[ranch vermin]

One last thing,  If I bypass the capacitor (touch its legs together)  the led goes on.   when the capacitor is in the circuit,  then no led.

[ranch vermin]

GEEZE!!!   All I added was a tad more resistance on the loop and it started working!!!

So at the fork -  I added a fair bit more resistance, then it started discharging,  but maybe its always discharging,  but its as if - if the discharge is too high, i get no reading.     

So u might be right about the current going back on itself, is deluminating the led -  and it doesnt matter if i have back to back diodes, it still cuts it off.

My theory said both leds should be full power,   but it may be the case that the current is 0 there,  so both leds are OFF.  instead...

[LOCKSUIT]

But, why build your own circuit, when a computer/processor can run ANY program (as far as I'm aware of) ? Why not just code up your algorithm and run it? Why make your own Compute-or?

Asking this reminds me of (think "how is it?") when Art said people like to build humanoid robots just cus for just that reason! Yes I knew that btw lol. Of course not just that reason though also.

I also have to wonder here, why do products have circuit chips? I guess a computer is too expensive for them? For example my mom's night light in my (bathroom) has a circuit board, CD players do, etc.

Then again why does a computer have a circuit board if it has a processor? WTH??? Someone inform me lol. I've learned about processors, but not motherboard...

[ivan.moony]

I think that a motherboard is a set of interfaces between peripherals and the main processor.

[LOCKSUIT]

Makes sense.

Oh, is ranch making circuit boards for the motors?... Or because it must be in a robot? He'd have to make a whole computer though then for the latter one...makes no sense to me...

[WriterOfMinds]

Yes, a processor can run any program that is supported by its instruction set. But all a program amounts to is "receive digital inputs and produce digital outputs." There are many other tasks that are not about converting digital input into digital output, and thus have nothing to do with running programs. Examples:

*Supplying/regulating/converting power
*Clock signal generation
*Converting an analog value to a digital value, or a digital value to an analog value
*Motor control (a digital output generally cannot drive a motor by itself!)
*Analog signal manipulation
*Radio wave reception/transmission

I'm not sure what Ranch is building here, but I'm pretty sure it is not a computing element.

[LOCKSUIT]

AI might be able to make computation that transmits radio waves, we'd have to keep it in a metal cage like a baby lol.

[spydaz]

Yes, a processor can run any program that is supported by its instruction set. But all a program amounts to is "receive digital inputs and produce digital outputs." There are many other tasks that are not about converting digital input into digital output, and thus have nothing to do with running programs. Examples:

*Supplying/regulating/converting power
*Clock signal generation
*Converting an analog value to a digital value, or a digital value to an analog value
*Motor control (a digital output generally cannot drive a motor by itself!)
*Analog signal manipulation
*Radio wave reception/transmission

I'm not sure what Ranch is building here, but I'm pretty sure it is not a computing element.

I do remember using  lot of logic gates as an input / output interface....(op amps) or ( bistables etc)  / clock / "Shift registers as memory addresses", the programmable processor (PIC) ....  remembering it well now .... data buses... to build my first computer from (component electronics) ... great project!

The computer design has not really changed much accept for more memory / more processing / faster clocks / better input output ports etc....

[ranch vermin]

This little piece of plumbing is for an oscillator for my motor controller h-bridge - getting the signal from the computer and turning it into power for the arm motors.
Why would I need an oscillator?  Because im using capacitors to make the current blockers for the h-bridge, and i need a small cycle to do it.

Ive had some more success with this thing - but i think ill let it rest a while,  just its VERY confusing!!!  And it seems like the electronics is playing tricks on my mind,  programming does as well, but this is worse!

Thanks for the help everyone,  I dont think ill post again until i feel the real need to do it,  ill just do it myself.

[Korrelan]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ne555+timer&oq=ne555&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.6590j0j7&client=ms-android-motorola-rev2&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

 

[LOCKSUIT]

Yes korrelan is right, use already made parts like the ne555 timer...

[ranch vermin]

yes ur right, but if i use that, what did i learn?

Also, id be dependant on buying them,  and id be at a loss.

[LOCKSUIT]

there're cheap

you're trying to reinvent the wheel

you take a  little from here and a little from here and step back and see the whole picture ......you said this yourself

your real goal is not this...its  the ai / robot

wait a minute WOM........computers can simulate physics, so why not analog, 555 timer, brains, etc - they can...

[ranch vermin]

 

[WriterOfMinds]

wait a minute WOM........computers can simulate physics, so why not analog, 555 timer, brains, etc - they can...

You basically just said, "I can imagine any kind of food in the world, so why should I bother ever eating?"  Simulation is not reality.  Imagining (simulating in your brain) eating a piece of bread, will not actually nourish your body.  Just because your processor can simulate how a high-voltage power supply circuit would behave, does not mean the processor is physically capable of outputting 100 Volts!

Digital elements can mimic analog -- to a certain level of approximation.  The simulation will never be perfectly like the real thing.  Whether certain things are done in digital (inside a processor) or analog (in other circuitry) is a design choice, because each realm has its limits.  Sometimes processing a signal in the digital realm is less efficient, more difficult, etc.

A processor needs help from other kinds of circuits before it can even turn on.  It can't simulate its own power supply.  It can't simulate its own clock generator.  Because unless you have power and clock first, your processor is helpless.

Let me nudge you in the direction of doing some general reading about electronics and computers before you ask more questions in this vein.