Basic Electronics: Fundamentals and Components

This course covers basic electronics, including the history, theory, and practical application of electronic components, with hands-on demos and prototyping techniques.

Electricity is a natural phenomenon, with displays ranging from lightning to the human nervous system.

The formal study of electricity is a recent pursuit, with significant advancements in a short period.

Benjamin Franklin is considered the father of electricity, having observed electricity in clouds in 1752 and identifying positive and negative charges.

Franklin's kite experiment showed that electricity existed in clouds, and he was fortunate to be well-insulated and not in the conducting path.

Luigi Galvani observed the leg of a dead frog jumping when a scalpel touched a nerve, but incorrectly concluded that electricity came from the frog's leg.

Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile (battery) and is credited with discovering that electricity is generated by the interaction of dissimilar metals and an electrolyte.

The unit of measurement for electrical potential, the volt, is named after Volta.

Andrei was instrumental in the study of magnetism and electromagnetics, with research foundational to the development of motors and generators.

The unit of measurement for electric current, the amp, is named after Andrei.

George Ohm gave us the mathematical relationship between voltage, current, and resistance, known as Ohm's Law, with the unit of measurement for electrical resistance named after him as the ohm.

James Prescott Joule gave us Joule's First Law, relating power in terms of voltage and current, with the unit of measure for power named after James Watt.

Notable advancements in electronics include Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone, Thomas Edison's development of the phonograph and electric light, and Heinrich Hertz's discovery of radio waves.

Vladimir Zorkin developed the picture tube, Eckert and Mauchly developed the first digital computer, and Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain invented the transistor.

Gerald Pearson invented the solar cell, Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce developed the integrated circuit, and Ted Hoff invented the microprocessor.- Electricity has been studied for a long time, leading to our current understanding and ability to do many things.

At the core of electricity is the atom, made up of neutrons, protons, and electrons with different charges.

Electronic circuits direct electrons to achieve desired effects using components like resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, SCR, and triacs.

Electricity can be static (not moving) or dynamic (flowing as a current).

Electric current is the flow of electrons through a conductor, generating energy.

Static electricity is an electric charge that is not moving, like rubbing a balloon against a sweater.

The behavior of electricity is studied through properties like voltage, current, resistance, and power.

Ohm's Law relates voltage, current, and resistance (V=IR).

Power Law states power equals current times voltage (P=IV).

Circuits can be analyzed as series circuits (current flows through every device) or parallel circuits (multiple paths for current).

Complex circuits can be broken down into simpler series or parallel sections for analysis.

Direct Current (DC) flows in one direction, generated by batteries or solar cells.

Alternating Current (AC) flows in two directions, typically used in house current.

Breadboards are used for prototyping circuits, allowing quick changes and experimentation.

Fritzing is a virtual breadboard tool used for circuit design and simulation.

Passive components like resistors and capacitors do not require external power to operate.

Resistors limit current flow while capacitors store electrical charge.

Resistors are measured in ohms and have different tolerance levels.

Capacitors are measured in farads and come in various types for different applications.

Voltage dividers use resistors to scale down voltages for different applications.

Transistors are semiconductors that amplify or switch electrical signals based on current flow at the base.

Integrated circuits combine multiple components onto a single chip, categorized as digital, analog, or application-specific ICs.

Digital ICs process digital input signals and produce digital outputs using logic gates like AND, OR, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR.

Logic gates have specific truth tables showing output based on input states.

IC packages include power supply and ground connections along with gate connections for logic operations.

Logic families, such as TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) and CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor), are used in integrated circuits (ICs) and have distinct characteristics.

TTL, the most popular and largest family of logic ICs, requires 5 volts to operate, consumes a lot of power, and is known for its speed and robustness.

The 7400 series is the main designation for TTL, with the quad 2-input AND gate being a 7408 package in TTL.

CMOS, which is growing in popularity, consumes much less power than TTL and can operate on a wider spectrum of supply voltages (typically 3 to 15 volts).

The 4000 series is the main family name for CMOS, with the quad 2-input AND gate being a 4081 package in CMOS.

Linear circuits are defined by their output being a functional relationship of the input, and operational amplifiers (op-amps) are a versatile type of linear IC.

Op-amps have two inputs (inverting and non-inverting) and one output, and can be connected to perform various functions such as amplification, addition, multiplication, integration, and differentiation.

The gain of a non-inverting op-amp amplifier is 1 + R2/R1, and the voltage output is Vout = (1 + R2/R1) * Vin.

There are thousands of chips designed to perform specific applications, and searching for existing chips can save time and effort in designing circuits.

The 7800 series of linear voltage regulators are a type of flagship component, with the 7805 being a 5VDC output regulator.

The 7800 series regulators have three terminals (input, output, and ground) and are commonly used in power supplies.

Active components, unlike passive components, need a power source to perform their function and are typically made from semiconductor devices.

Integrated circuits can employ many hundreds or thousands of discrete devices on a single piece of silicon and can be found in digital, analog, and application-specific packages.

Breadboards are essential for experimentation with circuits, allowing quick changes and easy testing, but are not suitable for permanent circuits.

Perf boards are a step up from breadboards, allowing for more permanent circuits, but are time-consuming to construct and better suited for one-off or low-volume circuits.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are suitable for commercial production and allow for the use of all types of components, with advantages including ease of implementation, affordability, and high quality.

PCB software packages have common features such as schematic layout, routing, and CAM, and can be used to generate high-quality circuit boards.

Fritzing is an open-source PCB software package that allows for simulation, schematic layout, and PCB design, with features such as error checking and multiple layers.

Eagle is a professional PCB software package that has a lite version available for free download for non-commercial use, with features such as component libraries, schematic layout, routing, and CAM.

The construction of circuits can range from simple perf boards to fully automated assembly of printed circuit boards, and may require refinements to improve performance, reduce cost, and add features.

Mass production often requires PCB design, which can lower unit costs at higher volumes.

Ohm's law is a fundamental concept in electronics that relates voltage, current, and resistance.

Data sheets and data books from chip suppliers are valuable sources of information for electronics knowledge.

Component suppliers provide a wealth of information and resources for electronics enthusiasts, including online forums, chat spaces, and pre-assembled kits.

Online communities, blogs, and electronics TV shows offer beneficial information and resources for learning about electronics.

Building something is a key step in learning electronics, and starting with simple projects can help build confidence and interest.