Electronics For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Fathoming the Fundamentals of Electronics 5 Chapter 1: Introducing You to Electronics 7 Just What Is Electronics? 8 Checking Out Electric Current 9 Exploring an atom 9 Getting a charge out of protons and electrons 11 Identifying conductors and insulators 11 Mobilizing electrons to create current 12 Understanding Voltage 13 Let the force be with you 14 Why voltage needs to be different 14 Putting Electrical Energy to Work 15 Tapping into electrical energy 15 Working electrons deliver power 16 Using Circuits to Make Sure Electrons Arrive at Their Destination 17 Supplying Electrical Energy 18 Getting direct current from a battery 19 Using alternating current from a power plant 20 Transforming light into electricity 21 Using symbols to represent energy sources 22 Marveling at What Electrons Can Do 23 Creating good vibrations 23 Seeing is believing 23 Sensing and alarming 24 Controlling motion 24 Computing 24 Voice, video, and data communications 25 Chapter 2: Gearing Up to Explore Electronics 27 Getting the Tools You Need 28 Stocking Up on Essential Supplies 31 Getting Ready to Rumble 35 Using a Solderless Breadboard 35 Chapter 3: Running Around in Circuits 37 Comparing Closed, Open, and Short Circuits 38 Understanding Conventional Current Flow 40 Examining a Basic Circuit 41 Building the basic LED circuit 42 Examining voltages 44 Measuring current 49 Calculating power 50 Chapter 4: Making Connections 53 Creating Series and Parallel Circuits 53 Series connections 54 Parallel connections 56 Switching Electric Current On and Off 59 Controlling the action of a switch 60 Making the right contacts 61 Creating a Combination Circuit 62 Switching On the Power 66 What Do Circuits Look Like? 67 Part 2: Controlling Current With Components 71 Chapter 5: Meeting Up with Resistance 73 Resisting the Flow of Current 74 Resistors: Passive Yet Powerful 75 What are resistors used for? 76 Choosing a type of resistor: Fixed or variable 80 Reading into fixed resistors 82 Rating resistors according to power 86 Combining Resistors 88 Resistors in series 89 Resistors in parallel 91 Combining series and parallel resistors 93 Chapter 6: Obeying Ohm’s Law 95 Defining Ohm’s Law 95 Driving current through a resistance 95 It’s constantly proportional! 96 One law, three equations 97 Using Ohm’s Law to Analyze Circuits 98 Calculating current through a component 98 Calculating voltage across a component 99 Calculating an unknown resistance 101 Seeing Is Believing: Ohm’s Law Really Works! 102 What Is Ohm’s Law Really Good For? 105 Analyzing complex circuits 105 Designing and altering circuits 107 The Power of Joule’s Law 109 Using Joule’s Law to choose components 109 Joule and Ohm: perfect together 110 Chapter 7: Getting Charged Up about Capacitors 111 Capacitors: Reservoirs for Electrical Energy 112 Charging and Discharging Capacitors 113 Watching a capacitor charge 115 Opposing voltage change 118 Giving alternating current a pass 119 Discovering Uses for Capacitors 120 Characterizing Capacitors 121 Defining capacitance 121 Keeping an eye on the working voltage 123 Choosing the right dielectric for the job 123 Sizing up capacitor packaging 124 Being positive about capacitor polarity 124 Reading into capacitor values 125 Varying capacitance 127 Interpreting capacitor symbols 128 Combining Capacitors 128 Capacitors in parallel 128 Capacitors in series 129 Teaming Up with Resistors 130 Timing is everything 130 Calculating RC time constants 132 Varying the RC time constant 133 Chapter 8: Identifying with Inductors 137 Kissing Cousins: Magnetism and Electricity 138 Drawing the (flux) lines with magnets 138 Producing a magnetic field with electricity 139 Inducing current with a magnet 140 Introducing the Inductor: A Coil with a Magnetic Personality 141 Measuring inductance 142 Opposing current changes 142 Calculating the RL time constant 144 Keeping up with alternating current (or not!) 144 Behaving differently depending on frequency 144 Uses for Inductors 145 Using Inductors in Circuits 146 Reading inductance values 147 Combining shielded inductors 147 Tuning in to Radio Broadcasts 148 Resonating with RLC circuits 148 Ensuring rock-solid resonance with crystals 150 Influencing the Coil Next Door: Transformers 151 Letting unshielded coils interact 151 Isolating circuits from a power source 152 Stepping up, stepping down voltages 152 Chapter 9: Diving into Diodes 155 Are We Conducting or Aren’t We? 155 Sizing up semiconductors 156 Creating N-types and P-types 157 Joining N-types and P-types to create components 157 Forming a Junction Diode 158 Biasing the diode 159 Conducting current through a diode 160 Rating your diode 161 Identifying with diodes 161 Which end is up? 162 Using Diodes in Circuits 162 Rectifying AC 162 Regulating voltage with Zener diodes 164 Seeing the light with LEDs 165 Turning on an LED 167 Other uses of diodes 170 Chapter 10: Tremendously Talented Transistors 171 Transistors: Masters of Switching and Amplifying 172 Bipolar junction transistors 173 Field-effect transistors 174 Recognizing a transistor when you see one 175 Making all kinds of components possible 176 Examining How Transistors Work 176 Using a model to understand transistors 178 Operating a transistor 179 Amplifying Signals with a Transistor 180 Biasing the transistor so it acts like an amplifier 182 Controlling the voltage gain 182 Configuring transistor amplifier circuits 183 Switching Signals with a Transistor 184 Choosing Transistors 184 Important transistor ratings 185 Identifying transistors 186 Gaining Experience with Transistors 186 Amplifying current 186 The switch is on! 189 Chapter 11: Innovating with Integrated Circuits 191 Why ICs? 192 Linear, Digital, or Combination Plate? 