Electronics & Computer Hardware Engineering?

Question

I have an obsession with computers. I love to find out what makes them work and keeping up to date with all the latest technology. So is why I want to go into an IT field. this school year i have signed up for an internship in electronic engineering and have 3 related electives: IT Essentials, Cisco Networking, & Web Design. i'm looking for a book or some source that will help me study, in general, how technology works. it is beyond me to understand how a circuit board works but i want to know why and how. can any1 help me out?

Answer 1

My advice is to take the classes or read the books for the classes.  The basic idea behind circuits is that we take electric potential energy (a voltage) and make it do work (like spin a motor or combine different voltage levels to perform a calculation like 1+1=2).  

All basic electric components (transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor) do a specific task and we combine these to produce bigger building blocks.  For example, wiring transistors in a particular way will produce an inverter which takes an input voltage of say 1V and inverts it to a low voltage say 0V.  Then combine this inverter with maybe AND and OR gates (usually made from other transistors) to produce a circuit that takes a binary input of voltages (1V or 0V) like 001 + 010 to produce 011 or 1+2 = 3.  

Similarly a radio uses mainly resistors, capacitors, inductors, and op amps, to first filter the desired frequency of noise (like radio channel 101.5 MHz) and then amplifies the signal and sends it to a speaker.

Answer 2

You should consider the A+ course or at least get the book.