240+ Video Courses For Electronics Engineers

Video lectures over the internet have been very useful for students and even professionals. In fact, they have proven to be so useful universities and governments have both taken steps to provide more and more study material online. Here is a list of over 100 video courses that you can use. Watch and learn!

1. EE Lectures

This is a playlist containing over 20 video lectures from the Electrical Engineering 100 course at the University of California, Berkeley. The description says it contains electronics techniques for engineers.

2. Electronic Circuits

MIT OpenCourseWare is one of the best places for learning online. This is the Circuits and Electronics course, which contains 24 video lectures.

3. All About Circuits

This is a collection of tutorials on electronics, with topics ranging from basic electronics to diodes etc. As the website says, "The following video lectures were generously provided by Tim Fiegenbaum at North Seattle Community College. They are based on the text, Electronics for Computer Technology by David Terrell."

4. National Programme on Tehnology Enabled Learning (NPTEL)

This is an initiative by the Ministry of HRD in India. It contains a total of 96 courses in electronics engineering, with video lectures by professors from top colleges in the country. Most of the courses come from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), but there are some from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and other colleges as well.

5. TVEcourse

TVEcourse.com runs an YouTube channel hosting over 70 videos on electronics engineering. Their tagline is "Electronics for Everyone".

6. Free Video Lectures

This is one of the best known websites for finding video lectures on the internet. While many of their videos are the same as those hosted by the NPTEL, they have other course from other colleges as well. They have over 40 courses for electronics engineers to study.

7. LearnersTV

This website has over 100 video courses suited for engineers, many of which are very useful for electronics engineers as well.

8. Online Video Lecture

This is another place for finding video courses, although almost all the videos here are already covered under NPTEL and FreeVideoLectures. Still, it's always good to have options! 

Resource:efytimes

How Tech Has Changed Us In Weird Ways

#1 Dreaming In Color

Television has deeply affected our brain, especially our dream. In 2008, a Dundee University research established that adults above the age of 55, who had brought up with a black and white TV, were more likely to experience the dream in black and white. But the younger generations, brought up in the era of Technicolor, always dreamed in color. The American Psychological Association verified these findings.

#2 Sleeping Problems

Tech –savvy people are used to fall asleep, by looking at the glow of laptop or Smartphone display. The bright light produced by the Smartphone, laptop, and tablet screens disturbs our body’s internal light cues and sleep inducing hormones. This bright light can fool the brain by thinking it is still day time and causes long lasting effect on our internal sleep clock. Our eyes are very sensitive to the blue color produced by the screen, which makes harder to fall asleep, especially for those who suffers from insomnia.

#3 Fear of Missing Out

Most of us are acquainted with the acronym FOMO, ‘Fear of Missing Out’. The New York Times describes FOMO as ‘the amalgam of worries, missing, and frustrations that can burst out while skimming social medias.

Before the advent of Social Medias such as Facebook and Instagram, people who decide to spend weekend time at home with a glass of wine and good books might have felt a bit guilty or misery that they were not out having a good time. But with the social media, the guilty feeling is blown up to a mega proportions. While you watch photos and videos of delicious food, raging parties, and dancing galore, you have the feeling that you have missed out on fine things and feel you should be out in your best attire instead of being at home with frustration. Even though, this is not your real idea of fun, you still may have those guilty feelings.

#4 The phantom vibration syndrome

Now we are hardwired to feel that our phone is vibrating, even if they are not. In 2012, a study published in the Computers and Human Behavior Journal found that 89 percent of 290 undergrad scholars surveyed felt their phone vibrating, even when it wasn’t, once every couple of weeks. The similar results were also found with the survey conducted on Hospital workers.

According to a psychologist, physical sensation such as itchiness may have mistaken by our brain as our phone vibrating. He claimed, “Something in your brain is being triggered that is different than what was triggered just a few years back.”

#5 Loosing Memory Power

There was a time where students were supposed to mug up the entire books and feed in their memory. But in this Google era, the entire information is just available at your finger tips. Who else wants to memorize the whole information, when we have a Siri or Google Now?

