All About Circuits

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Series-Parallel DC Circuits

Series-Parallel DC Circuits

Don’t just sit there! Build something!! Learning to mathematically…


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Reluctance Motor

Reluctance Motor

The variable reluctance motor is based on the principle that an…


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The Importance of Electrical Safety

The Importance of Electrical Safety

With this lesson, I hope to avoid a common mistake found in…


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Resonance

Resonance

The Q factor of a series inductive circuit is given by the following…


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Design Project: Stepper Motor Driver

Design Project: Stepper Motor Driver

At first it may seem pointless to have the four buffer gates following…


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Networks and Busses

Networks and Busses

The wires between the tank and the monitoring location is  called…


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Pressure Unit Conversion Calculator

Pressure Unit Conversion Calculator

This calculator will convert pressure values to ten different standard units for pressure.


Tools

Memory Devices

Memory Devices

Don’t just sit there! Build something!! Learning to analyze digital…


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DC Motor Control Circuits

DC Motor Control Circuits

How is it possible to electrically measure the torque output by a…


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Boolean Algebra

Boolean Algebra

Don’t just sit there! Build something!! Learning to analyze digital…


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Selsyn (Synchro) Motors

Selsyn (Synchro) Motors

Normally, the rotor windings of a wound rotor induction motor are…


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Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

Before the advent of solid-state logic circuits, logical control…


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Thevenin’s, Norton’s, and Maximum Power Transfer Theorems

Thevenin’s, Norton’s, and Maximum Power Transfer Theorems

Suppose a 12 volt lead-acid battery has an internal resistance of 20…


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Specific Troubleshooting Techniques

Specific Troubleshooting Techniques

After applying some of the general troubleshooting tips to narrow the…


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DC Motor Theory

DC Motor Theory

If the ends of a wire loop are attached to two half-circular metal…


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Basic Troubleshooting Strategies

Basic Troubleshooting Strategies

A chandelier has five light bulbs in it, and one of them is not…


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Fundamentals of Radio Communication

Fundamentals of Radio Communication

What does the acronym RF stand form, in reference to radio-related…


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Servo Motor Systems

Servo Motor Systems

Explain the operation of this “H-bridge” motor control circuit: At…


Worksheets - Automotive

Instrumentation Amplifier Gain Calculator

Instrumentation Amplifier Gain Calculator

The instrumentation amplifier calculator will assist in the design and analysis of a conventional instrumentation amplifier circuit by calculating the required resistor values and gain.


Tools

DC Lab - Potentiometer as a Rheostat

DC Lab - Potentiometer as a Rheostat

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will use a potentiometer as a variable resistor to control the speed of a motor and learn how to connect a potentiometer as a rheostat.


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Superposition Theorem

Superposition Theorem

Don’t just sit there! Build something!! Learning to mathematically…


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Design Project: Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Signal Generator

Design Project: Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Signal Generator

What shape of voltage waveform would you expect to measure (using an…


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Comparator with Hysteresis (Schmitt Trigger) Calculator

Comparator with Hysteresis (Schmitt Trigger) Calculator

This calculator will compute the required resistor ratio (R2/R1) and reference voltage (VREF) to create the desired high (VTH) and low (VTL) threshold voltages in a non-inverting comparator circuit with hysteresis (commonly called a Schmitt trigger).


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CMOS Gate Circuitry

CMOS Gate Circuitry

Up until this point, our analysis of transistor logic circuits has…


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The Antiderivative (Indefinite Integral)

The Antiderivative (Indefinite Integral)

  Notice something important here: taking the derivative of f(x)…


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Time Constant Equations

Time Constant Equations

Value of time constant in series RC and RL circuits   Time…


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Inductor Quirks

Inductor Quirks

In an ideal case, an inductor acts as a purely reactive device. That…


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Wire Microstrip Impedance Calculator

Wire Microstrip Impedance Calculator

A helpful tool for calculating the impedance of a wire microstrip.


Tools

Si Lab - Bipolar Transistor as a Switch

Si Lab - Bipolar Transistor as a Switch

In this hands-on semiconductor electronics experiment, use a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) to switch an LED and learn about the current their amplification.


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Si Lab - BJT Common-collector Voltage Follower

Si Lab - BJT Common-collector Voltage Follower

In this hands-on semiconductor electronics experiment, build a voltage follower amplifier using a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) in common-collector configuration and learn about circuit ground and impedance transformations.


