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3 Years ago… It’s hard to believe, but only three years ago I posted the first AddOhms Video. The series had a strange start. I tried four different times until I figured out the “whiteboard” style that AddOhms is famous for today. It’s funny because when I go back to the first four episodes, they are hard for me to watch, but continue to be popular. Regardless, I so appreciate the support of Fans and look forward to where we’ll be three years from now!

The LM7805 is a very popular voltage regulator. Curious about how it works? In this AddOhms Tutorial, we look at what is a Linear Voltage Regulator and how to use them in your circuits. Linear Voltage Regulators Show Notes Related Datasheets LM7805 [Fairchild] NCP1117 [On Semiconductor] PIR Sensor [Adafruit] Interesting Links Written Tutorial on Regulators [ Baldengineer.com] TO-220 Information [Wikipedia] TO-220 Heatsink [Adafruit] Choosing the right LDO [All About Circuits]

https://youtu.be/uha7NoUskEg Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories sells two of the coolest soldering kits around. They are huge discrete versions of the popular 555 timer chip and LM741 Op-Amp (operational amplifier.) These kits are just amazing. Detailed, fun to build, and look great on your bench or desk. Over on baldengineer.com I made a full review of the XL741. Same comments could apply to the Three-Fives as well. While not the same as the full tutorial, think of this as a step-by-step how-to build a kit tutorial.

There is nothing more frustrating than a push button that seems to work at random. The good news is the fix is pretty simple: a resistor. It may not seem obvious when you first start working with electronics but a “floating pin” doesn’t have a defined “high” or “low” level. Remember from the Analog and Digital video, that Digital Electronics has defined voltage levels. Well, when you don’t connect anything to the I/O pin of your microcontroller, the voltage level is undefined!

https://youtu.be/ocN2oTsYIG8 National Instruments (NI), is probably best known for the LabVIEW software and modular instruments. In the past few years, they have introduced more innovative test and measurement products than any other T&M manufacturer, at least, in our opinion. Their latest box is called the “VirtualBench.” It’s a lab’s worth of equipment in a single box at a reasonable price. It combines a DMM, Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, Power Supply, and Function Generator into a single box.