Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures and vacuum tubes. A semiconductor' is a Solid material that has Electrical conductivity in between a conductor and an insulator; it can vary over that |- align = "center"| |width = "25"| | |- align = "center"| || Potentiometer |- align = "center"| | | |- align = "center"| Resistor| | An inductor is a passive electrical component designed to provide Inductance in a circuit A capacitor is a passive electrical component that can store Energy in the Electric field between a pair of conductors This article is about the electronic device not an evacuated pipe used for experiments in Free-fall. Although considered to be a theoretical branch of physics, the design and construction of electronic circuits to solve practical problems is an essential technique in the fields of electronic engineering and computer engineering. Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. An electronic circuit is a closed path formed by the interconnection of Electronic components through which an Electric current can flow Electronic engineering is a discipline dealing with the behavior and effects of Electrons (as in electron tubes and transistors and with electronic devices systems or equipment Computer engineering (or Computer Systems Engineering) encompasses broad areas of both Electrical engineering and Computer science. This science starts about 1908 with the invention by Dr Lee De Forest of the valve (triode) Before 1950 this science was named "Radio" or "Radio technics" because that was its principal application.
The study of new semiconductor devices and surrounding technology is sometimes considered a branch of physics. Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. This article focuses on engineering aspects of electronics. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and
Overview of electronic systems and circuits
Electronic systems are used to perform a wide variety of tasks. A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring the Electrical potential difference between two points in an electric circuit The main uses of electronic circuits are:
- The controlling and processing of data. Debt AIDS Trade in Africa (or DATA) is a Multinational non-government organization founded in January 2002 in London by U2 's
- The conversion to/from and distribution of electric power. Electric power is defined as the rate at which Electrical energy is transferred by an Electric circuit.
Both these applications involve the creation and/or detection of electromagnetic fields and electric currents. The electromagnetic field is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. Electric current is the flow (movement of Electric charge. The SI unit of electric current is the Ampere. While electrical energy had been used for some time prior to the late 19th century to transmit data over telegraph and telephone lines, development in electronics grew exponentially after the advent of radio. Electric energy is the potential energy associated with the conservative Coulomb forces between Charged particles contained within a system, where Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light.
One way of looking at an electronic system is to divide it into 3 parts:
- Inputs – Electronic or mechanical sensors (or transducers). Input is the term denoting either an entrance or changes which are inserted into a System and which activate/modify a Process. Mechanics ( Greek) is the branch of Physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to Forces or displacements A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument A transducer is a device usually electrical, electronic, Electro-mechanical, Electromagnetic, Photonic, or Photovoltaic These devices take signals/information from external sources in the physical world (such as antennas or technology networks) and convert those signals/information into current/voltage or digital (high/low) signals within the system. In the fields of communications, Signal processing, and in Electrical engineering more generally a signal is any time-varying or spatial-varying quantity An antenna is a Transducer designed to transmit or Receive electromagnetic waves In other words antennas convert electromagnetic waves into Computer networking is the Engineering Discipline concerned with communication between Computer systems or devices Networking routers Electric current is the flow (movement of Electric charge. The SI unit of electric current is the Ampere. Electrical tension (or voltage after its SI unit, the Volt) is the difference of electrical potential between two points of an electrical A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for
- Signal processors – These circuits serve to manipulate, interpret and transform inputted signals in order to make them useful for a desired application. Signal processing is the analysis interpretation and manipulation of signals Signals of interest include sound, images, biological signals such as Recently, complex signal processing has been accomplished with the use of Digital Signal Processors. A digital signal processor ( DSP or DSP micro) is a specialized Microprocessor designed specifically for Digital signal processing, generally
- Outputs – Actuators or other devices (such as transducers) that transform current/voltage signals back into useful physical form (e. Output is the term denoting either an exit or changes which exit a System and which activate/modify a Process. An actuator is a mechanical device for moving or controlling a mechanism or system g. , by accomplishing a physical task such as rotating an electric motor). An electric motor uses Electrical energy to produce Mechanical energy.
