Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition

Product Description

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A Fully Updated, No Nonsense Guide to Electronics

Advance your electronics knowledge and gain the skills necessary to develop and construct your own functioning gadgets. Written by a pair of experienced engineers and dedicated hobbyists, Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition, lays out the essentials and provides step by step instructions, schematics, and illustrations. Discover how to select the right components, design and build circuits, use microcontrollers and ICs, work with the latest software tools, and test and tweak your creations. This easy to follow book features new instruction on programmable logic, semiconductors, operational amplifiers, voltage regulators, power supplies, digital electronics, and more.
 
Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition, covers:

• Resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transformers
• Diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits
• Optoelectronics, solar cells, and phototransistors
• Sensors, GPS modules, and touch screens
• Op amps, regulators, and power supplies
• Digital electronics, LCD displays, and logic gates
• Microcontrollers and prototyping platforms
• Combinational and sequential programmable logic
• DC motors, RC servos, and stepper motors
• Microphones, audio amps, and speakers
• Modular electronics and prototypes
  

Top Reviews

Great book, but a fail on the Kindle...
by Andy Henderson (3 out of 5 stars)
April 9, 2016

For a little background, I own a previous paperback edition of this book from years ago which is buried in storage. As I look into making several projects now that my 3D printer build is complete, I find myself in need of a refresher. I was overjoyed to see a new edition of this book had been released and was available on kindle. Now 20 minutes and 14 pages into the book I've given up and will be buying the paperback edition. In those first 14 pages I encountered 2 places where example calculations should have been displayed and an instance where the symbol for a battery was to be shown. All three situations just had a blank space with references in the text to the missing information the only indication that something was missing . As a result it's not worth my time to continue since I'm not willing to deal with the frustration of this which I assume will continue through out the text.

It's a shame too, since I thought the index was well laid out, liked the hot links within the text that take you to other referenced sections of the book and know that the content of the paper edition is probably outstanding. Thank goodness that Prime will get the physical book to me quickly.
04/20/16 Edit: I've raised the rating of this book from 1 to 3 since I received the physical edition of the book which is awsome and I realize the 1 rating was a little harsh. That being said, I firmly believe that if you are going to publish a kindle edition of a nonfiction book, it must be identical to the physical edition. Someone purchasing the kindle edition should be able to receive the exact same information in a kindle edition as in a physical edition. If you can't publish a book like that, I don't think it should be published as a kindle at all.

I've also added a couple of images from the physical and the kindle edition of the book to illustrate the issue that I'm talking about.
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The only book on electronics you will need.
by Omega Man,Top Contributor: Arduino (5 out of 5 stars)
January 26, 2017

This is probably the only book on electronics that you need. Really you could probably learn all of this on the web, but this puts a summary of everything all in one place. In some sense it's like an electronics textbook, but it's better than that because it's much more howto-oriented. And for $20 or so it's an amazing deal.

My main complaint is that the chapter on theory is a bit weak in making the math comprehensible. The main problem there is that in some places a new formula is introduced that uses a variable such as Q but Q is never defined. If I were writing this then I would create a callout box every time a new formula was mentioned that clearly spelled out what each variable is even if it seems redundant. For example: "Ohm's Law: V=IR. V=Voltage (Electromotive Force) in Volts, I=Current In Amps, R=Resistance in Ohms. I depends on V and R." And do that for every single one. This would make it much more useful for reference when you need to look up a formula and can't remember what Q is supposed to mean.

But the main point of this book is the non-theoretical information that it provides. For example, the real world models of various components like capacitors and wires and how they look in schematic form when stray inductance and leakage current resistance are added. Also, the chapter which is almost like a rewrite of the theory chapter but with most of the theory replaced with the details of various types of real world components that you usually don't think about (such as different resistor and capacitor technologies) is extremely useful. Most of these little details tend to get left out of things like textbooks, perhaps based on the thinking that they're too irrelevant.

Though I wish some of the math stuff had been handled better, anyone trying to build electronics in the real world should buy this book. After buying this I really don't feel like I need any other book.

