ELECTRONICS guide series
Introduction to Electronics Hardware
This course introduces the foundational principles of electronics, crucial for anyone interested in building a career or hobby in the field. With applications ranging from Arduino projects to advanced electrical engineering, this course provides essential skills to understand and create electronic circuits, paving the way for more advanced applications involving programmable platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
Hardware
This lecture covers the essential hardware required to complete the experiments in this course, including tools, components, and optional items for a fully equipped electronics workspace.
See detailed list of components here.
Essential Tools
- Primary platform for building and testing circuits.
- Recommended size: standard elongated breadboards (avoiding very small ones, as they lack power rails).
- Compatible with different sizes if power and ground connections are present.
- Types: Flexible core (for interconnections across boards or power sources) and solid core (for stable connections on a single board).
- Both types are recommended to support different connection needs.
- Used for documenting experiments, circuit designs, calculations, and measurements.
- Facilitates tracking of progress and troubleshooting.
- Battery Options: 9V batteries or AA battery packs with exposed wires for easy breadboard connection.
- USB Power Supplies: Can use USB adapters along with a breadboard power supply for versatility.
- Breadboard Power Supply Modules: Allow for multiple voltage outputs (3.3V, 5V) with USB or barrel connector input.
- Bench Power Supply (optional): For precise voltage and current control, suitable for advanced experiments.
- Essential for measuring voltage, resistance, current, and capacitance.
- Recommended: Basic multimeter; auto-ranging feature is optional.
- Multimeter use will be frequent in the course, especially for validating experimental setups.
- Useful for observing AC signals, capacitor charging, and inductor behavior.
- A pocket oscilloscope, like the Zoolark, can provide similar functionality at a lower cost and includes multimeter and function generator capabilities.
- Used for generating test signals in AC and signal analysis experiments.
- Not essential for basic experiments; functionalities can overlap with the Zoolark pocket oscilloscope.
- Assists in handling small components like capacitors and resistors.
- Recommended: Antistatic and non-magnetic tweezers to avoid unintended component interference.
Key Components
- Assorted values, labeled packages preferred for easy identification.
- Useful for setting up circuits with specific resistance values and for combining resistors to achieve desired total resistance.
- Both ceramic (non-polarized) and electrolytic (polarized) types needed.
- Used in timing circuits and for filtering; variety of values recommended for circuit flexibility.
- Assorted inductor values, used in coil-based experiments.
- Values are typically labeled, as measuring inductance requires specialized tools.
- Assorted LED sizes (5mm and smaller) for light-based circuits and visual feedback in experiments.
- Bright and easy-to-handle LEDs are preferred.
- Basic push-button switch, suitable for breadboards.
- Useful for control in simple circuit applications, including timing or charging/discharging setups.
- Adjustable resistor, allowing dynamic resistance changes in circuits.
- Breadboard-friendly model recommended for ease of use.
Summary
These tools and components provide the necessary hardware foundation for conducting all the course experiments, from circuit construction to testing and troubleshooting. Advanced tools such as oscilloscopes and function generators are optional but enhance capability in AC signal and timing experiments.
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS
A comprehensive course to help you start your adventure in electronics. Solve circuits, simulate, and experiment on the breadboard.
Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of electronics? Whether you're a hobbyist looking to build your first circuit, a student seeking a deeper understanding of how electronics work, or a professional expanding your skillset, this course is your gateway to mastering the essentials of electronics.
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1. What is this course about?
2. Hardware
3. Software
4. Course organisation and study guide
5. What are electronic circuits?
6. What is electricity?
7. Key principles in electronics
8. Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) circuits
9. Analog and Digital Electronics
10. Introduction to electronic components and tools
11. Resistors, quick introduction
12. Capacitors, quick introduction
13. Inductors, quick introduction
14. Diodes, quick introduction
15. Transistors, quick introduction
16. Integrated circuits, quick introduction
17. Circuit boards, quick introduction
18. Breadboards, quick introduction
19. Ohm's Law, quick introduction
20. Basic tools in electronics
21. Circuit simulators
Last Updated 3 days ago.
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