Basic Electronic

Components
ELECTRONICS – the branch of
physics and technology
concerned with the behavior
and movement of electrons,
especially in semiconductors
and gases.

ELECTRICAL – concerned with,

operating by, or producing
electricity
MOTHERBOARDS
In any electronic circuit, we come
across two types of electronic
components:

1. Passive Components.
• Electronic component which only receive
energy
• One which responds to the flow of electrical
energy and either store or dissipate energy.
• Do not need any form of electrical power to
operate.
• For Example: Resistors, Capacitors,
Inductors, Transformer
• Passive Components: Energy Acceptor
2. Active components
•One which supplies energy or
controls the flow of energy.
•Those devices or components
which produce energy in the form
of Voltage or Current.
•For Example: Diodes, Voltage
source,current source,Transistors,
SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier)
•Active Components:
Energy Donor
PASSIVE COMPONENTS
Passive Component:

•Resistors:
Passive Component:
•Resistor: A resistor is an
electronic component which is
used to resist the flow of
current and cause a reduction
in potential. It consists of a
low conductive component
joined by conducting wires at
both its ends.
A resistor’s value is
calculated in terms of its
resistance. Resistance is
the opposition to the flow of
current. The unit of
resistance is ohms (Ω).

Electronic Component
Abbreviation for Resistor - R
2 MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
1.RESISTANCE IN OHMS
2.POWER RATING IN WATTS
 A LARGER PHYSICAL
SIZE A HIGHER POWER
RATING
 HIGHER VOLTAGE
RESISTOR CAN
OPERATE AT HIGH
2 Types of Resistor:

1.Fixed Resistors: Resistors

whose resistance value is fixed
and are used to provide a
opposition to the flow of current.
• They can be carbon
composition resistors which
are made up of mixture of
carbon and ceramic.
• They can be carbon film
resistors which consists of
carbon film deposited on an
insulated substrate.
•Carbon film resistor are
use in high voltage and
high temperature
applicationslike RADAR,X-
RAYS amd LASERS.
•They can be metal film
resistor which consists of small
ceramic rod coated with metal or
metal oxide, with the resistance
value being controlled by the
thickness of the coating.Use in
circuits
•They can be wire wound
resistor which consists of
an alloy wrapped around a
ceramic rod and insulated.It
limits the current.Use in
computer hardware,Audio
and Video Equipment
•They can be cement
resistor used primarily in
power supply because
power capacity is high and
does not ignite in instances
of excessive load.Use in
power adapter,TV and
automobiles
•They can be surface
mount resistor which
consists of resistive
material like tin oxide
deposited on a ceramic
chip.Use in
telecommunication and
medical equipment.
2. Variable Resistors: They provide a
variation in their resistance value. They are generally
used in voltage division. They can be potentiometers
or presets. The resistance can be varied by controlling
the wiper movement. The variable resistor or variable
resistance, which is consist three connections.
Generally used as an adjustable voltage divider. It is a
resistor with a movable element positioned by a
manual knob or lever. The movable element is also
called as wiper; it creates a contact with a resistive
strip at any point which is selected by the manual
control.
 EXAMPLES OF VARIABLE RESISTOR

TRIMMER POTENTIOMETER

Use to calibrate and fine- Use as voltage

tune circuits divider
• Use in dimmer
switches for lights
• Brightness control in
TV
• Faders in Audio
Equipment
Two methods to measure resistance values:

