Identifying electronic components can be tricky for anyone new to the electronics industry. Most books and articles suggest starting with the major basic components and learn about them and then add to the large list of basic electronic components.
If you know the name of the component or the SKU of a specific type of component you could look up its datasheet and learn to identify it that way. The datasheet has all the basic and advanced information about the specific part.
But as a green hand, how we can be professional at these products soonest? Here let’s start with the six most basic components:
- Integrated Circuits
- Transistors
- Inductors
- LEDs
- Resistors
- Capacitors
Integrated Circuits
An integrated circuit(IC) is a set of electronic circuits in a single chip incorporated together to perform a specific function. It is sometimes called a chip or microchip. It is a wafer of semiconductor material (usually silicon) on which multiple transistors, capacitors and resistors are fabricated.
According to its function, IC includes: Clock and Timing ICs, Data Converter ICs, Embedded Processors and Controllers, Interface ICs, Linear ICs, Logic ICs, Memory, Power Management ICs, RF Semiconductors and Devices etc.
Transistors
Transistors work as either a switch or an amplifier – it takes a small current and converts it into a bigger one. They are made with silicon and can be either positive or negative (p-type or n-type) depending on what elements have been combined with the sand making the silicon. “Transistor diagrams are circles with three leads. Inside the circle, one point goes directly to a bar, while the other leads branch off diagonally from the bar with one of them containing an arrow” when looking for in a diagram.
Inductors
Inductors are two-terminal components used for filtering, energy storage and timing applications. Inductors oppose a change in current by inducing an electromotive force (or e.m.f) according to Lenz’s Law. Inductors store energy in the form of magnetic field. Chokes are inductors that block AC while allowing DC to pass. The unit of inductance is Henry (H) .
Inductors, on the other hand, can be difficult to identify. Their information can be determined by looking at the color and text used. They are coiled wires which makes finding them simple – but measuring them gets tricky.
LEDs
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are electronic devices that emit light. A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor that emits light when a current flows through it. They are used in many applications like lightbulbs, televisions, and displays.
Resistors
Resistors are two-terminal components used for limiting current, voltage division and timing applications. Their small, horizontal cylinders are easy to identify and their colored stripes let you know what their resistance and tolerance are.
Resistors complement ‘active’ components like op-amps, micro-controllers, or integrated circuits for a variety of operations like biasing, filtering, and pulling up I/O lines. Variable resistors can be used to change the properties of a circuit. Current sensing resistors are used to measure the current in a circuit. The unit of resistance is Ohms (Ω).
Capacitors
Capacitors are two-terminal components used for filtering, energy storage and voltage spike suppression. In simple form capacitors consist of two parallel plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Capacitors store electrical charge, conducting alternating current (AC) and blocking voltages of direct current (DC) source. The unit of capacitance is the Farad (F).
Capacitors have much of their information printed on them – the first two digits indicate the capacitors value and the third digit indicates the number of zero’s to be added.
Conclusion
There are millions of different electronic components currently. Even same parts, they might be produced by different manufacturers. The most important thing is not the brand, it is our requirement. We must be pretty clear about our requirements. I know it is very hard for a new one. But you don’t need to worry about this any more. Whenever you meet any problem, contact us, our whole engineering team will back up you on this.
