Working Prototypes, This is where it all began for me.
There are moments in your life when you discover something so profound that it becomes a part of your identity. I remember the moment, one Saturday morning, when I realised the magic of being able to prototype, and experiment with, an electronic circuit on an S-Dec breadboard. I was about 11 or 12 years old.
On that Saturday morning, I built a simple multivibrator on the S-Dec my father had given me a few days earlier. I remember the components I used. The 10kΩ resistors, the electrolytic capacitors (10 µF, and 100 µF), and the small light bulbs – LEDs were not available to me then. I also remember the OC71 transistors. These were so special, they had to be ordered from England.
I am learning to use KiCad, so I have used the KiCad schematic editor to draw the circuit diagram of the multivibrator.
At the time, I systematically studied the effect of changing the capacitor values. Smaller valued capacitors increased the oscillation rate and larger values reduced the oscillation rate.
At the time, I systematically studied the effect of changing the capacitor values. Smaller valued capacitors increased the oscillation rate and larger values reduced the oscillation rate.
Realising that I could compare the theory (smaller capacitors charge up faster) with the practical (smaller capacitors give a higher flash rate), was a key discovery in my life. It has shaped my approach to learning ever since.
The hobby that grew out of this realisation was the foundation of my career in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.
Recently, when unpacking one of the boxes containing my father’s estate, I found the S-Dec. In a moment of nostalgia, I re-created the circuit on the S-Dec.
Since that Saturday, I have created many Working Prototypes in both Hardware and Software. I also came to realised that, like my father, I am very good at starting projects; but not so good at finishing them! Once I convince myself I understand how something works, or have learnt what I want to know, I lose interest.
In other words, once I have built a Working Prototype, I am ready to move on to the next challenge.
I have created the Working Prototypes web site to share things I have learnt while creating my Working Prototypes. I hope that this will be of interest, and possibly value to others.
73, Brian VK6TGQ
Published : 7th June 2021
Updated : 8th June 2021 – Corrected minor typo
Updated : 14th June 2021 – Added a link to the S-Dec Sales Brochure
