I'm Wanting to Learn More About Hardware, as Much as I want with Software, Any suggestions?
 

I had been working a bit right now studying for IT, and I want to figure out both the resources and knowledge-base where one can learn about the development and making of Motherboard and Circuit devices. Preferably in the respects of how one would come about printing and making these physically as one would have programmed for it, after it had been sufficiently blueprinted out. (If that makes any sense.) Mostly as I really want to really come to know and produce the same dirt and grime that it would appear companies seemingly only have the real power to do.

It mostly had dawned on me after working a bit with both some old tech, and trying to map out some hobby self made projects with the Raspberry Pi, and fumbling around with it, I come to realize that I really do not know what goes into making those green and blue chips that seemingly have several miniature makes that accomplish different things that I'd personally would rather develop myself as one congruent board. It is really the whole intricacy of it all that sparked my curiosity to seek some opinions here and elsewhere, in hopes that someone can assist me in what genuinely is seen as alien to everyone else who don't know the insider knowledge like they do. I mean it is one thing to repair a single capacitor or two on a motherboard, but it is an entirely different scheme to design and manufacture an entire motherboard like the Raspberry Pi itself.

If anything at all, at least to know how I can make my own boards and perhaps modify some of my own, would also be nice. I'd Appreciate any input on this thanks.

you'd have to take a class in how to make motherboards, electronics, basic soldering 101, wire identification by color or size. If you want to make the board itself as well. you're going to be needing to ask someone else. But a real good understanding of basic electricity and electronics fundamentals, circuit boards, and how to read circuit schematics. etc..

PC Hardware changes really fast so my recommendation, if you want to learn from the ground, up, is to get almost any edition of the Winn L. Rosch "Hardware Bible" for starters. Any edition you find will be out of date. It's just a matter of how far out of date BUT the fundamentals are there, they don't change much and sometimes earlier is better since more text is spent on basics. Then check out O'Reilley books and media. If you want to play with circuitry to get some hands on experience you'll need basic fundamentals of electricity. If you can find one the military study books are exceptionally well organized for step-by-step study. SAMS books are quite good also.

It is not alien or insider knowledge; it is electrical engineering. You are referring to the disciplines of chip design, schematic design, PCB layout, fabrication, and manufacture.

These things are done everyday, and you are just not familiar with them.

As an example, one of the hobbyist boards, Beagle Board, provides the design, fabrication, and assembly files necessary to build one of their designs from the ground up, and this also starts you with the capability to modify their schematics to create a similar, but modified design. https://github.com/beagleboard/beagleboard-x15. Meanwhile, a commercial supplier of a motherboard does not necessarily make their designs public. It takes a lot of time, money, and effort to make their boards and they consider their boards their IP, "Intellectual Property", and keep the design information proprietary. Once again, this does not mean it is insider information, instead it is privately owned, much like a family recipe.

There are several pathways:

• Get a degree in Electrical Engineering
• Get a job at a PCB design and manufacturing company
• Self learn from sources available to you on the web
• Probably others and they all will depend on how much energy you are willing to put into this learning task

You might find this interesting http://fritzing.org/home/

Most companies in the tech world are under a large number of patents. Making any product may involve not only patents but trade secures. The way they produce a product tends to be protected usually.

For a hobby maker of a board there are tons of kits available from modest to fairly complex. Doubt you will easily find the components anymore. The times of going to radio shack are long gone. Buying flat packs and pals and flashing it in your basement may be a bit difficult.


I'd bet there is some magazine still that has hobby electronics.