Where To Start For Electronic Basics

Dear Espruino Team,
I know how to use javascript, but I don't know anything about circuits, pins, how a program communicates with something connected to the board or even soldering. I even wondered what type of espruino would be more advantageous, the pinned or unpinned pico in terms of how easy it would be to connect to an attachment.

I read about and understood about ohms law, resistors, voltage and electricity from sparkfun, which I understood, but I would like to know more about circuits, pins, ports, understanding the board map etc. Can someone please redirect to reading material (free or something I have to buy is fine) so I can better understand how to use the espruino device to its fullest, as I am very eager and exited to do so. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Michael

If you don't know how to solder yet, get a pinned pico - that way you can connect it using breadboard and/or dupont line http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=dupo­nt+jumper and don't have to solder pins on just to get started. The downside is that it's more expensive, and you can't solder them down to something like Gordon's shield adapter, or my Project Board - but if you odn't know how to solder yet, that's not a problem for you.

I'm not sure I have a good resource in mind for general conceptual stuff, beyond what's in the site reference. It's easier to answer specific questions :-P

user66517, electronics is now so readily available and easy to use - and 'Tante/aunty google' is so helpful and patient - for example just enter circuit pin images in browser with google search enabled - and you get plenty of visuals and explanations.

For learning more about individual components - again - enter in the browser all about circuits diode for more about, for example, diodes, and you get (most of the times) as first link a point into allaboutcircuits.com' textbook(s) with lots of information.

Only one little thing you have to be cautious about: put the power on AFTER you complete AND VERIFIED your wirings with the right polarity... and if you use USB to power, you are even safe for the polarity. Disconnect power / USB BEFORE you make changes to your wiring... and you are safe as well.

You will enjoy tinkering in a new realm to which JavaScript and Espruino give you easy and fun access.

That's good to hear. I see many tutorials that involved soldering, and I was wondering if buying an espruino meant soldering was necessary. Thank you for the clarification.

Sounds great. I am going to buy a pinned espruino right now. Thank you for your advice.

Thanks for answering - sorry for the lack of response to your e-mail @user66517 - I've been a bit busy with the KickStarter.

Yes, Pinned is definitely the way to go if you haven't soldered before... And just follow the Quick Start guide, then some of the tutorials - you don't really need much electronics knowledge to get started.

Personally I'm not so sure of places to go to find out about electronics, but:

• Adafruit do loads of tutorials, including some good videos: https://learn.adafruit.com/
  
• Make: do quite a good book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Electronic­s-Discovery-Charles-Platt/dp/0596153740
  

I don't normally chime in on this forum because I am such an ee n00b too, but I remember being a s/w n00b and I too share your enthusiasm and excitement.

If you don't have one, get a multimeter. Find out how to do a "continuity test". I'm from a s/w background and I think of this part of the tool as the equivalent of the basics of Unit Testing.

Does pin x really connect to pin y of my sensor? Prove it. Buzzzz... yep.

I admit I am quite interested how other s/w disciplines/patterns relate to ee, all I have so far is that and:

Blinking LED = "Hello World"

So no, not a terribly long list, not even sure how true this comparison rings, but its helping me until I find a better paradigm.

I think buying a soldering iron is the equivalent of learning to touch-type for a programmer. It might be an expensive outlay (cash as apposed to time) but you will use it elsewhere, a skill for life. My wife is amazed at the things I can now "repair".

TTL Cookbook by Don Lancaster an oldie but a goodie. Othe3r cookbooks CMOS, OP-Amp etc.
ftp://apollo.ssl.berkeley.edu/pub/cinema­/04.%20Science/TTL%20Cookbook_0672210355­.pdf

Lancaster did the first microcomputer 8008, used 8 track tape to save data and programs.
Famous for TV Typewriter in Popular Electronics magazine.

This kind of prototyping board doesn't require solder. But if wired and left for weeks or months the connections oxidize and you have to unplug and replug every connection.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:­Protoboard_Unitec.jpg

A temperature regulated soldering iron
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11704

A solder vacuum
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13203

Which end of the soldering iron to pick up is left as an exercise for the reader :)

For surface mount there are vendors that provide adapter boards that pin to dual-inline DIP patterns for prototyping. Some will solder the chips to the adapter for a small fee.
http://www.proto-advantage.com/store/pro­duct_info.php?products_id=2200069

Once you get a prototype working the next step might be to layout a PC board using CAD software such as Eagle.
The following link lets you create a schematic and layout the board.
Some PC houses are tied to the Eagle software and will supply a full blown version tied to their service. For now just download the free version so you can create a schematic.
Lots of tutorials on the Web
https://cadsoft.io/pricing/

Wow. The amount of responses I recieved definetly makes me glad I bought an espruino. It was also pretty cool to hear from the creator. Thanks guys!