Lastly, some reviewers mentioned the thin paper. I didn't find that to be a problem. I used to buy some "low cost developing world editions" of books that were printed on paper not much better than newsprint and this book has much better material quality for not much more money than a comparable low cost developing world edition of a textbook.
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An excellent resource for electronic circuit design
by Luke (5 out of 5 stars)
March 20, 2016

Having taken several Electrical Engineering courses as a part of my Software Engineering degree, and developed a keen interest in embedded systems, I wanted to pick up a book for reference on designing and building circuits. I was looking for something that would be useful both for reviewing topics and occasionally teaching myself something new, without wading through pages of examples and exercises, as is common with many full-blown textbooks. I read the description for the book, and it seemed to fit the bill, so I put it on pre-order and waited. It arrived around a week ago, and thus far it seems to be everything I was looking for, and more. If you don't want to sit through the rest of my review, I'll summarize by saying that this book is well worth the price. It is a big book, and covers a wide variety of topics in circuit analysis and design, from basic theory to electric motors to audio electronics. Each chapter includes an overview of the theory and big ideas of the subject, plus practical information for those looking to implement the ideas. I certainly was not disappointed.

As I mentioned, this is a large book, checking in at nearly 1000 pages. "You could hurt someone with it," as my old literature teacher used to say. It may weigh heavy on the scale, but is light on your wallet, in the $20-$30 range for a new copy. Another reviewer has pointed out that the low price is partially enabled by printing on rather low-quality paper. This is true; the paper is not of particularly great quality, but in my opinion this does not detract from the book's worth. By no means is the book in danger of falling apart, so I would not let this minor issue deter you from picking up a copy.

Now, regarding the content: this book is broken up into 16 chapters, or 17 if you count the three or four-page first chapter. The first "real" chapter is truly colossal, and fills almost 250 pages with the theory of electronic circuits. This alone is worth the price of admission. This is followed by another large chapter that deals with the basic components that are used in circuits everywhere, and includes many useful tables, diagrams, and sketches of almost every variation of the components imaginable (for example, the chapter describes 8 different styles of switches). From here, the book branches out into several areas of circuits. You can continue through the chapters in order, to learn about semiconductors, optoelectronics, and sensors; or you could jump ahead to chapter 12 to start on digital electronics, then continue to microcontrollers and programmable logic. In general, each chapter starts with a basic introduction to the topic, followed by subsections that dig deeper into the specifics. If there is anything to complain about structurally, it would be the rather odd placement of "hands on electronics," which is chapter number 7. The chapter itself focuses on the physical construction of circuits, including safety, diagrams, breadboards, and other lab equipment such as multimeters and power supplies. Given the content of the chapter, I feel that it would have made more sense to place it after the chapter on basic components, rather than wedged between sensors and op-amps. However, I certainly prefer to have the information in a strange location than not at all.

All in all, this is an excellent reference for someone who wants a one-stop shop to review any of the wide variety of topics that are covered. This book does seem to be more focused on breadth of topics than depth, so it may be more useful to hobbyists than professionals. In either case, the book should be a valuable pickup for anyone in search of a solid overview of electronic circuits.
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Formulas missing in Kindle edition - Don't buy
by S. Cheney (1 out of 5 stars)
March 3, 2018

The kindle edition is not worth buying. The formulas are in images which don't display. So you read along, finally get to the formula only to have it just have a box with "img" in it. You have to return within 7 days and for a book of this type that's very quick. I'm stuck with a useless book now. DONT BUY THE KINDLE BOOK FOR THIS BOOK!
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The absolute best book out there.
by A. W. Straub (5 out of 5 stars)
May 6, 2017

Having a BSEE, a copy of "The Art Of Electronics" and many copies of the Amateur Radio Handbook I must say that this is the best book on electronics I have seen in years. All of the practical knowledge I had to pick up over a 30 year career with just the right amount of math for the neophyte. I had to learn about heat sinks from a Thermalloy catalog. Now, here it is along with many other fabulous explanations in one bound volume! Thank you to the authors for putting this together AND offering it at an affordable price!
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The "Real Yellow Pages" of Electronics!
by K. L. (5 out of 5 stars)
June 23, 2016

If you are a beginner, a hobbyist, or just someone who enjoys tinkering with electronics, you will seriously enjoy this mammoth of a book. At a very affordable price, nowhere else will you will find the most essential, and up to date information. Most importantly, this book is extremely easy to use and understand. I call this my "411" book of electronics because it has all the information that I need. Its very easy to find what a specific electronic component is, how it works, or how it's wired. This book has it all, from the basics of components and formulas, to schematic symbols and the use of test equipment; it's just an endless amount information. This is my 2nd updated edition that I have purchased over the years, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the realm of electronics!

