Electronic Basics

Every gamut of gadgets is beauty in a sense. Gadgets like mobile phones, TVs, washing machines and automobiles are part of our lives, but for an electronics engineer, the process of making a device work is magic. This article will help you understand the basics of electronics and of building such devices.

Basic Terminology

We should be familiar with voltage, current and resistance. The common water-and-pipes analogy [1] explains these terms: the current may be seen as the amount of water flowing through a pipe, while the voltage is similar to the water pressure and the resistance is the width of the pipe. All of these terms are governed by Ohm’s law, which states that the current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

I = E/R

where I is the current in amperes (A) E is the voltage (volts) R is the resistance (ohms)

Circuit Diagrams

The schematic diagram combines the components of electronics and makes a model to construct the electronic circuits. It consists of symbols used to represent each of the components used. The skill sets needed for constructing the electronic circuits are the ability to design a printed circuit board (PCB) and to solder the electronic components in the circuits.

Basic Components

• Resistor – a passive element that takes control over the circuit
• Capacitor – made up of dielectric material sandwiched between two metallic plates to store charge and release the charge when needed
• Transistor – a three-terminal device—namely base, collector and emitter—with two versions, NPN and PNP. Functions similarly to an electronic switch.
• Diode – a two-terminal PN junction electronic component that conducts current in one direction – Inductor – a coil of wire that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it

 

References

1) The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software, Charles Petzold.

Image by Fran Wyner