MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

BASICELECTRONICS
DavidWilliams
&MichaelShiloh

2003MakingThingsLLC
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

OVERVIEW
Session1
Electricityiskindoflikewater

TheComponentsInside

TheBinaryMiracle
Session2
Switchescandoallthat?

Arrangethemjustright,andyouhaveacomputer

Thecomputerdoeswhatyousaymillionsoftimesasecond

Reconnectingtotherealworld
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

ELECTRICITYISLIKEWATER

MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

LEVELSOFUNDERSTANDING
Howmuchdoyouneedtoknow?

Toownacaryoudonotneedtounderstandthedetails
ofinternalcombustionengines,butthedetailsleak
out:gasoline,oil,batteries

Todoelectronicsyoudon'tneedadegreeinmaterials
scienceorsolidstatephysics,butthedetails
sometimesleakout:voltage,current,OhmsLaw,
etc.

Thissessionandthenextarewhatwethinkyou'llneed
toknowtobegintohaveanintuitivegraspoverthe
fieldofelectronics.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

ELECTRICITY
Thinkofelectricityflowinglikewaterinapipe
Theanalogytowaterisnotperfect,butithelps.
Electronsarepresentandquitemoveablein
everyconductor.
Electricityistheorderedflowofelectronsina
conductor.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEANDCURRENT
Voltageislikewaterpressure
MeasuredinVolts,V
Currentislikewatervolume
MeasuredinAmps,A
1/1000thofanAmpisamilliampmA
PowerisVoltagexCurrent
MeasuredinWatts,W
1/1000thofaWattisamilliwattmW
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

RESISTANCE
Almosteverythingthatconductselectricityhas
aresistance.Itdoesntconductitperfectly.

ResistanceismeasuredinOhms()
1000=1k1,000,000=1M
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

OHMSLAW
RelatesVoltageandCurrentinasimplecircuit

V=IR
Volts=Current(I)xResistance(R)

(thismeansI=V/RandR=V/I)
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CIRCUITSWATERANDELECTRICITY

Acircuitneedsa
completepath,
andasourceof
energy

Electricity,like
water,flows
onlywhenit
can.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CIRCUITDIAGRAMSI
CircuitDiagrams(alsocalledSchematics)area
compacteasywaytorepresentcircuits.

Onlytheessentialdetailsarerepresented.

LiketheLondonUndergrounddrawnfor
humanuse
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CIRCUITDIAGRAMSII
Morerealisticdiagram

Vcc&GndConnections
Manypaths
Chip(LM555)
Resistors,Capacitors
Nonliterallineconnections
Optionalparts
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

PRINTEDCIRCUITBOARDS
Whenwiringupcircuitswithwiresistoomuch
work
Eachtrace(thinstripofcopper)replacesone
wire
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONCIRCUITS
Objectives
Showasimplecircuit
Measurevoltages&current
Materials
BatteryandLamp
Multimeter
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

COMPONENTS

Thecomponentsthatmakeupacircuit
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CONDUCTORS
Connectionsareveryimportant

Manythingsareconductivecarchassis/saltywater

Strandedvs.SolidCore
Solidcoreismuchmorelikelytobreakwhenflexed

AWG(AmericanWireGauge)Standard
AWG16LargerPowerConnections
AWG18PowerConnections
AWG22GoodInterconnectionSize
AWG30Veryfinebreakseasily
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CELLS&BATTERIES
ChemicalReactionscreatingelectricity
Leadacid(carbatteryapprox2V)
Alkaline(regularcellsapprox1.5V)
LithiumIon(latestrechargeableapprox3.6V)
FuelCells(newtechnology)
SolarCells(lightconvertedintoelectricity)
Fruit!(lemonswithcopperandzincelectrodes)
Canputtheminseries(endtoend)toincreasevoltage
Canputtheminparallel(sidebyside)toincrease
current
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

POWERSUPPLIES
Connectto110VACtoprovideelectricityina
differentform.

Beverycarefulwith110V!Itcankillyou.
Anythingover50Visdangerous.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

SWITCHESANDPUSHBUTTONS
Connectanddisconnectcircuits
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

RESISTORS
Asthenamesuggeststendtopresentapartial
barriertoelectricityflow
Recall,ResistanceismeasuredinOhms()
1000=1k1,000,000=1M
Alsoneedtonoteratedpower(e.g.1/8W,5W)
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

POTENTIOMETERS
VariableResistors

Havearesistancethatvariesaccordingtothe
mechanicalpositionofoneofitswiper.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

LIGHTEMITTINGDIODES(LEDs)
Tinylightsourcescomeinavarietyofcolors

Requireverysmallcurrentbutwilltakeallyou
offeralwaysusearesistor!Values
between300and1Kareuseful.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONLEDs
Objectives
ShowhowtouseanLED
Showhowitonlyworksonewayround
Showhowyouneedaresistor
Showhowdifferentresistorsgivedifferent
brightnesses,potentiometers
Materials
Solderingiron/solder/wire
LED
Resistor/Potentiometer
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

CAPACITORS
Asthenamesuggeststendtostoreelectricity
likeaminibattery
MeasuredinFarads(F)
0.000001F=1F0.000000001=1pF
Alsoneedtonoteratedvoltage