In 2007, a neuroscientist conducted a survey on 3,000 people and found out some drastic changes in the level of memory. Some people fail to recollect personal information, birthdays, and even their own phone numbers. In the similar way, studies have proved that calculators may diminish simple arithmetical skills. Now people even cannot navigate to their own places without using GPS.     

#6 Impulse Control Disorder

Internet and social media play a huge role in diminishing our memory and attention spans. Tech- savvy people find it difficult to read books for longer time, and opt for skimming articles online instead of reading word by word. This phenomenon may cause great troubles for the youngsters, as they fail to develop memory skills.

 A 2013 research established that video games like Halo reducing player’s capacity to restrain impulsive or aggressive behavior. Investigators concluded that forcing players to make snap decision in violent situations, inhibited proactive executive control over immediate reactions and impulses. People with an impulse control disorder cannot control the urge to do something harmful to themselves or others.

#7 Become Creative

Tech enables creative and non- creative people alike to connect with artistic media. Author Clay Shirkey claims that Tech develops ‘cognitive surplus’, the excess time and mind power we bestow to detect the activities that we find out pleasure. As per Shrikey, the social media makes people closer to videos, images and texts and it endorses culture of sharing. Thus people become more enthusiastic to share and create something of their own such as Flicker albums, a book review or a DIY project.

#8 Enhancing Visual Skills

A 2013 research found that video games, such as Halo and Call of Duty enhancing visual and decision making skill. These games enable the players to take a sudden decision based on visual cues that improves attention skill or the skill to analyze the features of your physical environment. These games can enable the players to even spot the difference between objects in dim environments.

Complex strategy-based games such as starcraft can enhance the ‘cognitive flexibility’ of the brain as well as the ability of multitasking.

                                                                      -----X----

Resource: siliconindia

16 Resources For Linux Embedded System Developers

Development for embedded systems is a big things nowadays. With the growing usage of wearable devices and other smart devices, more and more developers are flocking towards platforms and software that are required for these devices. Now at the forefront of development for embedded systems is embedded Linux development. 

Here are 16 of the best places where you can find software, tools, SDKs, Linux distributions etc. for embedded Linux development. We have put both open source and vendor driven options on the list.



1. Nucleaus RTOS

This is a real time operating system that comes with power management features. It is very useful for using the best power saving technologies.

2. Hypervisor

This one supports ARM TrustZone and secures all important information and software. In addition, it supports other OSs like Linux, Nucleus etc.

3. KaeilOS

This GNU/GPL distribution consists of a variety of open source packages. It is available as the Yocto Project since last year.

4. Montavista Maxims

Here you will find software and development tools for embedded systems and intelligent devices.

5. Tizen

Samsung recently used their own open source Tizen platform for its Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smart watches. This brings it to the limelight in the list of resources for embedded Linux development. Tizen is based on Android and Android runs on the Linux kernel, which makes Tizen a Linux-based distro as well.

6. Digi Embedded Linux

This is an integrated Linux platform means for development for embedded systems.

7. Lineo Solutions

This company offers solutions for embedded Linux systems and has been in the industry for decades now. It is one of the best known names in the embedded Linux arena.

8. RidgeRun Linux

According to their websites, this company specializes in Embedded Software and can provide "software development kits (SDKs), customized Linux kernels and drivers, complete reference applications and engineering services."

9. TimeSys LinuxLink

According to the website, this company provides the most affordable commercial embedded Linux offerings including:

      A software repository
      Development tools
      Expert support
      Professional services and
      Training

10. LynuxWorks

This is where you go to when you're looking for virtualisation in embedded Linux. The website has a variety of solutions for those looking for this feature.

11. Wind River

This Linux-based distribution boasts about being the industry standard in embedded Linux software. It is built on the latest Linux server and has the Yocto Project 1.5 open source development infrastructure as its foundation.

12. Android Open Source Project

Not much needs to be said about Android. It is the OS that is running majority of the smartphones in the market today and has led a full scale revolution in the world of technology.

13. Meego

This is a combination of Moblin from Intel and Meego from Nokia.

