GCSE Electronics book -3rd Edition

manuka

Senior Member
Technical author Owen Bishop intends a 3rd edition of his popular "Electronics- a first course" booklet in 2011. He covers all the usual e-basics pretty well, but suprisingly seems to still neglect PICAXEs (or for that matter any specific offering) in the micro section. Owen hails from UK (but now lives in Western Australia) and surely must be aware of the PICAXE educational slant. Who wants to just read about them these days! As we all know, even 10 minutes "flashing a few LEDs with a 08M", can be highly motivational in fostering a real micro interest.

I've penned an email to his publishers, but perhaps someone has more direct contact with him? This seems a tempting PICAXE marketing chance here Rev.Ed ! Stan.
 
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westaust55

Moderator
Owen does not exactly promote himself here in the West of Aust.

But good idea to contact the Publishers and see if he can be persuaded to add PICAXE in his next edition.
 

John West

Senior Member
He has a section on micros - without even discussing pic micro controllers?

Blimey! (I think that's the correct expression. We Yanks are notoriously undereducated.)

i do all of my tech reading online anyway though. Good luck to those who are still publishing on paper - or even trying to directly charge money for info. The web is a marvelous invention.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
I blimey'd too.

Then I thought; maybe his target audience doesn't want microcontrollers?

Maybe he has another book out for another level.
Maybe if he went on about Microcontrollers he'd have to spend another 6 months writing?

I'd hate to be an author.
You've just finished your book and someone comes along and says "Hey, what about PICs ?".
Then someone else comes along "Hey, what about PICAXEs?".
Hey, what about Atsmells and Arduinos ?
Hey... Freescale, Phillips, TI , Uncle Tom Cobbley ......
Hey... what about the 20 different varieties of BASIC?
And the 20 different varieties of C and PASCAL and whatever else?
The poor bloke has to draw a line somewhere :eek:

Did VW wait 20 years and go straight to the Golf Mk9?

I was so pleased he has included MOSFETs.
So, PICAXErs, order a copy.

And books don't need batteries.
 
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John West

Senior Member
I love books - I spend 2 or 3 hours a day reading them. Sometimes I just read all day. And I had around a thousand books in my library before an unfortunate accident destroyed most of them. Now I'm down to a few hundred.

Books have some decided advantages over other mediums.

But most online info is free. I did a search for a old service manual yesterday. I found I could either purchase one for $20 (US) or just download a pdf for free from another site. So I downloaded it.

I seldom actually buy books anymore. I usually get them for free because someone no longer wants them. I now have multiple copies of various vintages of major technical reference books - and haven't paid a dime for any of them.

Times change. As much as I hate the thought - the market for books (especially those providing technical info - is fading away along with the market for technical magazines.

For better or worse - the web is clearly winning the war as the premier source of info in this world. Though perhaps it's not winning the war for the "best" information - as I spend far too much time sorting through crap online that requires no thought and little time to produce and costs nothing to publish in that format. No editor required.

For sheer quality - I still stick to books. For quantity and price - it's the web.
 

Dippy

Moderator
Yes, but on a lighter note; there is a higher probablity of reading crap online than from a book.
(I'm waiting for a comment here!)

I like books too. You can drop them in the bath and they still work. You can drill a hole right through and they still mostly work.
Try that with your iPad ;)
 

westaust55

Moderator
Yes, but on a lighter note; there is a higher probablity of reading crap online than from a book.
(I'm waiting for a comment here!)

I like books too. You can drop them in the bath and they still work. You can drill a hole right through and they still mostly work.
Try that with your iPad ;)
What comment would you like :confused: :D

Concur that a book can be taken virtually anywhere away from the PC
 

Rickharris

Senior Member
What comment would you like :confused: :D

Concur that a book can be taken virtually anywhere away from the PC
Funny when a mod edits their posts it doesn't show it

For a long time I have likened the web to the biggest library in the world, filled with mostly free information, however most of it has been written by, at best, the ill informed and at worst by lunatics.

Caveat emptor! as they used to say.
 

Dippy

Moderator
"Concur that a book can be taken virtually anywhere away from the PC"

- I'm so glad Westy! If you hadn't then I'd have phoned up to arrange the men in white coats to visit you :rolleyes:


Blimey Rick, that took you long enough to realise that!

