Help!!!!

[CarterJ10]

I am 28 and always interested in electronics. Could someone please explain to me how electricity hitting a chip allows a chip or component do what it's programmed to do. Is it heat or what? I can't wrap my kind around it. Gonna look up some vids now. Any suggestions??

 

[DBingaman]

One easy way to get started. Download LTSpice from Analog Electronics and work through the examples in what I consider one of the best books for learning electronics: "The Art Of Electronics" 3rd Edition:

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Electron...ef=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1628644326

This is a best seller. I am an EE and this book still comes in handy. It is perfect for the beginner and great as a reference book for an EE. The entire book is very practical, keeps the math to a minimum to what you actually need to know. With LTSpice you can see the circuits in action. There is plenty of forums and help online for learning LTSpice. If you really want to get your hands dirty you can then move on to prototyping some of circuits using a solderless breadboard.

Much success.

 

[Harald Kapp]

Before you try to understand chips, you need to know the basic laws e.g. Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's law etc.
Then the basic components, see e.g. our resource here.
Then come semiconductors (diodes, bipolar transistors, MOSFETs).
From there onward to basic circuits like amplifiers, logic gates and so on.
Semiconductor chips are fairly complex and you will need to know the basics to understand the more complex circuits.

I do not know the book recommended by @DBingaman personally, but it is often cited on this forum. We als have a thread on book reviews where you can find useful tips.

If all you want to do is tinker with programmable chips, the Arduino platform is a good starting point. Tons of tutorials available on the internet. Still some electronics basics are required if you want to connect the Arduino to the outside without damaging it.

Oh, and as much as I do like to use LTSPICE (I even have a few tips for LTSPICE in our resource section):
LTSPICE is a tool for verifying a circuit and debugging it.
LTSPICE is not a tool for designing circuits. The design still needs to be done by the user and he/she has to know how to do that. I.e. has to know at least basic electronic theory.

 

[Martaine2005]

This interactive site owned by one of the forum members is a good resource for beginners and intermediates. Enter the interactive area and scroll the left hand side for projects and tutorials.
It has full explanations of how the circuit works and why it works.
Then you can use LTspice to simulate the circuit.
General IC's are not programmed. Microcontroller IC's are.
You could perhaps buy some cheap electronic kits that require soldering and assembly to gain soldering experience.
And if you like LED projects, kits are available online very cheap. Cheaper than buying components.
Examples:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
If you prefer the programming route, Arduino is probably the most popular. Follow @Harald Kapp 's link.

Gonna look up some vids now. Any suggestions??

Too many to suggest but my favourites are:
Mr Carlsons lab - The Signal Path - EEVblog - GreatScott - D Lab - Uncle Doug - xraytonyb to name just a few. These channels are professionals and can be trusted for accuracy, safety and good content.
Many others are possibly extremely dangerous. Avoid videos where the uploader has no information on components being used and why. It is a monkey see, monkey do video.

Martin