14. OpenWRT

This is a free and open source distribution for embedded systems.

15. Emdebian

Debian is one of the most loved Linux-based distros and this is a project that is trying to make it a mainstream OS for embedded systems.

16. EmbeddedGentoo

Here's what the project description says: " This project manages embedded system support in Gentoo. The project is responsible for overseeing the build infrastructure for creating images to be installed onto embedded systems. Also included is the support of specific types of embedded systems and development tools." 


Resource: efytimes

15 Places Where Electronics Engineers Can Find Free Useful Tutorials

Electronics is a pretty vast subject that covers various aspects of our daily lives. For an electronics engineer, learning about circuits doesn't stop with basic circuitry. You have to go into radio, antenna and other aspects as well. Here are some tutorials that will help you with that.

1. The Learning Pit

Here you will find a number of tutorials on PLC and Software Simulators, Tutorials in Electric Circuits, Electricity Basics and other tools.

2. Naval Electrical Engineering Training Series

This website contains tutorials on AC and Transformers, matter, energy, electricity, circuit protection, wiring, electrical conductors, schematic reading, solid state devices, electronic emission tubes and power, fiber optics etc.

3. Play-Hookey

This is a very good resource for tutorials on digital electronics, DC electronics, Op Amps, Computer Basics, Semiconductors and other topics.

4. Properties of Electricity

This one deals with somewhat basic tutorials and covers topics like Ohm's Law, Circuits and Phase, Induction and Inductance, Conductivity, Bridger, Impedance etc.

5. Radio-Electronics

Here you will find some basic tutorials on electronics components. There are also tutorials on Electronics Communications.

6. Scots Guide to Electronics

This is a collection of tutorials on Analog and Audio Electronics, Signals, Radio, Datasheets, Components and other topics.

7. Techlearner

Here you will find tutorials about basic aspects of electronics like AC and DC circuits, electronics tutorials, communications, datasheets and circuits.

8. Virtual Oscilloscope

This is not exactly a tutorial. Rather, here you will find a simulation of an Oscilloscope, which shows various features of the device and gives you sinusoidal waveforms.

9. Williamson Labs

This is a tutorial on oscilloscopes, links, elementary electricity, components, Op Amps, Optics, Intuitive Electronics, RF, TV, Filters, Cell Phones, Computers, Antennas and other topics.

10. Beginning Embedded Tutorials

Here you will find 11 tutorials that will take you through embedded electronics and the various aspects of it that you need to understand.

11. Electronics Tutorials

Here you will find a huge list of topics related to electronics and information on those topics that will come in handy to you.

12. Micheals Electronics

This website is dedicated to electronics tutorials that have been created by an electronics engineer himself.

13. Digital Electronics Tutorials

If you were looking for more tutorials in electronics, then this link may suit you fancy.

14. Electromagnetic Waves and Antennas

This is a book that gives you an introduction to electromagnetic waves and antennas.

15. Electromagnetism for Electronic Engineers

This is another book that deals with Electromagnetism. It contains examples and solutions that will be useful for learning.