193 Making Decisions with Logic 194 Beginning with bits 194 Processing data with gates 196 Simplifying gates with truth tables 199 Creating logical components 199 Using ICs 202 Identifying ICs with part numbers 202 Packaging is everything 202 Probing IC pinouts 205 Relying on IC datasheets 206 Using Your Logic 207 Seeing the light at the end of the NAND gate 208 Turning three NAND gates into an OR gate 209 Hanging Out with Some Popular ICs 211 Operational amplifiers 211 IC time machine: the 555 timer 213 Counting on the 4017 decade counter 220 Microcontrollers 221 Other popular ICs 222 Chapter 12: Acquiring Additional Parts 223 Making Connections 224 Choosing wires wisely 224 Plugging in to connectors 226 Powering Up 228 Turning on the juice with batteries 228 Getting power from the sun 232 Using wall power to supply higher DC current or voltage (not recommended) 232 Using Your Sensors 235 Seeing the light 235 Capturing sound with microphones 236 Feeling the heat 238 More energizing input transducers 238 Experiencing the Outcome of Electronics 239 Speaking of speakers 240 Sounding off with buzzers 241 Creating good vibrations with DC motors 242 Part 3: Getting Serious About Electronics 245 Chapter 13: Preparing Your Lab and Ensuring Your Safety 247 Picking a Place to Practice Electronics 248 The top ingredients for a great lab 248 Workbench basics 249 Acquiring Tools and Supplies 250 Amassing a multimeter 250 Stockpiling soldering equipment 251 Hoarding hand tools 253 Collecting cloths and cleansers 254 Loading up on lubricants 255 Stocking up on sticky stuff 256 Other tools and supplies 256 Stocking Up on Parts and Components 258 Solderless breadboards 258 Circuit-building starter kit 259 Adding up the extras 261 Organizing all your parts 262 Protecting You and Your Electronics 262 Understanding that electricity can really hurt 262 Soldering safely 268 Avoiding static like the plague 268 Chapter 14: Interpreting Schematics 273 What’s a Schematic and Why Should I Care? 274 Seeing the Big Picture 274 It’s all about your connections 275 Looking at a simple battery circuit 276 Recognizing Symbols of Power 277 Showing where the power is 277 Marking your ground 280 Labeling Circuit Components 281 Analog electronic components 283 Digital logic and IC components 285 Miscellaneous components 286 Knowing Where to Take Measurements 288 Exploring a Schematic 288 Alternative Schematic Drawing Styles 290 Chapter 15: Building Circuits 293 Taking a Look at Solderless Breadboards 294 Exploring a solderless breadboard 295 Sizing up solderless breadboard varieties 297 Building Circuits with Solderless Breadboards 298 Preparing your parts and tools 298 Saving time with prestripped wires 299 Laying out your circuit 300 Avoiding damaged circuits 303 Soldering 101 304 Preparing to solder 304 Soldering for success 305 Inspecting the joint 306 Desoldering when necessary 307 Cooling after soldering 308 Practicing safe soldering 308 Creating a Permanent Circuit 309 Exploring a printed circuit board 309 Relocating your circuit to a perfboard 310 Making a custom circuit board 312 Chapter 16: Mastering Your Multimeter to   Measure Circuits 315 Multitasking with a Multimeter 316 It’s a voltmeter! 317 It’s an ammeter! 318 Ohm my! It’s an ohmmeter, too! 318 Exploring Multimeters 319 Choosing a style: analog or digital 319 Taking a closer look at a digital multimeter 320 Homing in on the range 322 Setting Up Your Multimeter 324 Operating Your Multimeter 325 Measuring voltage 326 Measuring current 327 Measuring resistance 329 Running other multimeter tests 336 Using a Multimeter to Check Your Circuits 336 Chapter 17: Putting Projects Together 339 Getting What You Need Right Off the Bat 340 Creating an LED Flasher Circuit 340 Exploring a 555 flasher 341 Building the LED flasher circuit 343 Checking your handiwork 345 Creating an LED Bike Flasher 346 Catching Intruders with a Light-Sensing Alarm 347 Assembling the light alarm parts list 349 Making your alarm work for you 350 Playing the C-Major Scale 350 Scaring Off the Bad Guys with a Siren 353 Scoping out the 555 siren parts list 354 How your warbler works 354 Building an Audio Amp with Volume Control 355 Creating Light Chasers 357 Building Light Chaser 1 358 Building Light Chaser 2 360 Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3! 361 Part 4: The Part of Tens 365 Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Explore Electronics Further 367 Surfing for Circuits 367 Getting a Jumpstart with Hobby Kits 368 Simulating Circuit Operation 368 Scoping Out Signals 368 Counting Up Those Megahertz 369 Generating a Variety of Signals 369 Exploring Basic Computer Architectures 369 Microcontrolling Your Environment 370 Getting a Taste of Raspberry Pi 370 Try, Fry, and Try Again 371 Chapter 19: Ten Great Electronics Parts Sources 373 North America 373 All Electronics 374 Allied Electronics 374 Digi-Key 374 Electronic Goldmine 374 Jameco Electronics 375 Mouser Electronics 375 Parts Express 375 RadioShack 376 Outside North America 376 Premier Farnell (UK) 376 Maplin (UK) 376 What’s RoHS Compliance? 377 New or Surplus? 377 Glossary 379 Index 389