Electronics

Electronics is the discipline dealing with the development and application of devices
and system involving the Flow of electrons in a vacuum, in gaseous media, and in
semiconductors. Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical
components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes, integrated circuits,
optoelectronics, and sensors, associated passive electrical components, and
interconnection technologies. Commonly, electronic devices contain circuitry
consisting primarily or exclusively of active semiconductors supplemented with passive
elements; such a circuit is described as an electronic circuit.
Electronics is considered to be a branch of physics and electrical engineering.
The nonlinear behaviour of active components and their ability to control electron
flows makes amplification of meak signals possible. Electronics is widely used in
information processing, telecommunication, and signal processing. The ability of
electronic devices to act as switches makes digital information processing possible.
Interconnection technologies such as circuit boards, electronics packaging technology,
and other varied forms of communication infrastructure complete circuit functionality
and transform the mixed components into a regular working system.
Electrical and electromechanical science and technology deals with the generation,
distribution, switching, storage, and conversion of electrical energy to and from other
energy forms (using wires, motors, generators, batteries, switches, relays,
Transformers, resistors, and other passive components). This distinction started
around 1906 with the invention by Lee De Forest of the triode, which made electrical
amplification of weak radio signals and audio signals possible with a non-mechanical
device. Until 1950 this field was called “radio technology” because its principal
application was the design and theory of radio transmitters, receivers, and vacuum
tubes.
Today, most electronic devices use semiconductor components to perform electron
control. The study of semiconductor devices and related technology is considered a
branch of solid-state physics, whereas the design and construction of electronic
circuits to solve practical problems come under electronics enginneering. This article
focuses on engineering aspects of electronics.
Electronic devices and components
Electronics Technician performing a voltage check on a power circuit card in the air
navigation equipment room aboard the aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
Main article: Electronic component.
An electronic component is any physical entity in an electronic system used to affect
the electrons or their associated fields in a manner consistent with the intended
function of the electronic system. Components are generally intended to be connected
together, usually by being soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB), to create an
electronic circuit with a particular function (for example an amplifier, radio receiver, or
oscillator). Components may be packaged singly, or in more complex groups as
integrated circuits.
Some common electronic components are capacitors, inductors, resistors, diodes,
transistors, etc. Component are often categorized as active (e.g. transistors and
thyristors) or passive (e.g. resistors, diodes, inductors and capacitors).
Resistance: Unit is Ohms, Symbol is R or Ω. Resistance is a measure of how easily (or
with what difficulty) electrons Will Flow throught the device. Copper wire has a very low
resistance, so a small voltage Will allow a large current to Flow. Likewise, the plastic
insulation has a very high resistance, and prevents current from flowing from one wire to
those adjacent. Resistors have a defined resistance, so the current can be calculated for
any voltage. Resistance in passive devices is always positive (i.e. > 0) Rules of Electrical
Circuits: * A voltage of 1 V across a resistance of 1 Ohm Will cause a current Flow of 1
Amp, and the resistor Will dissipate 1 Watt (all as heat).

What is an electronic circuit? A circuit is a structure that directs and controls electric
currents, presumably to perform some useful function. The very name “circuit” implies that
the structure is closed, something like a loop.

Current: Charge is mobile and can Flow freely in certain materials, called conductors.
Metals and a few other elements and compounds are conductors. Materials that charge
cannot Flow throught are called insulators. Air, glass, most plastics, and rubber are
insulators, for example. And then there are some materials called semiconductors, that
seemed to be Good conductors sometimes but much less so other times. Silicon and
germanium are two such materials. The Flow of charge is called electrical current. Current
is measured in amperes (a), amps for short (named after another french scientist who
worked mostly with magnetic effects).

Wiring Symbols: There are many different representations for basic wiring symbols, and
these are the most common. The conventions I use for wires crossing and joining are
marked with a star (*) – the others are a small sample of those in common use, but are
fairly representative. Many can be worked out from their position in the circuit diagram
(schematic).

Voltage: Voltage is something is a type of “pressure” that drives electrical charges through
a circuit. Bodies with opposite charges attract, they exert a force on each other pulling them
together. The magnitude of the force is proportional to the product of the charge on each
mass.

What is charge? Charge may be defined as the quantify of unbalanced electricity in a body
(either positive or negative) and construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons. Charge
comes in two forms, positive (+), and negative charge (-).

Batteries: Charges can be separated by several means to produce a voltage. A battery

uses a chemical reaction to produce energy and separate opposite sign charges onto its
two terminals. As the charge is drawn off by an external circuit, doing work and finally
returning to the opposite terminal, more chemicals in the battery react to restore the charge
difference and the voltage. The particular type of chemical reaction used determines the
voltage of the battery, but for most commercial batteries the voltage is about 1.5 V per
chemical section or cell.