Electronics for Beginners : A Practical Introduction to Schematics, Circuits, and Microcontrollers

Jump start your journey with electronics! If you’ve thought about getting into electronics, but don’t know where to start, this book gives you the information you need. Starting with the basics of electricity and circuits, you'll be introduced to digital electronics and microcontrollers, capacitors and inductors, and amplification circuits – all while gaining the basic tools and information you need to start working with low-power electronics. __Electronics for Beginners__ walks the fine line of focusing on projects-based learning, while still keeping electronics front and center. You'll learn the mathematics of circuits in an uncomplicated fashion and see how schematics map on to actual breadboards. Written for the absolute beginner, this book steers clear of being too math heavy, giving readers the key information they need to get started on their electronics journey. ## What You’ll Learn * Review the basic “patterns” of resistor usage—pull up, pull down, voltage divider, and current limiter * Understand the requirements for circuits and how they are put together * Read and differentiate what various parts of the schematics do * Decide what considerations to take when choosing components * Use all battery-powered circuits, so projects are safe ## Who This Book Is For Makers, students, and beginners of any age interested in getting started with electronics. Table of Contents......Page 5 About the Author......Page 19 About the Technical Reviewer......Page 21 Acknowledgments......Page 22 Chapter 1: Introduction......Page 23 1.1 Working the Examples......Page 24 1.2 Initial Tools and Supplies......Page 25 1.3 Safety Guidelines......Page 27 1.5 Using Your Multimeter Correctly......Page 29 2.1 SI Units......Page 31 2.2 Scaling Units......Page 34 2.3 Using Abbreviations......Page 36 2.4 Significant Figures......Page 37 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 40 Part I: Basic Concepts......Page 42 3.1 Charge......Page 43 3.2 Measuring Charge and Current......Page 46 3.3 AC vs. DC......Page 48 3.4 Which Way Does Current Flow?......Page 50 Review......Page 51 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 52 4.1 Picturing Voltage......Page 54 4.2 Volts Are Relative......Page 55 4.3 Relative Voltages and Ground Potential......Page 56 4.4 Resistance......Page 57 Review......Page 60 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 61 5.1 Circuit Requirements......Page 63 5.2 Basic Components......Page 65 5.3 Creating Your First Circuit......Page 67 5.4 Adding Wires......Page 70 5.5 Drawing Circuits......Page 71 5.6 Drawing the Ground......Page 74 Review......Page 75 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 76 6.1 The Solderless Breadboard......Page 78 6.2 Putting a Circuit onto a Breadboard......Page 81 6.3 Using Fewer Wires......Page 86 6.4 Testing Circuits with a Multimeter......Page 89 6.5 Using a Multimeter with a Breadboard......Page 92 6.6 Measuring Current with a Multimeter......Page 94 6.7 Using a Power Regulator......Page 95 Review......Page 97 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 100 7.1 Series Circuits......Page 101 7.2 Parallel Circuits......Page 103 7.2.1 Kirchhoff’s Current Law......Page 104 7.2.2 Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law......Page 106 7.3 Equivalent Parallel Resistance......Page 109 7.4 Wires in a Circuit......Page 113 7.5 Wiring Parallel Circuits onto a Breadboard......Page 115 Review......Page 116 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 118 8.1 Basic Diode Behavior......Page 121 8.2 Circuit Calculations with Diodes in Series......Page 123 8.3 Circuit Calculations with Diodes in Parallel......Page 125 8.4 Diode Short Circuits......Page 129 8.6 Usage of Diodes......Page 131 8.7 Other Types of Diode Protection......Page 136 8.8 Zener Diodes......Page 138 Review......Page 139 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 142 9.1 Switches and Buttons......Page 144 9.2 Current-Limiting Resistor Pattern......Page 146 9.3 Voltage Divider Pattern......Page 147 9.3.1 Calculating the Voltages......Page 149 9.3.2 Finding Resistor Ratios......Page 150 9.3.3 Finding Resistor Values......Page 151 9.4 The Pull-Up Resistor......Page 153 Review......Page 156 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 158 10.1 Important Terms Related to Power......Page 160 10.2 Power in Electronics......Page 162 10.3 Component Power Limitations......Page 164 10.4 Handling Power Dissipation with Heatsinks......Page 165 10.5 