For example, a television set contains these 3 parts. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The television's input transforms a broadcast signal (received by an antenna or fed in through a cable) into a current/voltage signal that can be used by the device. Signal processing circuits inside the television extract information from this signal that dictates brightness, colour and sound level. Brightness is an attribute of Visual perception in which a source appears to emit or reflect a given amount of Light. Sound' is Vibration transmitted through a Solid, Liquid, or Gas; particularly sound means those vibrations composed of Frequencies Output devices then convert this information back into physical form. A cathode ray tube transforms electronic signals into a visible image on the screen. The cathode ray tube (CRT is a Vacuum tube containing an Electron gun (a source of electrons and a Fluorescent screen with internal or An image (from Latin imago) or picture is an artifact usually two-dimensional that has a similar appearance to some subject &mdashusually Magnet-driven speakers convert signals into audible sound. For the Marty Friedman album see Loudspeaker (album A loudspeaker, speaker, or speaker system is an electroacoustical
Electronic devices and components
An electronic component is any physical entity in an electronic system whose intention is to affect the electrons or their associated fields in a desired manner consistent with the intended function of the electronic system. An electronic component is a basic electronic element usually packaged in a discrete form with two or more connecting leads or metallic pads Components are generally intended to be in mutual electromechanical contact, usually by being soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB), to create an electronic circuit with a particular function (for example an amplifier, radio receiver, or oscillator). Soldering is a process in which two or more Metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint the filler metal having a relatively low A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect Electronic components using conductive pathways or traces Components may be packaged singly or in more or less complex groups as integrated circuits.
Types of circuits
Analog circuits
Most analog electronic appliances, such as radio receivers, are constructed from combinations of a few types of basic circuits. An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature (variable of the signal is a representation of some other Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Analog circuits use a continuous range of voltage as opposed to discrete levels as in digital circuits. The number of different analog circuits so far devised is huge, especially because a 'circuit' can be defined as anything from a single component, to systems containing thousands of components.
Analog circuits are sometimes called linear circuits although many non-linear effects are used in analog circuits such as mixers, modulators, etc. A linear circuit is an Electric circuit in which for a sinusoidal input voltage of Frequency f, any output of the circuit (current through any Good examples of analog circuits include vacuum tube and transistor amplifiers, operational amplifiers and oscillators.
Some analog circuitry these days may use digital or even microprocessor techniques to improve upon the basic performance of the circuit. This type of circuit is usually called "mixed signal. "
Sometimes it may be difficult to differentiate between analog and digital circuits as they have elements of both linear and non-linear operation. An example is the comparator which takes in a continuous range of voltage but puts out only one of two levels as in a digital circuit. Similarly, an overdriven transistor amplifier can take on the characteristics of a controlled switch having essentially two levels of output. A switch is a mechanical device used to connect and disconnect an electric Circuit at will
Digital circuits
Digital circuits are electric circuits based on a number of discrete voltage levels. Digital electronics are Electronics systems that use Digital signals Digital electronics are representations of Boolean algebra also see Digital circuits are the most common physical representation of Boolean algebra and are the basis of all digital computers. To most engineers, the terms "digital circuit", "digital system" and "logic" are interchangeable in the context of digital circuits. In most cases the number of different states of a node is two, represented by two voltage levels labeled "Low"(0) and "High"(1). Often "Low" will be near zero volts and "High" will be at a higher level depending on the supply voltage in use.
Computers, electronic clocks, and programmable logic controllers (used to control industrial processes) are constructed of digital circuits. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. A quartz clock is a Clock that uses an Electronic oscillator that is regulated by a Quartz crystal to keep time A programmable logic controller ( PLC) or programmable controller is a Digital computer used for Automation of industrial processes such as A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for Digital Signal Processors are another example. A digital signal processor ( DSP or DSP micro) is a specialized Microprocessor designed specifically for Digital signal processing, generally
Building-blocks:
Highly integrated devices:
- Microprocessors
- Microcontrollers
- Application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC)
- Digital signal processor (DSP)
- Field-programmable gate array (FPGA)
Mixed-signal circuits
Mixed-signal circuits refers to integrated circuits (ICs) which have both analog circuits and digital circuits combined on a single semiconductor die or on the same circuit board. A logic gate performs a logical operation on one or more logic inputs and produces a single logic output In electronics an adder or summer is a Digital circuit that performs Addition of numbers A Binary multiplier is an electronic hardware device used in Digital electronics or a Computer or other electronic device to perform rapid multiplication of two In Digital circuits a flip-flop is a term referring to an Electronic circuit (a Bistable Multivibrator) that has two stable states and thereby In Digital logic and Computing, a counter is a device which stores (and sometimes displays the number of times a particular event or process In Computer architecture, a processor register is a small amount of storage available on the CPU whose contents can be accessed more quickly than storage In Electronics, a multiplexer or mux ( occasionally the term muldex is also found for a combination multiplexer-demultiplexer In Electronics, a Schmitt trigger is a Comparator circuit that incorporates positive Feedback. A microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a Central processing unit (CPU on a single Integrated