Ohm’s Law: Resistor Board

The Background.

In the image above, you can see a resistor board that I assembled using a soldering iron. Computer electronics intrigued me since my first internship, but I haven’t had the opportunity for extensive formal education in this field. My academic pursuits have mostly revolved around CS theory and math, leaving little room for hands-on hardware work.

Notes

1. Resistors: the purpose of them is to limit the amount of electrical currents in circuits (to varying degrees, depending on the type).

materials

Challenges

This project turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. The most challenging part wasn’t the soldering or figuring out component placement; it was actually finding the right type of charger to power up the finished device. While some concepts in the research aspect were tricky to grasp at times, I managed to overcome them by simply googling and finding answers to my clarifying questions.

Reflection

When it comes to this project, I really enjoyed the research part. I spent some time uncovering information about circuits and how electricity flows through hardware components. One thing I appreciate about projects like this is the opportunity to work with physical components, because it helps solidify my understanding in a way that is more interesting than just reading about it.  

I hope to find a course at Harvey Mudd that focuses on computer hardware. While I appreciate structured learning, I want to avoid an overly math-focused approach with monotonous lectures. That’s why I value the time I spend learning on my own. It lets me discover things at my own pace and build a meaningful connection with the material.