•Using color code: Each resistor

consists of a 4 or 5 color band on
its surface. The first three (two)
colors represents the resistor
value, whereas the 4th (third)
color represents the multiplier
value and the last one represents
the tolerance.
•Using Multi meter: A
simple way to measure
resistance is by using a
Multi meter to measure the
resistance value in ohms.
Yellow, purple, red, and gold
yellow = 4
purple = 7
red = 2
gold = ± 5%
write '4 'and '7', then
follow these two numbers
with 2 digits '0 '. The
results obtained are 4700
Ω or 4.7 kΩ with a
tolerance ± 5%
orange, white, brown, and gold
orange = 3
white = 9
brown = 1
gold = ± 5%
results obtained is 390
Ω with a tolerance ±
5%
200 kΩ+- 1%
200 kΩ = 200,000 Ω
= 20 x 104
2 is red
0 is black
4 is yellow
So ring the colors are
red, black, yellow,
brown
33 Ω+_ 5%
33 Ω = 33 x 100
3 is orange
3 is orange
0 is black
So ring colors are
orange, orange,
black, gold
A multimeter is a device used to measure
multiple parameters of an electric circuit like
voltage, current, and resistance. The device
is made up of a digital or analog meter,
batteries, resistors, and other circuitry,
which ensure the measurement of several
electrical quantities with very high accuracy
and speed.
1. Scale: This is how you read the
value being measured. For an
analog multitester, this is a series
of markings in a semicircle.
Depending on the complexity of
your multimeter, you can read
different variations such as
voltage, current, and resistance on
the device screen and scale
section. Which value you are
measuring depends on what port
you plugged into on your analog
2. Needle Pointer: This is the
needle-shaped rod that moves over
the scale of a meter. The needle
pointer is mechanically connected
to the moving coil. The value the
pointer hovers over indicates the
value being measured by the
multitester.
3. Adjustment Screw: This part
which is also known as the dial or
infinity knob allows you to adjust the
pointer to the zero position of the
scale. This is usually accompanied
with the help of a flat head
screwdriver. It is good to know that
the name ‘infinity knob’ comes from
the fact that at 0 voltage, you have
‘infinite resistance’.
4. Zero-Ohm Adjustment
Knob: The zero-ohm adjustment knob
is used to calibrate the multitester
when you want to measure the
resistance of an object. To make sure
the multitester is calibrated correctly
you have to turn on the multitester,
then connect the metal tips of the two
probes and finally use the zero-ohm
adjustment knob to adjust the needle
to point to ‘0 ohms’ on the scale
5. Range Selector Knob: This part is also
known as a selector switch. A range
selector knob allows you to adjust the
settings of the multitester (range selector
knobs are also present on the best
insulation resistance testers). Using this
you can change what the multitester is
measuring (e.g. voltage, current, or
resistance), as well as the range of the
measurement (e.g. volts or millivolts). The
range selector knob can be auto ranging,
or manual ranging.
6. Ports: The holes at the front
of the multimeter are known as
ports. You need to plug your test
probes into the appropriate ports
to allow the multimeter to
measure the parameter that
you’re interested in.
7. Test Probes: A test probe or a test lead
is an instrument used to connect a
multimeter to a Device Under Test which is
known as DUT. Test probes are flexible,
insulated wires. They are able to establish an
electrical connection between a multimeter
and the DUT without exposing electrical
workers to live conductive parts. Red test
probes connect to the positive terminal, and
black test probes connect to the negative
terminal.
Passive Component:

•Capacitors:
•CAPACITOR : A capacitor
is a linear passive
component which is used to
store electrical charge.
Basically, a capacitor
consists of a pair of
electrodes between which
there is an insulated
dielectric material.
A capacitor’s value is
calculated in terms of its
capacitance. Capacitance is
the ability of a system to store
an electric charge. The unit of
capacitance is farad (F).

