All About Circuits

Latest Industrial Automation Education

Categories

Network Topology

Network Topology

Point-to-Point Connecting two digital devices with a network, would…


Textbook

Tube Lab - Vacuum Tube Audio Amplifier

Tube Lab - Vacuum Tube Audio Amplifier

In this hands-on electronics experiment, build an audio amplifier using a vacuum tube (triode) and learn about voltage transformers, how to build a high-voltage DC power supply, and how to use a transformer for impedance matching.


Textbook

Stepper Motors

Stepper Motors

Stepper Motor vs Servo Motor A stepper motor is a…


Textbook

Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Law Calculator

Lenz’s Law and Faraday’s Law Calculator

This calculator uses Faraday's and Lenz's laws to calculate the magnitude and polarity of the induced electromotive force (EMF) caused by a change in magnetic flux through a closed-loop coil.


Tools

ElectroStatic Discharge

ElectroStatic Discharge

At the start of this book, we discussed static electricity and how it…


Textbook

Pressure Unit Conversion Calculator

Pressure Unit Conversion Calculator

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


Tools

Networks and Busses

Networks and Busses

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


Textbook

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

Parallel Resistor Calculator

Parallel Resistor Calculator

Calculate the equivalent resistance of up to six resistors in parallel with ease while learning how to calculate resistance in parallel and the parallel resistance formula.


Tools

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

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


Textbook

The Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR)

The Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR)

Shockley Diodes and Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCRs) Shockley…


Textbook

DC Lab - Thermoelectricity

DC Lab - Thermoelectricity

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will build a thermocouple to measure temperature changes and learn about the Seebeck effect.


Textbook

Winding Configurations

Winding Configurations

Transformers with Multiple Secondaries Transformers are very versatile…


Textbook

AC Lab - Large Induction Motor

AC Lab - Large Induction Motor

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


Textbook

Kirchhoff’s Laws

Kirchhoff’s Laws

Many electronic circuits use what is called a split or a dual power…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Semiconductor Manufacturing Techniques

Semiconductor Manufacturing Techniques

The manufacture of only silicon based semiconductors is described…


Textbook

Wheatstone Bridge Calculator

Wheatstone Bridge Calculator

This calculator helps determine the resistance of a variable resistor within a Wheatstone bridge circuit or the differential voltage created across the bridge terminals.


Tools

Network Protocols

Network Protocols

Aside from the issues of the physical network (signal types and…


Textbook

AC Instrumentation Transducers

AC Instrumentation Transducers

Just as devices have been made to measure certain physical quantities…


Textbook

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.


Textbook

Parallel Circuits and the Application of Ohm’s Law

Parallel Circuits and the Application of Ohm’s Law

In this introduction to parallel resistance circuits, we will explain…


Textbook

Numbers versus Numeration

Numbers versus Numeration

It is imperative to understand that the type of numeration system used…


Textbook

DC Lab - 4-wire Resistance Measurement

DC Lab - 4-wire Resistance Measurement

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will perform a 4-wire Kelvin resistance measurement and learn how to accurately measure resistance.


Textbook

Elementary Amplifier Theory

Elementary Amplifier Theory

Fundamentally, an amplifier is a device that takes in a low-power…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

DC Lab - Potato Battery

DC Lab - Potato Battery

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will create a battery from a potato (yes! a potato) and learn about the relationship between chemical energy and electric energy.


Textbook

Batteries

Batteries

If I wanted to build a battery-powered electric drill, would it be…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Electric Shock Data

Electric Shock Data

The table of electric currents and their various bodily effects was…


Textbook

Amplifier Gain

Amplifier Gain

The Voltage Gain Because amplifiers have the ability to increase the…


Textbook

Design Project: AC-DC Power Supply

Design Project: AC-DC Power Supply

Safety is very important when designing and/or building a device…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Other Diode Technologies

Other Diode Technologies

Varicap or varactor diodes A variable capacitance diode is known as a…


Textbook

What is the Relationship Between Conductance and Resistance?

What is the Relationship Between Conductance and Resistance?