Transforming Power......Page 166 10.6 Amplifying Low-Power Signals......Page 168 Review......Page 169 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 171 11.1 The Parts of an Integrated Circuit......Page 173 11.2 The LM393 Voltage Comparator......Page 177 11.3 The Importance and Problems of Datasheets......Page 178 11.4 A Simple Circuit with the LM393......Page 181 11.5 Resistive Sensors and Voltages......Page 183 11.6 Sensing and Reacting to Darkness......Page 184 Sources and Sinks......Page 186 Review......Page 187 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 189 Part II: Digital Electronics and Microcontrollers......Page 191 12.1 Logic ICs......Page 192 12.2 Getting a 5 V Source......Page 198 12.3 Pull-Down Resistors......Page 200 12.4 Combining Logic Circuits......Page 203 12.5 Understanding Chip Names......Page 206 Review......Page 209 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 210 Chapter 13: Introduction to Microcontrollers......Page 213 13.1 The ATmega328/P Chip......Page 215 13.2 The Arduino Environment......Page 216 13.3 The Arduino Uno......Page 218 13.4 Programming the Arduino......Page 219 Review......Page 222 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 223 14.1 Powering Your Breadboard from an Arduino Uno......Page 224 14.2 Wiring Inputs and Outputs to an Arduino Uno......Page 225 14.3 A Simple Arduino Project with LEDs......Page 227 14.4 Changing Functionality Without Rewiring......Page 230 Review......Page 231 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 232 15.1 Reading Analog Inputs......Page 233 15.2 Analog Output with PWM......Page 236 Review......Page 239 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 241 Part III: Capacitors and Inductors......Page 242 16.1 What Is a Capacitor?......Page 243 16.2 How Capacitors Work......Page 245 16.3 Types of Capacitors......Page 249 16.4 Charging and Discharging a Capacitor......Page 251 16.5 Series and Parallel Capacitances......Page 253 16.6 Capacitors and AC and DC......Page 256 16.7 Using Capacitors in a Circuit......Page 257 Review......Page 259 Exercises......Page 261 17.1 Time Constants......Page 262 17.2 Constructing a Simple Timer Circuit......Page 265 17.3 Resetting Our Timer......Page 270 Review......Page 272 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 274 18.1 Oscillation Basics......Page 275 18.2 The Importance of Oscillating Circuits......Page 277 18.3 Building an Oscillator......Page 279 18.4 Calculating On and Off Times with the 555......Page 285 18.5 Choosing the Capacitor......Page 289 Review......Page 290 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 293 19.1 How Sound Is Produced by Speakers......Page 295 19.2 Graphing Electricity......Page 296 19.3 Outputting a Tone to Headphones......Page 298 19.4 AC vs. DC......Page 300 19.5 Using Capacitors to Separate AC and DC Components......Page 301 19.6 Speaker Wattage......Page 303 19.7 Sound Control......Page 304 Review......Page 306 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 308 20.1.1 What Is an Inductor?......Page 309 20.1.3 What Is the Difference Between Electric and Magnetic Fields......Page 310 20.2 Induced Voltages......Page 312 20.3 Resisting Changes in Current......Page 313 20.5 Uses of Inductors......Page 314 20.6 Inductive Kick......Page 315 Review......Page 317 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 318 21.1 RL Circuits and Time Constants......Page 320 21.2 Inductors and Capacitors as Filters......Page 322 21.3 Parallel and Series Capacitors and Inductors......Page 323 Review......Page 324 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 325 22.1 Reactance......Page 327 22.2 Impedance......Page 330 22.3 RLC Circuits......Page 333 22.4 Ohm’s Law for AC Circuits......Page 335 22.5 Resonant Frequencies of RLC Circuits......Page 338 22.6 Low-Pass Filters......Page 339 22.7 Converting a PWM Signal into a Voltage......Page 340 Review......Page 341 Exercises......Page 343 23.1 Theory of Operation......Page 346 23.2 Important Facts About Motors......Page 347 23.3 Using a Motor in a Circuit......Page 348 23.4 Attaching Things to Motors......Page 350 23.5 Bidirectional Motors......Page 351 23.6 Servo Motors......Page 352 Review......Page 353 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 355 Part IV: Amplification Circuits......Page 356 Chapter 24: Amplifying Power with Transistors......Page 357 24.1 An Amplification Parable......Page 358 24.2 Amplifying with Transistors......Page 359 24.3 Parts of the BJT......Page 360 Rule 3: VBE Will Always Be Exactly 0.6 V When the Transistor Is