Electronic Component
Abbreviation for Capacitor - C
2 Types of Capacitors

1. Fixed Capacitors: They offer a

fixed reactance to the flow of current.
They can be Mica capacitor which
consists of mica as the insulating
material. They can be non-polarized
ceramic capacitors which consist of
ceramic plates coated with silver.
They can be electrolyte capacitors
which are polarized and used where
high value of capacitance is required.
 Fixed Capacitors
• Ceramic capacitor:
The ceramic capacitor is a
type of capacitor that is
used in many applications
from audio to RF. Ceramic
capacitor types are by far
the most commonly used
type of capacitor being
cheap and reliable and
their loss factor is
particularly low although
this is dependent on the
exact dielectric in use.
 Fixed Capacitors
• Electrolytic
capacitor: Electrolytic
capacitors are a type of
capacitor that is
polarized. They are able
to offer high
capacitance values -
typically above 1μF,
and are most widely
used for low frequency
applications - power
supplies, decoupling
 Fixed Capacitors
•Tantalum
capacitor: Like
electrolytic
capacitors,
tantalum
capacitors are
also polarized and
offer a very high
capacitance level
for their volume.
 Fixed Capacitors
•Silver Mica
Capacitor:
Silver mica
capacitors are not as
widely used these
days, but they still
offer very high levels
of stability, low loss
and accuracy where
space is not an issue.
 Fixed Capacitors
•Polystyrene Film
Capacitor:
Polystyrene
capacitors are a
relatively cheap
form of capacitor
but offer a close
tolerance capacitor
where needed.
Fixed Capacitors
•Polyester Film
Capacitor or
Mylar: Polyester
film capacitors are
used where cost is
a consideration as
they do not offer a
high tolerance.
Fixed Capacitors
•Metallised
Polyester Film
Capacitor: This
type of capacitor is
a essentially a form
of polyester film
capacitor where
the polyester films
themselves are
metallized.
 Fixed Capacitors
• Polycarbonate
capacitor: The
polycarbonate capacitors
has been used in
applications where
reliability and performance
are critical. The
polycarbonate film is very
stable and enables high
tolerance capacitors to be
made which will hold their
capacitance value over
time.
 Fixed Capacitors
•Polypropylene
Capacitor: The
polypropylene
capacitor is
sometimes used
when a higher
tolerance type of
capacitor is
necessary than
polyester capacitors
offer.
 Fixed Capacitors
•Glass
capacitors: As
the name implies,
this capacitor
type uses glass as
the dielectric.
 Fixed Capacitors
•Supercap: Also
known as a super
capacitor or ultra
capacitor, as the
name implies these
capacitors have
very large values
of capacitance, of
up to several
thousand Farads.
2. Variable Capacitors: They
offer capacitance which can be
varied by varying the distance
between the plates. They can be
air gap capacitors or vacuum
capacitors.

TUNING CAPACITOR
Passive Component:

•Inductors:
• INDUCTOR : An inductor is a passive
electronic component which stores
energy in form of a magnetic field. It
generally consists of a conductor coil,
which offers a resistance to the
applied voltage.

INDUCTOR
COILS
An inductor’s value is calculated in
terms of its inductance.
Inductance is the property of an
electric conductor or circuit that
causes an electromotive force to be
generated by a change in the
current flowing. The unit of
inductance is henry (H).

Electronic Component Abbreviation

for Inductor - L
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Active Component:

•Diodes:
•Diode
•A diode is an electronic
component with two electrodes
(connectors). It acts like a gate
or a valve, allowing electricity to
go in one direction, but not the
other.
•Electronic Component
Abbreviation: D
Types of diodes

•Rectifier diode
This changes A/C
(alternating
current, like in a
wall plug in a
house) to D/C
(direct current,
used in
electronics).
SMD DIODE
Types of diodes

•Light-Emitting
Diode
An LED produces light
when electricity flows
through it. It is a
longer lasting and
more efficient way of
creating light than
incandescent light
bulbs.
LED TV BACKLIGHT
Types of diodes

•Photodiode
A photodiode is a
photo detector (the
opposite of a light-
emitting diode). It
responds to light
that comes in.
Types of diodes

• Zener Diode
A zener diode is like a
normal diode, but
instead of being
destroyed by a big
reverse voltage, it lets
electricity through.
The voltage needed
for this is called the
breakdown voltage or
Zener voltage.
Types of diodes

• Varactor Diode/
Varicap
The varicap or varactor
diode is used in many
appliances. It uses the
region between the p-
side and n-side of the
diode where electrons
and holes balance each
other. This is called the
depletion zone.
Types of diodes

• PIN Diode
The construction of this
diode has an intrinsic
(normal) layer between
the n- and the p-sides.
At slower frequencies, it
acts much like a
standard diode. But at
high speeds it can't
keep up with fast
changes and starts to
act like a resistor.
Types of diodes

