Electronics for Absolute Beginners

Description

Interest in electronics gradually increased over the decades following Stoney's discovery. In 1947 the transistor was invented by William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs, which revolutionized the computer industry by replacing fragile, power hungry valves with much smaller and reliable devices. During the 1950s and 60s, computers became more powerful and smaller, eventually leading to the introduction of the home personal computer (PC) in the 1970s. The purpose of this book is to introduce the subject of electronics to people who have no prior knowledge of the subject. If you don't know what a prototyping breadboard is, or have no idea what a resistor or diode do, then this book will help you to gain a basic understanding of what electronics components exist and what they are used for. You will also learn how to combine such components to build electronics circuits. The book is split into two parts – the first introduces the subject of electronics, and the second contains a range of simple circuits to design and build. Preface About this Book How this Book is Organized Quick Start Workbook Website YouTube Videos Table of Contents Part 1 - Getting Started with Electronics Chapter 1 Electricity and Electric Circuits Atoms, Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons Electric Charge (Electromagnetism) Conducting and Insulating Elements Voltage and Current Resistance Ohm's Law Power A Basic Electric Circuit Electronic Circuits Chapter 2 Equipment You Need in Your Electronics Laboratory Chapter 3 Avoiding Injury General Guidelines Hidden High Voltages Things to Have to Hand Chapter 4 Resistors Why Resistors are Important Resistor Sizes Resistor Color Coding Resistor Power Rating Potentiometers Photoresistor / Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) Thermistor Schematic Diagram Symbols Chapter 5 Capacitors Charging and Discharging a Capacitor Measuring Capacitance Types of Capacitor Capacitance Value, Voltage Rating and Tolerance Schematic Diagram Symbols Chapter 6 Diodes Semiconductors How Diodes Work Types of Diode Schematic Diagram Symbols Chapter 7 Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Current and Resistance Forward Voltage Drop (VF) Types of LED How an LED is Constructed How an LED Works YouTube Video Chapter 8 Transistors History Basic Operation of a Transistor How a Transistor is Constructed NPN and PNP Transistors Identifying the Pins Pin Arrangement Guidance for Various Bipolar Transistors Schematic Diagram Symbols YouTube Video Chapter 9 Integrated Circuits How Integrated Circuits are Packaged Pin Identification Showing ICs in a Schematic Diagram Chapter 10 The 555 Timer 555 Timer Pins How the Pins on a 555 Timer are Normally Shown in a Schematic Diagram A Look Inside the 555 Timer Basic Operation Chapter 11 Combining Electronics with Software Adding Computing Power to Electronics Systems Programming Single Board Computers Part 2 - Designing and Building Electronic Circuits Chapter 12 Using an Electronics Prototyping Breadboard Building Different Circuits Clipping Breadboards Together Supplying Power to the Breadboard Avoiding Short Circuits YouTube Video Chapter 13 Illuminating a Single LED Parts Needed Using Ohm's Law to Calculate the Correct Resistor to Use Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video Chapter 14 Using a Multimeter to Measure Voltage, Current and Resistance Parts Needed Multimeters Measuring Resistance Measuring Voltage Measuring Current YouTube Videos Chapter 15 Connecting Multiple LEDs in Series Parts Needed Using Ohm's Law to Calculate the Correct Resistor to Use Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video Chapter 16 Connecting Multiple LEDs in Parallel Parts Needed Using Ohm's Law to Calculate the Correct Resistor to Use Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens YouTube Video Chapter 17 Using a Variable Resistor to Control the Speed of a Small DC Motor Parts Needed Introduction to DC Motors Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video Chapter 18 Wind Power Parts Needed Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens YouTube Video Chapter 19 Using a Transistor to Switch On an LED Parts Needed Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video Chapter 20 Charging and Discharging a Capacitor Parts Needed Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video Chapter 21 Building a Light Sensor - Night Light Parts Needed Designing the Circuit Building the Circuit on a Breadboard What Happens Things to Try YouTube Video