Resource: efytimes

Windows Commands and its uses

ASSOC          Displays or modifies file extension associations.
ATTRIB         Displays or changes file attributes.
BREAK          Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BCDEDIT        Sets properties in boot database to control boot loading.
CACLS          Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL           Calls one batch program from another.
CD             Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHCP           Displays or sets the active code page number.
CHDIR          Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHKDSK         Checks a disk and displays a status report.
CHKNTFS        Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
CLS            Clears the screen.
CMD            Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
COLOR          Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
COMP           Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
COMPACT        Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
CONVERT        Converts FAT volumes to NTFS.  You cannot convert the
               current drive.
COPY           Copies one or more files to another location.
DATE           Displays or sets the date.
DEL            Deletes one or more files.
DIR            Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DISKCOMP       Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
DISKCOPY       Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
DISKPART       Displays or configures Disk Partition properties.
DOSKEY         Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and 
               creates macros.
DRIVERQUERY    Displays current device driver status and properties.
ECHO           Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
ENDLOCAL       Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
ERASE          Deletes one or more files.
EXIT           Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
FC             Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the 
               differences between them.
FIND           Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FINDSTR        Searches for strings in files.
FOR            Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FORMAT         Formats a disk for use with Windows.
FSUTIL         Displays or configures the file system properties.
FTYPE          Displays or modifies file types used in file extension 
               associations.
GOTO           Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in 
               a batch program.
GPRESULT       Displays Group Policy information for machine or user.
GRAFTABL       Enables Windows to display an extended character set in 
               graphics mode.
HELP           Provides Help information for Windows commands.
ICACLS         Display, modify, backup, or restore ACLs for files and 
               directories.
IF             Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
LABEL          Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
MD             Creates a directory.
MKDIR          Creates a directory.
MKLINK         Creates Symbolic Links and Hard Links
MODE           Configures a system device.
MORE           Displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE           Moves one or more files from one directory to another 
               directory.
OPENFILES      Displays files opened by remote users for a file share.
PATH           Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PAUSE          Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
POPD           Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by 
               PUSHD.
PRINT          Prints a text file.
PROMPT         Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD          Saves the current directory then changes it.
RD             Removes a directory.
RECOVER        Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM            Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
REN            Renames a file or files.
RENAME         Renames a file or files.
REPLACE        Replaces files.
RMDIR          Removes a directory.
ROBOCOPY       Advanced utility to copy files and directory trees
SET            Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
SETLOCAL       Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
SC             Displays or configures services (background processes).
SCHTASKS       Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
SHIFT          Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
SHUTDOWN       Allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine.
SORT           Sorts input.
START          Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
SUBST          Associates a path with a drive letter.
SYSTEMINFO     Displays machine specific properties and configuration.
TASKLIST       Displays all currently running tasks including services.
TASKKILL       Kill or stop a running process or application.
TIME           Displays or sets the system time.
TITLE          Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
TREE           Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or 
               path.
TYPE           Displays the contents of a text file.
VER            Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY         Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written
               correctly to a disk.
VOL            Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
XCOPY          Copies files and directory trees.
WMIC           Displays WMI information inside interactive command shell.

To get more information on how and what does a command do, please use <COMMAND> /? as syntax. Ex:XCOPY /?

10 Operators In Linux To Learn And Remember

Knowing the operators and using them at the right time can reduce your work by a lot. 

1. Ampersand (&): This command is used in order to make a command run in the background. All you need to do is type in your command followed by a white space and then the operator. This leaves the command to operate in the background. You can also use this to run multiple commands in the background.

For one command,

xyz@localhost:~$ ping ­c5 www.xyz.com &

Two commands, 

root@localhost:/home/xyz# apt-get update & apt-get upgrade &

2. semi-colon (;): This command is used in order to run several commands in one go. The commands are executed sequentially.

root@localhost:/home/xyz# apt-get update ; apt-get upgrade ; mkdir test

This command will start with the update part, then execute the upgrade command and then the mkdir command.

3. AND (&&): This is the logical and operator. This executes the second command if and only if the first command has been executed. It is often used to check the exit status of the last command. 

root@localhost:/home/xyz# ping -c3 www.xyz.com && links www.xyz.com

In this case you are trying to visit xyz.com if using the links command. But you want to check if the host is available first.

4. OR (||): The logical OR operator executes the second command if the execution of the first command has failed. 

xyz@localhost:~$ apt-get update || links xyz.com

In this, the ‘links xyz.com’ command will be executed since the user is not allowed to update the system. 

5. NOT (!): This is the logical NOT operator that executes all statements except the one exception that you have provided. 

6. AND – OR (&& – ||): This operator acts like an if-else statement. So, if you want to ping xyz.com and echo ‘Success’ if successful and ‘Fail’ otherwise.

abc@localhost:~/abc$ ping -c3 www.xyz.com && echo "Success" || echo "Fail"

7. PIPE (|): This operator is used when the output of the first command is to be the input for the second command. 

xyz@localhost:~$ ls -l | less

We are pipelining the output of the ls-l command to less.

8. Command Combination {}: When you want to put in a combination of multiple commands. 

Combine two or more commands, the second command depends upon the execution of the first command.

