←back to thread

It's hard to build an oscillator

(lcamtuf.substack.com)
219 points chmaynard | 3 comments | 21 Nov 25 07:45 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
ofalkaed ◴[21 Nov 25 09:56 UTC] No.46002962[source]▶
When I was starting out in electronics I found the easiest way to build an oscillator was to build an amplifier and the easiest way to build an amplifier was to build an oscillator. I guess the trick is to be 7 years old and have far more ambition than skill. Couldn't guess at how many tries it took me to make an amplifier that didn't oscillate and when I moved onto oscillators, they never oscillated but they did amplify. In that first year or so, I couldn't actually read resistor color codes, but I thought I could.
replies(3): >>46003047 #>>46003565 #>>46003756 #
1. fallous ◴[21 Nov 25 12:08 UTC] No.46003756[source]▶
If you combine a 3 year-old, whose favorite word is "why?", and the ambition of a 7 year-old you might just end up with the most productive genius possible.
replies(2): >>46005361 #>>46011160 #
2. IAmBroom ◴[21 Nov 25 15:19 UTC] No.46005361[source]▶
Add the social insecurity of a pubescent, and you suddenly have a madman knowitall (with almost no actual knowledge) that slows that learning to a drip.

It's a miracle high schools are able to achieve anything, really.

3. dtgriscom ◴[22 Nov 25 01:19 UTC] No.46011160[source]▶
And, in some circumstances, they'll oscillate.