On......Page 363 Rule 6: The Transistor Cannot Amplify More Than the Collector Can Supply......Page 364 Rule 7: If the Base Voltage Is Greater Than the Collector Voltage, the Transistor Is Saturated......Page 365 24.5 The Transistor as a Switch......Page 366 24.6 Connecting a Transistor to an Arduino Output......Page 369 24.7 Stabilizing Transistor Beta With a Feedback Resistor......Page 370 Review......Page 372 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 374 25.1 Converting Current into Voltage with Ohm’s Law......Page 376 25.2 Reading the Amplified Signal......Page 379 25.3 Amplifying an Audio Signal......Page 381 25.4 Adding a Second Stage......Page 386 25.5 Using an Oscilloscope......Page 388 Review......Page 389 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 391 26.1 The Need for a Model......Page 392 26.2 Calculating Thévenin Equivalent Values......Page 394 26.3 Another Way of Calculating Thévenin Resistance......Page 397 26.4 Finding the Thévenin Equivalent of an AC Circuit with Reactive Elements......Page 398 26.5 Using Thévenin Equivalent Descriptions......Page 399 26.6 Finding Thévenin Equivalent Circuits Experimentally......Page 400 Review......Page 404 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 405 Chapter 27: Using Field Effect Transistors for Switching and Logic Applications......Page 407 27.1 Operation of a FET......Page 408 27.3 Using a MOSFET......Page 410 27.4 MOSFETs in Logic Circuits......Page 414 Review......Page 415 Apply What You Have Learned......Page 416 Chapter 28: Going Further......Page 417 Appendix A: Glossary......Page 419 Appendix B: Electronics Symbols......Page 434 C.1 Logic Chip Basic Conventions......Page 437 D.1.1 Charge and Current Quantities......Page 440 D.1.3 Resistance and Conductance Quantities......Page 441 D.1.6 Capacitance......Page 442 D.1.7 Inductance......Page 443 D.2.1 Diodes......Page 444 D.3 DC Motor Calculations......Page 445 D.4 555 Timer Oscillator Frequency Equation......Page 447 D.5 Output Gain Calculations in BJT Common Emitter Applications......Page 449 D.6 The Thévenin Formula......Page 458 D.7.1 Current and Voltage......Page 460 D.7.2 Capacitors and Inductors......Page 461 D.7.3 Time Constants......Page 462 Appendix E: Simplified Datasheets for Common Devices......Page 464 E.1.2 Variations......Page 465 E.2.1 Overview......Page 466 E.2.2 Finding a Resistor Value......Page 467 E.3.1 Overview......Page 468 E.3.3 Forward Voltage Drop......Page 469 E.4.1 Overview......Page 470 E.4.2 Variations......Page 471 E.5.1 Overview......Page 472 E.5.3 Inductive Kick......Page 473 E.6.1 Overview......Page 474 E.6.3 Pin Configuration......Page 475 E.7.1 Overview......Page 476 E.7.4 Limitations......Page 477 E.8.1 Overview......Page 478 E.8.3 Pin Configuration......Page 479 E.9.1 Overview......Page 480 E.9.3 Specifications......Page 481 E.10.2 Variations......Page 482 E.10.3 Specifications (CD4081)......Page 483 E.11.2 Variations......Page 484 E.11.4 Specifications (7432)......Page 485 E.12.2 Variations......Page 486 E.12.4 Specifications (7402)......Page 487 E.13.2 Variations......Page 488 E.13.4 Specifications (7400)......Page 489 E.14.2 Variations......Page 490 E.14.4 Specifications (7486)......Page 491 E.15.2 Variations......Page 492 E.15.3 Specifications......Page 493 E.15.4 Usage Notes......Page 494 Index......Page 495 Jump start your journey with electronics! If youve thought about getting into electronics, but dont know where to start, this book gives you the information you need. Starting with the basics of electricity and circuits, you'll be introduced to digital electronics and microcontrollers, capacitors and inductors, and amplification circuits - all while gaining the basic tools and information you need to start working with low-power electronics. Electronics for Beginners walks the fine line of focusing on projects-based learning, while still keeping electronics front and center. You'll learn the mathematics of circuits in an uncomplicated fashion and see how schematics map on to actual breadboards. Written for the absolute beginner, this book steers clear of being too math heavy, giving readers the key information they need to get started on their electronics journey. You will: Review the basic "patterns" of resistor usage--pull up, pull down, voltage divider, and current limiter Understand the requirements for circuits and how they are put together Read and differentiate what various parts of the schematics do Decide what considerations to take when choosing components Use all battery-powered circuits, so projects are safe