Charging

Charge
d

Discharging
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONCAPACITORS
Objectives
Toshowcharginganddischarging
capacitors
ShowchargewithLED/resistor
ShowdischargewithLED/resistor

Materials
Capacitor(largevalue)
2xResistor/LEDcombo
SolderingIron,Solder
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DIODES
Familyofcomponentswhichonlyletelectricity
flowoneway
Manydifferentkindseachwithdifferent
characteristics
Maincharacteristictonoteispower(W)
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONDIODES
Objectives
Toshowdiodesblockingcurrent
Materials
Powersupply
Diode
12VLamp
Solder/SolderingIron
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

SOLENOIDS
Electromagnets

Currentispassedthroughthecoilanda
magneticfieldiscreated

Usedtoreleaselatches,lockpartsinplace,etc.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

MOTORS
Familyofcomponentsthatusesequenced
electricityandmagnetismtomakemovement

Voltage,Current,Torque&RPMoftenspecified
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

RELAYS
ElectromechanicalSwitchesApplyacurrent
tothecoilandtheconnectedswitchesare
connectedanddisconnected.

Carsuserelaystoswitch12V,500A!

SiliconRelaysalsoavailablewithnomoving
parts
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATION
SOLENOIDS/MOTORS/RELAYS
Objectives
Toshowsolenoids,motorsandrelays
running
Materials
Solenoid/Motor/Relay
PowerSupply
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEDIVIDERSI
Simpleandvitalpartofelectronics.Usedthroughout
electronics.
Vitalintheconnectionofsensorstocomputers.

Takearesistorandconnectit
toapowersource.

Thevoltageononesideis5V,
andontheotheris0V

Whatwoulditbeinthemiddle
oftheresistor?
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEDIVIDERSII
Cansetthisup:

Taketworesistorsof
equalvalueinseriesand
connectthemtoapower
source.

Wecanguessthatthe
voltageatpis2.5Vifra=rb.
Eachresistordoeshalf
thework.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEDIVIDERSIII
Andtoextendthisfurther:

Whatiftheresistorsare
notthesame?

Wecanguessthatthe
voltageatpwillbegreater
than2.5Vifra<rb.Less
resistance=>lessvoltage
drop
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEDIVIDERSIV
Nowwehavesomethinguseful

Whatifwesubstituteone
oftheresistorsfora
resistivesensorofsome
kind?

Wecanguessthatthe
voltageatpwillbe
dependentonthequality
sensed.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

VOLTAGEDIVIDERSV
VariableResistorscanworklikethistoo

Withthiscircuit,wecan
sensetherotational
positionofashaftora
linearposition

Thevoltageatpwillbe
dependentontheposition
ofthewiper.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONVOLTAGE
DIVIDERS
Objectives
Tomirrortheforegoingvoltagedivider
discussionwithvoltagedividerexamples
Materials
Multimeter
SolderingIronandSolder
Resistors
ResistiveSensors(Bend/Light)
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

TRANSISTORSI
Developedtoswitchandamplify

Comeinalargenumberofdifferentvarieties,
shapesandsizes
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

TRANSISTORSII
MOSFETsaretransistorsthatmakeverygood
switches

Averysmallsignalonthegate
canswitchverylargeloadson
andoffthousandsoftimesa
second.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

DEMONSTRATIONTRANSISTORS
Objectives
Toshowtheoperationofatransistor
Materials
Multimeter
SolderingIronandSolder
Motor/Halogen
BigMOSFET
MOSFETdatasheet
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

BINARY

Thegatewaytodigitalelectronics
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

THEDECIMALNUMBERSYSTEM
Attheriskofstatingtheobvious
Wecountbygoingthroughourlistofnumbersymbols
untilwerunout
0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,

Whenwerunout,wemarkthatfactwithadigitin
anothercolumnandstartagain
8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,

Whenwerunoutagain,weuseanothercolumn
98,99,100,101,102,103,
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

THEBINARYNUMBERSYSTEM
Binaryisidentical,exceptweonlyhave0and1

Wecountbygoingthroughourlistofnumbersymbols
untilwerunout
0,1,

Whenwerunout,wemarkthatfactwithadigitin
anothercolumnandstartagain
0,1,10,

Whenwerunoutagain,weuseanothercolumn
10,11,100,101,110,111,
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

JUSTLIKEAREALNUMBERING
SYSTEM
Youcanconverttodecimal,sinceyouknowhowbig
eachcolumnis32,16,8,4,2,1

11002=1x8+1x4+0x2+0x1=1210

Youcanaddandsubtractbinarynumbers(andallother
arithmeticaloperations)
0010 1000
+ 01100110
1000 0010

Eachcolumniscalledabit.Eightbitsarecalleda
byte.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

THEBIGSTEP
Sowhatssocoolaboutanumberingsystem
thatonlyhas2digits?

Eachdigitcanbeunambiguouslyrepresented
byavoltageonawire.

Andyoucandowhateveryouwantwithit.
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

83
Whatis8310or010100112?
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

MATERIALS
MediaTheory&Practice BASICELECTRONICS

Materials
PowerSupply Photocell
1.5VCell Bendsensor
Wire MOSFET&Datasheet
Solder Motors
Halogens
SolderingIron
LEDs
Resistors(1K&500)
Potentiometer
Diodes(highishcurrent)
BendSensor