Electronics for Programmers. HELP!!

[quantass]

I'm a seasoned software programmer however I've always had a desire to learn electronics. At the moment I'm using "Teach Yourself Electricity & Electronics" and it's been doing a decent job. Naturally I would like to get a hands on experience so that one day I can create my own LCD/OLED-like flat panel displays. Can you please recommend any "electronics kits" that will allow me to have a more complete first hand experience beyond textbook theory. I have yet to go down to Radio Shack so recommend away...

Thanks.

[lord loh]

Most kits I have seen and assembled, gave nothing but experience of reading circuit boards and soldering...

You may get a calculator , or a digital alarm clock kit and assemble them any way....but what will you learn?

I suggest get in touch with some engineer friend...or get the electronics course details of some college/university and proceed their way....

Hope this helps...

[NigelQ]

Once you make it down to radio shack, you might see if they still sell the 100-in-1 electronics kits.

When I was a lad -- a VERY long time ago, I had one of these things. Indeed I went on to several years of studying electronics... sigh!

This kit might have a different name these days, but it allowed you to connect things like resistors and LEDS together with wires using spring terminals - no soldering~!

The kit came with many (100 ?) examlpes of things to make with the box of goodies.

You could always go for some embedded development kit also if you're feelin' lucky punk, well do ya?

...alas, another story. Anyway, there are many embedded development kits such as the rabbit and the microchip PIC development kits that allow you to communicate with these gizmos and program them remotely to turn on LEDs and such. They are around $50-$200 depending on how flush you feel.

These are more like programming, and not really too involved on the electronics side really.

Hope this helps,

- Nigel