Electronics For Dummies

Explore the basic concepts of electronics, build your electronics workbench, and begin creating fun electronics projects right away! "Electronics For Dummies, 3rd Edition" is Packed with hundreds of colorful diagrams and photographs, this book provides step-by-step instructions for experiments that show you how electronic components work, advice on choosing and using essential tools, and exciting projects you can build in 30 minutes or less. You'll get charged up as you transform theory into action in chapter after chapter! - Circuit basics: learn what voltage is, where current flows (and doesn't flow), and how power is used in a circuit.- Critical components: discover how resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors control and shape electric current.- Versatile chips: find out how to use analog and digital integrated circuits to build complex projects with just a few parts.- Analyze circuits: understand the rules that govern current and voltage and learn how to apply them.- Safety tips: get a thorough grounding in how to protect yourself--and your electronics--from harm. "Electronics For Dummies, 3rd Edition" helps you explore the basic concepts of electronics with confidence -- this book will get you charged up! Title Page......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Table of Contents......Page 9 About This Book......Page 19 Foolish Assumptions......Page 20 Beyond the Book......Page 21 Where to Go from Here......Page 22 Part I Fathoming the Fundamentals of Electronics......Page 23 Chapter 1 Introducing You to Electronics......Page 25 Just What Is Electronics?......Page 26 Exploring an atom......Page 27 Identifying conductors and insulators......Page 29 Mobilizing electrons to create current......Page 30 Let the force be with you......Page 31 Why voltage needs to be different......Page 32 Tapping into electrical energy......Page 33 Working electrons deliver power......Page 34 Using Circuits to Make Sure Electrons Arrive at Their Destination......Page 35 Supplying Electrical Energy......Page 36 Getting direct current from a battery......Page 37 Using alternating current from a power plant......Page 38 Using symbols to represent energy sources......Page 39 Creating good vibrations......Page 40 Computing......Page 41 Voice, video, and data communications......Page 42 Chapter 2 Gearing Up to Explore Electronics......Page 43 Getting the Tools You Need......Page 44 Stocking Up on Essential Supplies......Page 46 Getting Ready to Rumble......Page 50 Using a Solderless Breadboard......Page 51 Comparing Closed, Open, and Short Circuits......Page 53 Examining a Basic Circuit......Page 56 Building the basic LED circuit......Page 58 Examining voltages......Page 60 Measuring current......Page 64 Calculating power......Page 65 Creating Series and Parallel Circuits......Page 67 Series connections......Page 68 Parallel connections......Page 69 Controlling the action of a switch......Page 73 Making the right contacts......Page 74 Creating a Combination Circuit......Page 76 Switching On the Power......Page 79 What Do Circuits Look Like?......Page 80 Part II Controlling Current with Components......Page 83 Resisting the Flow of Current......Page 85 What are resistors used for?......Page 87 Choosing a type of resistor: Fixed or variable......Page 91 Reading into fixed resistors......Page 93 Rating resistors according to power......Page 98 Combining Resistors......Page 99 Resistors in series......Page 100 Resistors in parallel......Page 102 Combining series and parallel resistors......Page 105 Driving current through a resistance......Page 107 It’s constantly proportional!......Page 108 One law, three equations......Page 109 Calculating current through a component......Page 110 Calculating voltage across a component......Page 111 Calculating an unknown resistance......Page 113 Seeing Is Believing: Ohm’s Law Really Works!......Page 114 Analyzing complex circuits......Page 117 Designing and altering circuits......Page 119 Joule and Ohm: perfect together......Page 121 Chapter 7 Getting Charged Up about Capacitors......Page 123 Capacitors: Reservoirs for Electrical Energy......Page 124 Charging and Discharging Capacitors......Page 125 Watching a capacitor charge......Page 126 Giving alternating current a pass......Page 130 Discovering Uses for Capacitors......Page 131 Defining capacitance......Page 133 Keeping an eye on the working voltage......Page 134 Sizing up capacitor packaging......Page 135 Reading into capacitor values......Page 136 Varying capacitance......Page 138 Combining Capacitors......Page 139 Capacitors in parallel......Page 140 Teaming Up with Resistors......Page 141 Timing is everything......Page 142 Calculating RC time constants......Page 144 Varying the RC time constant......Page 145 Chapter 8 Identifying with Inductors......Page 149 Drawing the (flux) lines with magnets......Page 150 Producing a magnetic field with electricity......Page 151 Inducing current with a magnet......Page 152 Measuring inductance......Page 153 Opposing current changes......Page 154 Behaving differently depending on frequency......Page 156 Uses for Inductors......Page 157 Reading inductance values......Page 