Update: January 2017
*** This newly updated edition has many mathematical errors! It's very frustrating to work through the example problems when there are so many mistakes. The only solution is to completely recheck your work, and correct these examples in the book with pen or pencil. I can appreciate that this book comes with so much information at an affordable price, but the many mathematical errors really take away from its value!
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And It Just Keeps Getting Better!!
by P. Fulmer (5 out of 5 stars)
March 15, 2016

I have been using this book to teach a university introductory electronics class for several years, starting with the second edition, through the third edition, and will now start using the Fourth Edition this fall. It is an excellent book at an excellent price. The real value of this book, as I shared with my previous reviews, is the breadth of information that is covered. This is a book that should be on the shelf of any engineer who will ever have to deal with any question of electricity or electronics. Does it cover every topic in exhaustive detail? No, and that is part of its strength. It gives enough information for the novice to get the concept along with ways to find more information. A new chapter has been added on programmable logic, which continues to grow more day by day.

In addition to the traditional material on electricity concepts such as voltage, current, and resistance, there is a lot of useful day-to-day information. There is a section on electric motors, a section on home electrical wiring, a section on electrical safety, and lots more. There is a chapter on sensors that is more up to date with the recent advances in less expensive modules that can be used by microcontrollers like the Arduino. Again, no exhaustive detail, but the information is present to spur the reader on to find more detailed information on the internet and in other references.

Thankfully, this book is NOT written like a traditional textbook with lots of theories and derivations of equations. It presents what you need to work with electricity and with electronic components. It's a tutor...it gives you the basics so that you then know how to find the information when needed. At over 1000 pages, there's a high probability that any topic the reader wants to know about is at least mentioned along with the means to find further information.

Paul Scherz started with a classic book with the first edition. With Simon Monk's addition to the team for the Third and Fourth Editions, this book is destined to be the new standard for electronics instruction.
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If you're even remotely interested in the subject, get this book.
by Troy Amir (5 out of 5 stars)
January 1, 2017

No other single book out there does as good a job of summing up everything you really need to know about electrical and electronics. Even though I have a library full of books on the subject, this is my go-to every time.

What makes this book so special is that it doesn't shy away from those muddy areas of electrical theory which have never been adequately standardized, such as the difference between an earth ground, a chassis ground, and a common return path. The authors really know their stuff, and explain how things work with simple analogies rather than hiding behind arcane and near-useless mathematical formulas. Yes, all the equations you need are here, but electrical theory isn't supposed to be a math class where the word problems involve electrons rather than cannonballs.

It's also BIG... seriously, this book is 8.5 x 11" and almost 1.5" thick, and heavy as a brick. The price is a literal steal; far less worthy college textbooks on the subject will literally (pardon the pun) run you 10x the cost or more. You other publishers should be ashamed!

Start with this book. You might need others later, but only to flesh out specialized topics like motors and generators. The only thing wrong with it is that it wasn't available when I started school back in the '80s.
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Impressive Amount of Knowledge
by 1836,Top Contributor: Woodworking (5 out of 5 stars)
September 13, 2018

I wouldn't call this book "practical," and its usefulness certainly isn't confined to inventors; this is an exhaustive look at electronics and electricity, from principle and theory to application. If you want a single book that will teach you most of what you need to understand before working with electronics, this is it. HOWEVER, at nearly 1,000 pages, and written by someone with an obviously exhaustive knowledge of the subject, this is not light reading and will take a commitment to work through. I am using it alongside other books that give a more casual explanation of components and projects so that I can better understand what is going on inside of the components.

If you know nothing about electronics, and you want two years worth of electrical engineering crammed in your head within a few weeks, this is the book for you. If you would rather get right into building circuits or soldering IC's to do specific tasks, I would consider a simpler text (but still get this as an essential reference!)
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Just BUY THIS BOOK!
by Keith Brown (5 out of 5 stars)
February 26, 2019

If you are into any kind of electronics - just buy this book, period. I'm a professional chemical engineer, and electronics is my hobby (microcontrollers, like Arduino, etc.). This book is better than my college electronics textbooks (which were pretty good, but this is better). He explains, in as much detail as you want, everything about electonics, power distribution all the way to your house, how electricity works, digital electronics, everything. This is a major reference book for electricity and electronics. In fact, somebody borrowed my college electronics text and never returned it years ago - I always planned to replace that book, but this one is better. No, you don't need a degree to understand this book, but he will take you as far into the theory as you want to go, and you will understand the un-understandable! This will be a reference for the rest of yur life. Thank you Scherz & Monk for writing this. I'd give it more stars if I could.

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