A microcontroller (also MCU or µC is a functional Computer system-on-a- chip. A digital signal processor ( DSP or DSP micro) is a specialized Microprocessor designed specifically for Digital signal processing, generally FPGAs should not be confused with the Flip-chip pin grid array, a form of integrated circuit packaging A mixed-signal Integrated circuit combines Analog circuits, used for analog signal processing with Digital signal processing (DSP circuits on a single Mixed-signal circuits are becoming increasingly common. A mixed-signal Integrated circuit combines Analog circuits, used for analog signal processing with Digital signal processing (DSP circuits on a single Mixed circuits are usually used to control an analog device using digital logic, for example the speed of a motor. Analogue electronics (or analog in American English) are those electronic systems with a continuously Variable signal Analog to digital converters and digital to analog converters are the primary examples. An analog-to-digital converter (abbreviated ADC, A/D or A to D) is an electronic integrated circuit which converts continuous signals to In Electronics, a digital-to-analog converter ( DAC or D-to-A) is a device for converting a digital (usually binary code to an Analog signal Other examples are transmission gates and buffers. A transmission gate is an electronic element It is a good non-mechanical Relay, built with CMOS technology
Heat dissipation and thermal management
Heat generated by electronic circuitry must be dissipated to prevent immediate failure and improve long term reliability. Heat generated by Electronic devices and Circuitry must be dissipated to improve Reliability and prevent premature Failure. Techniques for heat dissipation can include heatsinks and fans for air cooling, and other forms of computer cooling such as water cooling. A heat sink (or heatsink) is an environment or object that absorbs and dissipates heat from another object using Thermal contact (either direct or radiant A mechanical fan is an electrically powered device used to produce an airflow for the purpose of creature comfort (particularly in the heat ventilation, exhaust Computer cooling is the process of removing heat from computer components Water cooling is a method of Heat removal from components As opposed to Air cooling, Water is used as the heat transmitter These techniques use convection, conduction, & radiation of heat energy. Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of molecules within Fluids (i Heat conduction or thermal conduction is the spontaneous transfer of thermal energy through matter from a region of higher Temperature to a region of lower Radiation, as in Physics, is Energy in the form of waves or moving Subatomic particles emitted by an atom or other body as it changes from a higher energy
Noise
Noise is associated with all electronic circuits. Electronic noise is an unwanted signal characteristic of all electronic circuits. Noise is defined[1] as unwanted disturbances superposed on a useful signal that tend to obscure its information content. Noise is not the same as signal distortion caused by a circuit.
Electronics theory
Mathematical methods are integral to the study of electronics. Mathematical methods are integral to the study of electronics. To become proficient in electronics it is also necessary to become proficient in the mathematics of circuit analysis.
Circuit analysis is the study of methods of solving generally linear systems for unknown variables such as the voltage at a certain node or the current though a certain branch of a network. In Electrical engineering, node refers to any point on a circuit where two or more circuit elements meet In Graph theory, a path in a graph is a Sequence of vertices such that from each of its vertices there is an edge to the next vertex In Mathematics and Computer science, a graph is the basic object of study in Graph theory. A common analytical tool for this is the SPICE circuit simulator. A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive
Also important to electronics is the study and understanding of electromagnetic field theory. The electromagnetic field is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects.
Electronic test equipment
Electronic test equipment is used to create stimulus signals and capture responses from electronic Devices Under Test (DUTs). Electronic test equipment (sometimes called "testgear" is used to create signals and capture responses from electronic Devices Under Test (DUTs Device under test ( DUT) also known as unit under test ( UUT) is a term commonly used to refer to a manufactured product undergoing testing In this way, the proper operation of the DUT can be proven or faults in the device can be traced and repaired.
Practical electronics engineering and assembly requires the use of many different kinds of electronic test equipment ranging from the very simple and inexpensive (such as a test light consisting of just a light bulb and a test lead) to extremely complex and sophisticated such as Automatic Test Equipment.
Computer aided design (CAD)
Today's electronics engineers have the ability to design circuits using premanufactured building blocks such as power supplies, semiconductors (such as transistors), and integrated circuits. Electronic design automation ( EDA) is the category of tools for designing and producing electronic systems ranging from The process of circuit design can cover systems ranging from complex electronic systems all the way down to the individual Transistors within an Integrated circuit. An electronic circuit is a closed path formed by the interconnection of Electronic components through which an Electric current can flow Power supply is a reference to a source of Electrical power. A device or system that supplies Electrical or other types of Energy to an output load A semiconductor' is a Solid material that has Electrical conductivity in between a conductor and an insulator; it can vary over that In Electronics, a transistor is a Semiconductor device commonly used to amplify or switch electronic signals Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside Electronic design automation software programs include schematic capture programs and printed circuit board design programs. Electronic design automation ( EDA) is the category of tools for designing and producing electronic systems ranging from Schematic capture or schematic entry is a step in the design cycle of Electronic design automation (EDA at which the electronic diagram or electronic schematic A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect Electronic components using conductive pathways or traces Popular names in the EDA software world are NI Multisim, Cadence (ORCAD), Eagle PCB and Schematic, Mentor (PADS PCB and LOGIC Schematic), Altium (Protel), LabCentre Electronics (Proteus) and many others. OrCAD is a proprietary Software tool suite used primarily for Electronic design automation.