158 Resonating with RLC circuits......Page 159 Ensuring rock‐solid resonance with crystals......Page 161 Letting unshielded coils interact......Page 162 Stepping up, stepping down voltages......Page 163 Are We Conducting or Aren’t We?......Page 165 Sizing up semiconductors......Page 166 Joining N‐types and P‐types to create components......Page 167 Forming a Junction Diode......Page 168 Biasing the diode......Page 169 Conducting current through a diode......Page 170 Identifying with diodes......Page 171 Rectifying AC......Page 172 Regulating voltage with Zener diodes......Page 173 Seeing the light with LEDs......Page 175 Turning on an LED......Page 177 Other uses of diodes......Page 180 Chapter 10 Tremendously Talented Transistors......Page 181 Transistors: Masters of Switching and Amplifying......Page 182 Bipolar junction transistors......Page 183 Field‐effect transistors......Page 184 Recognizing a transistor when you see one......Page 185 Making all kinds of components possible......Page 186 Examining How Transistors Work......Page 187 Using a model to understand transistors......Page 188 Operating a transistor......Page 190 Biasing the transistor so it acts like an amplifier......Page 191 Controlling the voltage gain......Page 192 Configuring transistor amplifier circuits......Page 193 Choosing Transistors......Page 194 Identifying transistors......Page 195 Amplifying current......Page 196 The switch is on!......Page 198 Chapter 11 Innovating with Integrated Circuits......Page 201 Why ICs?......Page 202 Making Decisions with Logic......Page 203 Beginning with bits......Page 204 Processing data with gates......Page 206 Simplifying gates with truth tables......Page 208 Creating logical components......Page 210 Packaging is everything......Page 211 Probing IC pinouts......Page 213 Relying on IC datasheets......Page 215 Using Your Logic......Page 216 Seeing the light at the end of the NAND gate......Page 217 Turning three NAND gates into an OR gate......Page 219 Operational amplifiers......Page 220 IC time machine: the 555 timer......Page 222 Counting on the 4017 decade counter......Page 229 Other popular ICs......Page 231 Making Connections......Page 233 Choosing wires wisely......Page 234 Plugging in to connectors......Page 236 Powering Up......Page 237 Turning on the juice with batteries......Page 238 Getting power from the sun......Page 241 Using wall power to supply higher DC current or voltage (not recommended)......Page 242 Using Your Sensors......Page 244 Seeing the light......Page 245 Feeling the heat......Page 246 More energizing input transducers......Page 248 Speaking of speakers......Page 249 Sounding off with buzzers......Page 250 Creating good vibrations with DC motors......Page 252 Part III Getting Serious about Electronics......Page 255 Chapter 13 Preparing Your Lab and Ensuring Your Safety......Page 257 The top ingredients for a great lab......Page 258 Workbench basics......Page 259 Amassing a multimeter......Page 260 Stockpiling soldering equipment......Page 261 Hoarding hand tools......Page 263 Collecting cloths and cleansers......Page 264 Loading up on lubricants......Page 265 Other tools and supplies......Page 266 Stocking Up on Parts and Components......Page 267 Solderless breadboards......Page 268 Circuit‐building starter kit......Page 269 Protecting You and Your Electronics......Page 271 Understanding that electricity can really hurt......Page 272 Avoiding static like the plague......Page 277 What’s a Schematic and Why Should I Care?......Page 281 Seeing the Big Picture......Page 282 It’s all about your connections......Page 283 Looking at a simple battery circuit......Page 284 Showing where the power is......Page 285 Marking your ground......Page 287 Analog electronic components......Page 289 Digital logic and IC components......Page 292 Miscellaneous components......Page 294 Knowing Where to Take Measurements......Page 295 Exploring a Schematic......Page 296 Alternative Schematic Drawing Styles......Page 298 Chapter 15 Building Circuits......Page 299 Taking a Look at Solderless Breadboards......Page 300 Exploring a solderless breadboard......Page 301 Sizing up solderless breadboard varieties......Page 303 Preparing your parts and tools......Page 304 Saving time with prestripped wires......Page 305 Laying out your circuit......Page 307 Soldering 101......Page 309 Preparing to solder......Page 310 Soldering for success......Page 311 Inspecting the joint......Page 312 Desoldering when necessary......Page 313 Practicing safe soldering......Page 314 Exploring a printed circuit board......Page 315 Relocating your circuit to a perfboard......Page 316 Making a custom circuit board......Page 318 Chapter 16 Mastering Your Multimeter to Measure Circuits......Page 321 Multitasking with a Multimeter......Page 322 It’s a voltmeter!......Page 323 Ohm my! It’s an ohmmeter, too!......Page 324 Choosing a style: analog or digital......Page 325 Taking a closer look at a digital multimeter......Page 326 Homing in on the range......Page 328 Setting Up Your Multimeter......Page 329 Operating Your Multimeter......Page 330 Measuring voltage......Page 332 Measuring current......Page 333 Measuring resistance......Page 335 Using a