and that the list of components is standardized - things like that.

 

There is all of that, plus accurate component lists. With the push for RoHS, some items just vanish for months, which makes it a challenge to maintain such a list. I can't imagine it all the way down to catalog part numbers.

 

It's an enticing idea, but also one rife with hazards.

This is a global BBS, with roots in the UK. No matter which country's standards of schematic symbols or preferred parts you choose to impose, those from outside that particular community will scream like stuck piglets, then waddle away in a huff.

If something like this were to even be seriously considered, the first (and perhaps most valuable) thing that needs to be set up is a cross-reference for similar parts that are available in other parts of the world. Even this in itself would be an enormous undertaking, aside from the most obvious parts.

Either that, or works submitted for approval must have multiple alternate semiconductor components that will work in the circuit.

Of course, that may eliminate useful circuits for those who CAN obtain the parts.

So, where's the win here?

Just food for thought.

 

Before I make any comments on this, can I ask do we have an example of what these cookbooks look like; I'm not going to lie, I have never come across the term "cookbook" other than the "VHDL cookbook" but I might know these under a different name. Once I can appreciate what is being asked then I'll give my 2 pence.

Thanks.

Dave

 

One title that comes to mind is "The Sourcebook of Electronic Circuits". It was probably published in the early 1960's, as it has mostly vacuum tube and germanium transistor examples. It's in the local library along with a similar but slightly more modern volume.

They both have thousands of example circuits. Some examples are handy if you have any 800 series DTL chips still around.

 

Anyone have a copy of Art of Electronics to hand? Are we looking at something like the "Circuit ideas" section at the end of each chapter?

Dave

 

http://books.google.co.in/books?hl=...U565-&sig=dSEpQZuf7NvDvcGq9MBR-fwsbsY#PPA4,M1

Is this something along the line of what was intended?
I haven't ever heard of cookbooks either(but then I haven't heard of a lot of things)

 

Thanks for the link recca.

Ok, I'm a little clearer on what is being asked by a "cookbook", and now have a new word in my vocabulary!

This is not unlike something mozikluv mentioned many moons ago about having an area on the site for "dumping" (for want of a better expression) circuits that members of AAC had designed. In part this was one of the ideas from which we came up with the Projects Collection forum where people could submit projects, circuits etc, and allow members to comment and suggest improvements. The PC has proved successful in its aims of centralising projects in a single area and developing those projects (there are many revisions to the projects posted and we have even withdrawn projects after they were critically analysed not to work). Because of its implementation as a forum, it does suffer from a lack of organisation, but that was never how it was intended to work.

As for adding into the e-book, there may be issues with the controllability aspects of this idea. Several years back we floated the idea of the e-book going "semi-wiki" - this was knocked back for several reasons and the forums are the focal point where the e-book is modified and added to, however these corrections and additions are centrally controlled by Dennis. This is primarily a quality issue, and also we are control-freaks!!

Ok, so what other options are there? The blogs feature offers the capability to post up your own circuits, however to this end it suffers from the same organisational issues that the forums do in that they can get lost in a midst of other blog postings. If anything the Projects Collection is a better method as at least that forum is dedicated to projects and circuits.

Other options? Perhaps. There is a project management add-on for vB, however we may not have a license for that. This may provide the ability for a set group of members (who those members might be would need to be decided) to post up and manage a circuits cookbook as a semi-wiki. I would need to look into how this feature works in more detail and ensure we have a license for it before putting this on the table as a serious option.

Other than that it would be looking at other such (and perhaps bespoke) options, however I would not like to state the feasibility of these on the resources we have available here at AAC.

There is the room on the server for such a thing (please correct me if I'm wrong Rob), however this may be restricted by the level of interest there is in implementing such a feature across the community. If the interest is limited then we might suggest that a quasi-cookbook be best implemented using the existing channels (Projects Collection and Blogs).

I'm pretty open minded about it.

Dave

 

Having looked at it I don't think the Projects add-on for vBulletin would be suitable.

Dave

 

Yes, a (Social) Group could be set-up that runs the Cookbook: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_user_profile#faq_vb3_social_groups

I'll try and dig some more information out of the Social Groups feature in vB.

Dave

 

Like this: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/group.php?groupid=1

Pictures are added from group members albums, so these could be circuits that would put in the cookbook.

Comments?

Dave

 

Ok, Bill I've just had a brief play around with uploading a circuit to the Cookbook Test Group. The circuits must be uploaded from albums of members of that group. As you can see the schematic and parts list is mirrored from your own personal album:

Schematic and BOM in Cookbook Test Group: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/group.php?do=picture&groupid=1&pictureid=11

And the corresponding schematic in my album: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/album.php?albumid=4&pictureid=11

The Comments section is only open to members of the group and as you can see you will be able to list parts and materials, plus any additional information, theory, or tips. In my example I have just added a parts list.

If you look at the album on the Group homepage you can see the schematic and hovering over the schematic provides the circuit name. Clicking the schematic takes you to the circuit and comments page (as above). It would be nice to have the title of the circuit displayed on the Group homepage below the schematic thumbnail (as opposed to having to hover over the thumbnail), however this is a setting I can play about with.

There are other settings I would like to play around with.

Is this materialising in the way you had envisaged for a circuits cookbook? Comments are welcome.

Dave

 

Ok, Bill I had a play around with the Social Groups (SG) feature and had a muse on my findings yesterday.

To answer your question about organising circuits within a group, I'm afraid the SG feature doesn't allow that on a per group basis - all pictures within a group are lumped in the same album collection.

So having thought about the SG feature, which incidentally I don't think we would use as described in the FAQ, and your suggested titles for organising circuits I thought why not turn the SG feature into the Cookbook, see a brief mock-up I have made here based on your suggestions - we can revamp this into more appropriate groups and descriptions later: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/group.php

Each group would be a separate section in the Cookbook (therefore appropriately organising the circuits), and members could be invited to join the groups to contribute circuits (we can flesh out these details later).

Is this a bit better organised? And is this more akin to what you are envisaging?

The more I look into this concept, the more I am liking it.

Dave