The trouble is now that you have to be reasonably intelligent to filter the good stuff from the chod.
This means we're almost back to square one.
Except proper published books which will have a higher probablity of being good.

I remember an episode of Monk where a character said "I read it on the Internet so it must be true." From 2002.
So, even script writers from nearly 10 years ago realised it.

Too much time with inflatable Santas ;)


Latin in schools...
Not sure about 'caveat emptor' in this context Rick - I think you'll find 'caveat lector' more approriate. :rolleyes:


I spend too much time watching reruns of Monk.
You'll thank me later.
 

Minifig666

Senior Member
Surprisingly the WJEC electronics course (the actual one, not the DT one) only touches on flowcharts and system blocks and doesn't go into using them in depth untill the A-Level course. The following is from the teaching spec for PICs.

"understand the procedure needed to write and read
content to memory addresses;
design and analyse systems that use a memory IC as a
programmable logic device;
know that simple control systems consist of software,
computer or micro-controller, interface, input sensors
and output devices;
know that the sensing circuits and output devices listed
in the specification can be interfaced to a computer or
micro-controller;
use the following operations in flowcharts:
inputting data, outputting data, counting, branching,
testing data, simple arithmetic operations;
design and analyse flowcharts for simple programs to
make output devices:
perform a sequence of actions,
respond to information from sensors,
make use of feedback;
describe a range of applications of software-based
control systems;
appreciate the social, economic, ethical and cultural
implication of this technology for improving the quality
of life, employment and leisure."
 

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manuka

Senior Member
appreciate the social, economic, ethical and cultural implication of this technology for improving the quality of life, employment and leisure
Yeah right- I'm tempted to "do a Dippy" here and say this reads like a Conservative Party manifesto. A few hands on hours with a 08M would put this into far better perspective for most students (& teachers !) ...
 
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Minifig666

Senior Member
Ha ha ha, it does actualy!
I've never understood these parts of the circilum, particularly in a practical course. It's the same with DT these days. All we seem to be tought is things like social impacts of products, rather than actual skills to make things! They should bring back real DT! (woodwork and metalwork)
 

Dippy

Moderator
Chuck in an analogy and I'd have thought it had been written by hippy :)

We have to do 'social impact' as we're meant to to be so huggy-lovey.
 
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hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
To be fair the 'social and ethical impact' etc is just a part of the curriculum and it's placed at the bottom, not at the top.

It seems a reasonable part of the curriculum to me and we have run into some of those issues on the forum; wireless controlled pyrotechnic launchers, keyboard loggers and of course systems which are safety critical. On content of individual courses I'm in no position to comment.
 

Dippy

Moderator
It's a fair impact statement.

It's also one of those throwaway, 'right on man' , feelgood , nanny-loves-you , wet statements that is obligatory yet almost meaningless.
A bit like "We are an Equal opportunities Employer" :)

There, that should get them going;)
 

manuka

Senior Member
Such statements may be VERY meaningful to the old & wise, but most youngsters lack the experience to appreciate them. They may only hear throwaway statements from their oldies that "Silicon chip have taken jobs" etc. Unless a teacher is skilled enough to show positive facits (or even comprehend the wording during weary preparation) the whole thing will usually be glossed over.

Every culture has such phrases - here in NZ honouring biculturalism is a mandatory expectation- but only raw experience can foster real appreciation. At an electronic level this means rolling up ones sleeves for "learn by doing" as well. All the warnings in the world may be hollow until you've experienced the likes of a nasty burn from a hot s/iron, an exploding electro. or- gasp- a kick from the mains.
 

Rickharris

Senior Member
"
...
Latin in schools...
Not sure about 'caveat emptor' in this context Rick - I think you'll find 'caveat lector' more appropriate. :rolleyes:


I spend too much time watching reruns of Monk.
You'll thank me later.
Ah you underline my lack of classical training, alas I was deemed inadequate to move into the upper stream and take high level courses such as Latin and higher maths. I was pressed into a lower stream and made to do manual, practical things. I guess this is what scarred me for life and made me into a poor electronics engineer rather than a rich accountant.
 

manuka

Senior Member
RH: And you were probably just in the wrong era! Those that work both with their hands and minds are often applauded - Faraday (19th C), Marconi (20th C) and Nakamura ( GaN LED man - 21st C) spring to mind. Stan.
 
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