Multimeter to Check Your Circuits......Page 341 Getting What You Need Right Off the Bat......Page 343 Creating an LED Flasher Circuit......Page 344 Exploring a 555 flasher......Page 345 Building the LED flasher circuit......Page 347 Checking your handiwork......Page 349 Creating an LED Bike Flasher......Page 350 Catching Intruders with a Light‐Sensing Alarm......Page 351 Assembling the light alarm parts list......Page 353 Playing the C‐Major Scale......Page 354 Scoping out the 555 siren parts list......Page 357 How your warbler works......Page 358 Building an Audio Amp with Volume Control......Page 359 Building Light Chaser 1......Page 361 Building Light Chaser 2......Page 363 Red Light, Green Light, 1‐2‐3!......Page 364 Part IV The Part of Tens......Page 369 Getting a Jumpstart with Hobby Kits......Page 371 Counting Up Those Megahertz......Page 372 Microcontrolling Your Environment......Page 373 Try, Fry, and Try Again......Page 374 North America......Page 375 Electronic Goldmine......Page 376 RadioShack......Page 377 What’s RoHS Compliance?......Page 378 New or Surplus?......Page 379 Glossary......Page 381 Index......Page 391 EULA......Page 419 Electronics is fascinating - want to make something of it' This book shows you how!You can make all sorts of things, once you understand what electronics is and how it works. This book helps you out with that part, explaining the whole thing in plain English. Learn how electricity functions, how to harness it and put it to work, what tools you need to build circuits, what you can make with them, and how to do it safely. Mystery solved - understand what makes your iPod, remote control, and computer workEssential stuff - outfit your electronics lab with all the necessary tools, including some that will surprise youSchematic road maps - learn to read schematics and understand how they help your project get where it's goingSymbols of power - recognize all the identifiers for power sources, grounds, and componentsTools of the trade - discover how to use a multimeter, logic probe, oscilloscope, and solderless breadboardBreak it down - get to know the ins and outs of components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistorsGetting it together - find out how integrated circuits make all the rest possible and learn to work with them; Analyze it - understand the rules that govern current and voltage and learn how to apply themOpen the book and find:The difference between electronics and electricityA list of essential toolsCool projects you can build quicklyGreat places to find partsImportant safety tipsWhat a sine wave isInteresting stuff about speakers, buzzers, and DC motorsOhm's Law and how to use it Annotation Explore the basic concepts of electronics, build your electronics workbench, and begin creating fun electronics projects right away"Electronics For Dummies, 3rd Edition" is Packed with hundreds of colorful diagrams and photographs, this book provides step-by-step instructions for experiments that show you how electronic components work, advice on choosing and using essential tools, and exciting projects you can build in 30 minutes or less. You'll get charged up as you transform theory into action in chapter after chapter- Circuit basics -- learn what voltage is, where current flows (and doesn't flow), and how power is used in a circuit- Critical components -- discover how resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors control and shape electric current- Versatile chips -- find out how to use analog and digital integrated circuits to build complex projects with just a few parts- Analyze circuits -- understand the rules that govern current and voltage and learn how to apply them- Safety tips -- get a thorough grounding in how to protect yourself--and your electronics--from harm"Electronics For Dummies, 3rd Edition" helps you explore the basic concepts of electronics with confidence -- this book will get you charged up Electronics For Dummies, 3rd Edition Will Be Fully Updated To Cover The Latest Advancements In Circuitry, Transmitters, Hardware, Robotics, Microcontrollers, Tools And Amplifiers. It Will Be Full Color, And Several New Projects And Breadboard Projects Are Being Developed For The Book. The Content Will Continue To Cover: Very Brief Overview Of The Science Of Electronics Required Tools And Safety Learning All About The Multimeter Other Test Tools Of The Trade (oscilloscope, Logic Probe, Etc.) Common Electronic Components (e.g. Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors) Making Circuits Using Breadboards And Printed Circuit Boards Microcontrollers (implementation And Programming) Practical Circuits To Try (10 Minutes Or Less) The Book Will Conclude With A Section Of Fun Projects That Can Be Done In 10 Minutes Or Less Each. "Explore the basic concepts of electronics, build your electronics workbench, and begin creating fun electronics projects right away! Packed with hundreds of colorful diagrams and photographs, this book provides step-by-step instructions for experiments that show you how electronic components work, advice on choosing and using essential tools, and exciting projects you can build in 30 minutes or less."--Adapted from back cover