We have a nice thread on MarcelvdG's Return to Zero dac: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/return-to-zero-shift-register-firdac.379406/
Be nice if people had a book they could go to for an explanation of how it works. Or are RTZ dac topologies off topic?
What looks like it is on topic is patting each other on the back for having collections of engineering books. Okay with me whatever is going to be considered on-topic or off. Happy to comply.
Be nice if people had a book they could go to for an explanation of how it works. Or are RTZ dac topologies off topic?
What looks like it is on topic is patting each other on the back for having collections of engineering books. Okay with me whatever is going to be considered on-topic or off. Happy to comply.
Thanks, Bob. It is not so amazing every time I have to move to a different place. But yes, I love my books; I've been gathering them for the last 16 years or so.
I agree that Dennis Bohn's articles are great, I don't think all of them are still available since Rane was bought by a different company. I believe they have a "legacy" site, but I also believe that not all of the application notes are available. I will look at the references you recommend in your book, that is highly appreciated.
I agree that application notes are great. Linear Technologies had some great application notes and they even published many of them in a 3 volume collection of books. Sadly, since AD bought LT, it seems that the wonderful style of the LT application notes disappeared. AD still makes very good application notes, but I remember those by Jim Williams and by other LT authors, they were amazing and unique.
Regarding pro audio, Jensen Transformers and Lundahl also have a lot of wonderful application notes for microphone preamps and other stuff using transformers. THAT Corp. is also a great source for pro audio app notes.
I almost always find books I'm looking for at http://bookfinder.com, though sometimes the prices make me think twice. If none are for sale, there's Worldcat to give the nearest university library that has it, and if nothing else gives me confidence the book exists.
After moving back and forth 900 miles with many books, I did something to make moves easier, I made bookshelves that can be moved by one person with a handtruck without having to box up the books only to be reshelved again.
http://blog.freesideatlanta.org/2013/11/a-portable-storage-system-for-dead-tree.html
Indeed most electronics data books and app notes made it online, but I fear not all, and I may want something that's not online, so I still have many data books and especially anything with words such as applications or handbook in the title. There are many linear circuits handbooks, but as fa as I know, Analog Devices published the only Non-Linear Circuits Handbook, and analog.com has it online.
If you have the URL of a since-deleted app note or webpage, you can usually find a copy of the earlier webpage/pdf on http://archive.org.
That shelf thing sounds like a great idea! Unfortunately, the picture is not shown, it shows a broken link.
I'll tell you, I use almost none of the e-books that I have bought. In fact, what usually ends up happening is that, if I buy an e-book that I find useful, I end up buying the real deal afterwards. PDF books are a nightmare to me, and I only use them if I have to, for instance, if I can't find a hard copy anywhere else. I just love going to a bookshelf, getting the book I want, opening it where I need to, and then putting it back in. Plus, many of my books have my own handwriting in them, and my own notes are an invaluable help to me. And yes, I know you can add notes in e-books, but it is definitely not the same. You can't really write equations and stuff like that, you probably can but it is a hassle to do it in an e-book.
I'll tell you, I use almost none of the e-books that I have bought. In fact, what usually ends up happening is that, if I buy an e-book that I find useful, I end up buying the real deal afterwards. PDF books are a nightmare to me, and I only use them if I have to, for instance, if I can't find a hard copy anywhere else. I just love going to a bookshelf, getting the book I want, opening it where I need to, and then putting it back in. Plus, many of my books have my own handwriting in them, and my own notes are an invaluable help to me. And yes, I know you can add notes in e-books, but it is definitely not the same. You can't really write equations and stuff like that, you probably can but it is a hassle to do it in an e-book.
Don't we all have our treasured collections of books? Donated to the library or threw away most of the paper books last time I moved. Still have a smaller collection of some of the best books in paper. Most of the rest are computer files now. Are there any of us that don't keep books and app notes?
I love nothing more than to sit down with a book. They capture the technology and mind set of the time. I love early 20th century texts as much (maybe more) than a current book. I'm talking electronics technology of course!
When repairing or restoring vintage equipment (talking test equipment too), I'll sometimes pick up books from just before that time era to get into the minds of the engineers who designed it. Having read things from the 20's up I don't need to read everything, just enough to get into the mindset. That is as rewarding as understanding why certain things were done the way they were. It also helps to modify something for better performance intelligently while keeping to the same basic circuits.
Books by modern authors (Bob, Douglas and others) are a great concentration of current ideas you might not otherwise find. Old ideas proved flawed and clarity over our current understanding all in one place, or at least a couple.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I retain knowledge better reading from a paper book than a computer screen. I do gather PDF copies, but the real book is more valuable to me.
When repairing or restoring vintage equipment (talking test equipment too), I'll sometimes pick up books from just before that time era to get into the minds of the engineers who designed it. Having read things from the 20's up I don't need to read everything, just enough to get into the mindset. That is as rewarding as understanding why certain things were done the way they were. It also helps to modify something for better performance intelligently while keeping to the same basic circuits.