For example, check if a file ‘xyz.txt‘ and ‘xyz1.txt‘ is available under my Downloads directory or not, and output corresponding output.

xyz@localhost:~$ [ -f /home/xyz/Downloads/abc.txt ] || echo “The file not available”

xyz@localhost:~$ [ -f /home/xyz/Downloads/abc1.txt ] || echo “The file not available” 

Here you are checking if the files abc and abc1 are available in the Downloads directory.

9. Precedence (): As the name suggests, use this if you want to execute a command in the order of precedence.

(comm_x1 &&comm_x2) || (comm_x3 && comm_x4)

In this the second part in parantheses will be executed if the first one fails.

10. Concatenation (\): This operator is used to concatenate large commands over a number of lines in the shell.

xyz@localhost:~/Downloads$ nano test\(1\).txt 


Thanks to efytimes

Shortcuts To Make Your Web Experience Better

Tabs
Ctrl+1-8 – Switch to the specified tab, counting from the left.

Ctrl+9 – Switch to the last tab.

Ctrl+Tab – Switch to the next tab – in other words, the tab on the right. (Ctrl+Page Up also works, but not in Internet Explorer.)

Ctrl+Shift+Tab – Switch to the previous tab – in other words, the tab on the left. (Ctrl+Page Down also works, but not in Internet Explorer.)

Ctrl+W, Ctrl+F4 – Close the current tab.

Ctrl+Shift+T – Reopen the last closed tab.

Ctrl+T – Open a new tab.

Ctrl+N – Open a new browser window.

Alt+F4 – Close the current window. (Works in all applications.)


Mouse Actions for Tabs
Middle Click a Tab – Close the tab.

Ctrl+Left Click, Middle Click – Open a link in a background tab.

Shift+Left Click – Open a link in a new browser window.

Ctrl+Shift+Left Click – Open a link in a foreground tab.


Navigation
Alt+Left Arrow, Backspace – Back.

Alt+Right Arrow, Shift+Backspace – Forward.

F5 – Reload.

Ctrl+F5 – Reload and skip the cache, re-downloading the entire website.

Escape – Stop.

Alt+Home – Open homepage.


Zooming
Ctrl and +, Ctrl+Mousewheel Up – Zoom in.

Ctrl and -, Ctrl+Mousewheel Down — Zoom out.

Ctrl+0 – Default zoom level.

F11 – Full-screen mode.



Scrolling
Space, Page Down – Scroll down a frame.

Shift+Space, Page Up – Scroll up a frame.

Home – Top of page.

End – Bottom of page.

Middle Click – Scroll with the mouse. (Windows only)



Address Bar
Ctrl+L, Alt+D, F6 – Focus the address bar so you can begin typing.

Ctrl+Enter – Prefix www. and append .com to the text in the address bar, and then load the website. For example, type howtogeek into the address bar and press Ctrl+Enter to open www.howtogeek.com.

Alt+Enter – Open the location in the address bar in a new tab.


Search
Ctrl+K, Ctrl+E – Focus the browser’s built-in search box or focus the address bar if the browser doesn’t have a dedicated search box. (Ctrl+K doesn’t work in IE, Ctrl+E does.)

Alt+Enter – Perform a search from the search box in a new tab.

Ctrl+F, F3 – Open the in-page search box to search on the current page.

Ctrl+G, F3 – Find the next match of the searched text on the page.

Ctrl+Shift+G, Shift+F3 – Find the previous match of the searched text on the page.



History & Bookmarks
Ctrl+H – Open the browsing history.

Ctrl+J – Open the download history.

Ctrl+D – Bookmark the current website.

Ctrl+Shift+Del – Open the Clear Browsing History window.



Other Functions
Ctrl+P – Print the current page.

Ctrl+S – Save the current page to your computer.

Ctrl+O – Open a file from your computer.

Ctrl+U – Open the current page’s source code. (Not in IE.)

F12 – Open Developer Tools. (Requires Firebug extension for Firefox.)

courtesy:http://www.howtogeek.com/