So, I'm taking 6.002x which is basic circuit analysis of resistor networks, MOSFETs, capacitors, inductors, diodes, gates, amplifiers, etc. and while I enjoy this I'm not learning anything about designing circuits in both the analog and digital contexts.
Where can I find projects to build that aren't just here's a circuit diagram; it does this; go build it type projects? I want to learn about some aspects of design as well as build projects.
I'm a software engineer by trade, but I'm trying to learn electronics too, so I have a full stack understanding.
Best Answer
Build something popular, where there are a lot of people in forums talking about what does what. Some of them even know what they're talking about; with your education so far you should be able to tell who does and doesn't. There's a lot of attention in audio, since audiophiles tend to think they can be electrical engineers if they can solder. If you or any of your buddies play guitar, you can try out AX84.com. They have good documentation on their designs. Might be larger scale than what you're looking for. Some projects in the Arduino Playground are documented well enough for you to learn something, and they tend to be pretty cool. I'd just search the web to get an idea of what you want to build, and then search a lot more to figure out how to build it, reading articles about every process in the design until you understand why each component was included where it was.