Books by modern authors (Bob, Douglas and others) are a great concentration of current ideas you might not otherwise find. Old ideas proved flawed and clarity over our current understanding all in one place, or at least a couple.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I retain knowledge better reading from a paper book than a computer screen. I do gather PDF copies, but the real book is more valuable to me.
I agree Chris for me it’s easier to learn reading a book vs on a screen.
But the reviews have to done on screen as I was not about to print the whole book in order to review it
No doubt there will be lots to discuss when the new book comes out. It’s an excellent read, it certainly expanded my knowledge. If I can teach Bob something I know, all the better because it’s usually the other way around.
As always, it was a privilege in working and helping Bob with review of his new book.
But the reviews have to done on screen as I was not about to print the whole book in order to review it
No doubt there will be lots to discuss when the new book comes out. It’s an excellent read, it certainly expanded my knowledge. If I can teach Bob something I know, all the better because it’s usually the other way around.
As always, it was a privilege in working and helping Bob with review of his new book.
Paper books are nice in their own way. Good for learning if you can write notes in the margins and inside the cover. OTOH, books in file format can be more easily searched for specific information. One thing I used to write inside the cover of paper books was an abbreviated index of where important topics are located. Now I sometimes add a bit of that to the book file name. Can't index much that way though.
As I write this there is an extraordinarily good dac playing music in the other room. There is no way to learn enough about dacs in one chapter of a book to understand all that it takes. Hopefully Bob's book is enough of an introduction to get people interested in learning more. Unfortunately, its not all organized into any one book yet. Here, I am just attempting to be honest. A bit disappointed, but honest.
As I write this there is an extraordinarily good dac playing music in the other room. There is no way to learn enough about dacs in one chapter of a book to understand all that it takes. Hopefully Bob's book is enough of an introduction to get people interested in learning more. Unfortunately, its not all organized into any one book yet. Here, I am just attempting to be honest. A bit disappointed, but honest.
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Hi Rick,
I'm sure that working with Bob was a real pleasure, and a great experience.
There is one truth in life. There is seldom a person you can't learn something from.
As for reading off a screen, yeah. I have to do that sometimes. But when I reach an area I need to pay close attention to I print that off. It sinks in better.
I'm sure that working with Bob was a real pleasure, and a great experience.
There is one truth in life. There is seldom a person you can't learn something from.
As for reading off a screen, yeah. I have to do that sometimes. But when I reach an area I need to pay close attention to I print that off. It sinks in better.
Rick read every word of every chapter in my new book, and made a great many corrections, claifications and sometimes additions. He is remarkably generous with his time. As many of you know, Rick collaborated with me on the DH-220C and BC-1 power amplifiers, laying out the PCBs and more, making these amplifier designs available to DIY builders, including Mouser BOMs for the parts. The PCBs can be found on eBay.
Cheers,
Bob
Cheers,
Bob
Hi Mark,
My training was to never write in books, manuals or on schematics. Not ever.
I used to photocopy (remember that?) the section and write on that, then include it in the service manual or book. Same for other notes and corrections. Today I print the area from a PDF if I don't have the original, mark the copy and scan it back in, including it in the same directory. Scanning the original manual or book always had higher resolution.
It happens the "correction" isn't always accurate or the best way to do something. If you write on the original, you have no back-out plan. Also, replacement parts can become unavailable. If you've marked those in you have to cross them out and write something else. What a mess. You're way further ahead to leave the documentation untouched, pristine. That way you can document design progression and go back when required. Factory update information wasn't always accurate either.
In my shop, one cardinal rule was to never write in a manual or book. Otherwise that person had to pay for a new one immediately. No exclusions ever.
My training was to never write in books, manuals or on schematics. Not ever.
I used to photocopy (remember that?) the section and write on that, then include it in the service manual or book. Same for other notes and corrections. Today I print the area from a PDF if I don't have the original, mark the copy and scan it back in, including it in the same directory. Scanning the original manual or book always had higher resolution.
It happens the "correction" isn't always accurate or the best way to do something. If you write on the original, you have no back-out plan. Also, replacement parts can become unavailable. If you've marked those in you have to cross them out and write something else. What a mess. You're way further ahead to leave the documentation untouched, pristine. That way you can document design progression and go back when required. Factory update information wasn't always accurate either.
In my shop, one cardinal rule was to never write in a manual or book. Otherwise that person had to pay for a new one immediately. No exclusions ever.
These books are already mine, permanently. Wouldn't do it with books that belong to someone else.
You are exactly right; there is so much more to DAC workings and design than can fit into one chapter of a book. Those who design the DAC chips must be especially knowledgable. At the same time, designing a great DAC chip into a DAC box certainly does not guarantee all that the DAC chip is capable of; execution really matters. The DAC I have is a Benchmark, and I believe it is extremely well-executed.
Cheers,
Bob