The concept and measurement units of resistance are most often used…


Textbook

Si Lab - Full-wave Bridge Rectifier With Output Filtering

Si Lab - Full-wave Bridge Rectifier With Output Filtering

In this hands-on semiconductor experiment, build an improved full-wave rectifier with output filtering and learn about capacitive filtering in AC-to-DC power converters.


Textbook

Converting Truth Tables into Boolean Expressions

Converting Truth Tables into Boolean Expressions

In designing digital circuits, the designer often begins with a truth…


Textbook

Synchronous Counters

Synchronous Counters

What is a Synchronous Counter? A synchronous counter, in contrast to…


Textbook

Bridged-Tee Attenuator Calculator

Bridged-Tee Attenuator Calculator

This calculator helps you determine the values of the resistors R1 and R2 to be used for a bridged-tee attenuator.


Tools

DC Branch Current Analysis

DC Branch Current Analysis

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


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Electrical Connections

Electrical Connections

What, exactly, is necessary to establish electrical continuity between…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Thyristors

Thyristors

Thyristors are a broad classification of bipolar-conducting…


Textbook

Light-Pulse Switch

Light-Pulse Switch

It is fairly important to use large value resistors (10 MΩ works…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Capacitor Quirks

Capacitor Quirks

As with inductors, the ideal capacitor is a purely reactive device,…


Textbook

Gas Discharge Tubes

Gas Discharge Tubes

If you’ve ever witnessed a lightning storm, you’ve seen…


Textbook

General Troubleshooting Tips

General Troubleshooting Tips

When first approaching a failed or otherwise misbehaving system, the…


Textbook

Voltage Divider Circuits

Voltage Divider Circuits

Let’s analyze a simple series circuit and determine the voltage…


Textbook

Series Resistor-Inductor Circuits

Series Resistor-Inductor Circuits

In the previous section, we explored what would happen in simple…


Textbook

Class A BJT Amplifiers

Class A BJT Amplifiers

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


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Introduction to Boolean Algebra

Introduction to Boolean Algebra

Mathematical rules are based on the defining limits we place on the…


Textbook

Peak Detector

Peak Detector

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


Textbook

True, Reactive, and Apparent Power

True, Reactive, and Apparent Power

Reactive Power We know that reactive loads such as inductors and…


Textbook

AC Lab - Signal and Noise Coupling

AC Lab - Signal and Noise Coupling

In this hands-on AC electronics experiment, power a DC motor through a multi-conductor cable to learn how AC signals are coupled between conductors and how to mitigate noise coupling.


Textbook

AC Waveforms

AC Waveforms

Radio waves are comprised of oscillating electric and magnetic fields,…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Coax Impedance Calculator

Coax Impedance Calculator

A helpful tool for calculating the impedance of a coaxial cable.


Tools

Digital Ramp ADC

Digital Ramp ADC

Also known as the stairstep-ramp, or simply counter A/D converter,…


Textbook

Latch Circuits

Latch Circuits

What do you think this logic buffer gate will do, with the output…


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Si Lab - JFET Current Regulator

Si Lab - JFET Current Regulator

In this hands-on semiconductor electronics experiment, build a junction field-effect transistor (JFET) current regulator and learn some of the advantages of JFETs over BJTs for current regulation.


Textbook

Diodes

Diodes

A diode is an electronics component made from a combination of a…


Textbook

Analog Lab - Precision Voltage Follower Using an Op Amp

Analog Lab - Precision Voltage Follower Using an Op Amp

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will build an op amp voltage follower and learn about negative feedback in operational amplifier circuits.


Textbook

Rectifying Diodes

Rectifying Diodes

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


Worksheets - Industrial Automation

Tachogenerators

Tachogenerators

An electromechanical generator is a device capable of producing…


Textbook

DC Lab - Precision Potentiometer

DC Lab - Precision Potentiometer

In this hands-on electronics experiment, you will build a precision potentiometer from three lower precision potentiometer and learn about voltage range compression and parameter interactions.


Textbook

The P-N Junction

The P-N Junction

If a block of P-type semiconductor is placed in contact with a block…


Textbook