Construction methods
Many different methods of connecting components have been used over the years. Electronic packaging is a major discipline within the field of electronic engineering and includes a wide variety of technologies For instance, early electronics often used point to point wiring with components attached to wooden breadboards to construct circuits. Point-to-point construction is the way most Electronics Circuits were constructed before the 1950s Cordwood construction and wire wraps were other methods used. A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect Electronic components using conductive pathways or traces This article deals with electronics manufacturing and prototyping techniques see Wire wrap jewellery for the Jewellery related topic Abisolierwerkzeug Most modern day electronics now use printed circuit boards (made of FR4), and highly integrated circuits. A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect Electronic components using conductive pathways or traces FR-4, an abbreviation for Flame Retardant 4 is a type of material used for making a Printed circuit board (PCB Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside Health and environmental concerns associated with electronics assembly have gained increased attention in recent years, especially for products destined to the European Union, with its Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), which went into force in July 2006. The Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2002/95/EC ( / commonly referred to as the Restriction of Hazardous The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive is the European Community directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment
Electronics industry
Branch pages
- Digital electronics
- Analogue electronics
- Microelectronics
- Fuzzy electronics
- Circuit Design
- Integrated circuit
- Optoelectronics
- Semiconductor
- Semiconductor device
See also
- Analog signal processing
- Circuit diagram
- Computer engineering
- Datasheet
- Digital signal processing
- E-waste
- Electrical engineering
- Electronic circuit
- Electronic Waste Recycling Fee
- IEEE - the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- List of 4000 series integrated circuits
- List of 7400 series integrated circuits
- Mechatronics
- Signal theory
- Transducer
References
- ^ IEEE Dictionary of Electrical and Electronics Terms ISBN-13: 978-0471428060
External links
- Navy 1998 Navy Electricity and Electronics Training Series (NEETS)
- DOE 1998 Electrical Science, Fundamentals Handbook, 4 vols. This article lists the top 20 largest semiconductor companies by sales leaders over the past 20 years Digital electronics are Electronics systems that use Digital signals Digital electronics are representations of Boolean algebra also see Analogue electronics (or analog in American English) are those electronic systems with a continuously Variable signal Microelectronics is a subfield of Electronics. Microelectronics as the name suggestsis related to the study and manufacture or Microfabrication, of electronic Fuzzy electronics is an electronic technology that uses Fuzzy logic, instead of the two-value logic more commonly used in Digital electronics. The process of circuit design can cover systems ranging from complex electronic systems all the way down to the individual Transistors within an Integrated circuit. Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that source detect and control Light, usually considered a sub-field of Photonics. A semiconductor' is a Solid material that has Electrical conductivity in between a conductor and an insulator; it can vary over that Semiconductor devices are Electronic components that exploit the electronic properties of Semiconductor materials principally Silicon, Germanium Analog signal processing is any Signal processing conducted on Analog signals by analog means A circuit diagram (also known as an electrical diagram Wiring diagram, elementary diagram or electronic Schematic) is a simplified conventional pictorial representation Computer engineering (or Computer Systems Engineering) encompasses broad areas of both Electrical engineering and Computer science. A datasheet is a Document summarizing the performance and other characteristics of a component (e Digital signal processing ( DSP) is concerned with the representation of the signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals Electronic waste, " e-waste " or " Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment " (" WEEE " is a Waste type consisting Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of An electronic circuit is a closed path formed by the interconnection of Electronic components through which an Electric current can flow The Electronic Waste Recycling Fee is a fee imposed by the Government of the state of California in the United States on new purchases of Electronic The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (read eye-triple-e) is an international Non-profit, professional organization List of the CMOS 4000 series The following is a list of 7400 series digital logic Integrated circuits. Mechatronics (or Mecha nical and Elec' tronics' Engineering) is the combination of Mechanical engineering, Electronic engineering See also Signalling theory, a concept in Evolutionary biology Signal theory is the theory of the Engineering discipline A transducer is a device usually electrical, electronic, Electro-mechanical, Electromagnetic, Photonic, or Photovoltaic
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Dictionary
electronics
-noun
- (physics) The study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles.
- plural A device or devices that owe their function to the flow of electrons through conductors and semiconductors; devices that operate on electrical power (battery or outlet.)
- Electronic circuitry.
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