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AC Lab - Using a Transformer to Build a 12 VAC Power Supply

AC Lab - Using a Transformer to Build a 12 VAC Power Supply

In this hands-on AC electronics experiment, build a 12 V alternating current (AC) power supply using a step-down transformer and learn about transformer operation and the purpose of tapped windings.


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Peak Detector

Peak Detector

A peak detector is a series connection of a diode and a…


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Practical Considerations - Transformers

Practical Considerations - Transformers

Power Capacity As has already been observed, transformers must be well…


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Amplifier Circuits

Amplifier Circuits

Note, Q3 and Q4 in the figure below are complementary, NPN and PNP…


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Basic Electricity Worksheet

Basic Electricity Worksheet

What is the purpose of the switch shown in this schematic diagram?


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Si Lab - Simple Op Amp

Si Lab - Simple Op Amp

In this hands-on semiconductor electronics experiment, build a custom operational amplifier (op amp) and learn about the application of current mirrors and the use of negative feedback in op amp circuits.


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Magnetic Units of Measurement

Magnetic Units of Measurement

If the burden of two systems of measurement for common quantities…


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Contributors (16)

Contributors (16)

Contributors to this chapter are listed in chronological order of…


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Voltage and Current Calculations

Voltage and Current Calculations

There’s a sure way to calculate any of the values in a reactive…


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AC Lab - Frequency Analysis

AC Lab - Frequency Analysis

In this hands-on AC electronics experiment, use the frequency spectrum display from an oscilloscope program to observe waveforms from a musical keyboard and learn about spectral analysis.


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Tube Parameters

Tube Parameters

For bipolar junction transistors, the fundamental measure of…


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Computer Simulation of Electric Circuits

Computer Simulation of Electric Circuits

Computers can be powerful tools if used properly, especially in the…


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Capacitive Reactance

Capacitive Reactance

Don’t just sit there! Build something!! Learning to mathematically…


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The Junction Field-effect Transistor (JFET) as a Switch

The Junction Field-effect Transistor (JFET) as a Switch

Like its bipolar cousin, the field-effect transistor may be used as an…


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The Common-gate Amplifier (IGFET)

The Common-gate Amplifier (IGFET)


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Hysteresis

Hysteresis

Thyristors are a class of semiconductor components exhibiting…


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AC Lab - Induction Motor

AC Lab - Induction Motor

In this hands-on AC electronics experiment, build a simple AC permanent capacitor split-phase induction motor and learn the principles of AC induction motor function.


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555 Timer Astable Oscillator Circuit

555 Timer Astable Oscillator Circuit

In an astable circuit, the output voltage alternates between VCC and 0 volts on a continuous basis. This calculator will help you design an oscillator using a 555 timer IC.


Tools

Electron Tubes

Electron Tubes

Cathode:   This is the electrode that is heated and emits the…


Textbook

Important Constants

Important Constants

Euler’s Number Euler’s constant is an important value for…


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555 Lab - Oscillator With Hysteresis

555 Lab - Oscillator With Hysteresis

In this hands-on electronics experiment, build an oscillator with hysteresis from a Schmitt trigger and learn how to use it to create an RC oscillator and a method to configure a 555 timer as an astable multivibrator.


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Broadside Coupled Stripline Impedance Calculator

Broadside Coupled Stripline Impedance Calculator

This calculator helps you compute the characteristic impedance of a broadside coupled stripline.


Tools

Contactors

Contactors

All About Contactors When a relay is used to switch a large amount of…


Textbook

Attenuators

Attenuators

What is Attenuators? Attenuators are passive devices. It is…


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Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors

What is an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), and what…


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Table (landscape view)

Table (landscape view)

Periodic table of chemical elements.


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Advanced Electromagnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Advanced Electromagnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

∫f(x) dx Calculus alert! Electronic power conversion circuits known…


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555 Lab - Blue LED Flasher With Voltage Doubler

555 Lab - Blue LED Flasher With Voltage Doubler

In this hands-on electronics experiment, build a blue LED flasher using a 555 timer and learn the basic theory of a voltage doubler using a transistor switch and a capacitor.


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Voltage Signal Systems

Voltage Signal Systems

The use of variable voltage for instrumentation signals seems a rather…


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Conductors, Insulators, and Electron Flow

Conductors, Insulators, and Electron Flow

The electrons of different types of atoms have different degrees of…


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