• Schottky diode
The symbol of this is
the diode symbol, with
an ‘S’ at the peak.
Instead of both sides
being a semiconductor
(like silicon), one side
is metal, like aluminum
or nickel. This reduces
the cut-in voltage to
about 0.3 volt.
Types of diodes

•Tunnel diode
In the symbol of
the tunnel diode
there´s a kind of
additional square
bracket at the end
of the usual
symbol.
Active Component:

•Transistors:
1. What is a
transistor?
•Transistor
Transistors are devices which
generally transform resistance from
one part of the circuit to another.
They can be voltage controlled or
current controlled. A transistor can
work as an amplifier or as a switch.
Electronic Component Abbreviation:
Q
How many terminals do
transistors have?
What are the types of
transistor?
2 Types of Transistor:

1. BJT or Bipolar Junction

Transistor: A BJT is a
current controlled device
which consists of a layer of
n-type semiconductor
material sandwiched
between two layers of p type
semiconductor material. It
consists of three terminals –
2 Types of Transistor:

2. MOSFET or Metal Oxide

Field Effect Transistor: A
FET is a voltage-controlled
device. The ohmic contacts
are taken from the two sides
of the n type bar. It consists
of three terminals – Gate,
Drain and Source.
What are the 2 groups of
BJT Transistor?
 NPN
PNP
NPN
PNP
What are the two purposes
of a transistor?
What are the advantages of transistor
compared to mechanical switch?
How do transistors act as
amplifiers?
What is an example of a transistor
that acts like an amplifier?
Hearing aid
Active Component:

•Silicon Controlled
Rectifier (SCR):
ACTIVE Components
• SCR (Silicon Controlled
Rectifier)
An SCR or Silicon Controlled
Rectifier is a three terminal
device which is generally
used as a switch in
power electronics. It is a
combination of two back-to-
back diodes having 3
junctions.
Apart from these active and
passive components, there
is one more component,
which is of vital use in the
circuit. That is the
Integrated Circuit (IC).
 Integrated Circuit (IC)

An Integrated Circuit is a
chip or a microchip on
which thousands of
transistors, capacitors,
resistors are fabricated. It
can be an Amplifier IC, a
timer IC, a waveform
generator IC, a memory
IC or a Microcontroller IC.
An IC can function as an:
amplifier
oscillator
timer
counter
computer memory
microprocessor
SUMMARY
 PASSIVE COMPONENT
RESISTOR - electronic component which is
used to resist the flow of current
A resistor’s value is calculated in terms of its
resistance. Resistance is the opposition to the flow of
current. The unit of resistance is ohms (Ω).
Electronic Component Abbreviation for Resistor - R

TWO TYPES OF RESISTOR

1. Fixed Resistors
Examples: Carbon Composition Resistor
Cement Resistor
Surface Mount Resistor
2. Variable Resistor
Example: Potentiometer
 PASSIVE COMPONENT
CAPACITOR - passive component which is
used to store electrical charge.
A capacitor’s value is calculated in terms of its
capacitance. Capacitance is the ability of a system to
store an electric charge. The unit of capacitance is
farad (F).
Electronic Component Abbreviation for Capacitor - C

TWO TYPES OF CAPACITOR

1. Fixed Capacitor
Example: Ceramic Capacitor
Electrolytic Capacitor
2. Variable Capacitor
Example: Tuning Capacitor
 PASSIVE COMPONENT
• INDUCTOR : An inductor is a passive electronic
component which stores energy in form of a magnetic
field. It generally consists of a conductor coil, which
offers a resistance to the applied voltage.

An inductor’s value is calculated in terms of its

inductance. Inductance is the property of an electric
conductor or circuit that causes an electromotive force to
be generated by a change in the current flowing. The unit
of inductance is henry (H).

Electronic Component Abbreviation for Inductor – L

Example: Inductor Coil

 ACTIVE Component
•Diode
•A diode is an electronic
component with two electrodes
(connectors). It acts like a gate
or a valve, allowing electricity to
go in one direction, but not the
other.
•Electronic Component
Abbreviation: D
Examples:
 ACTIVE Component
•Transistor
Transistors are devices which
generally transform resistance from
one part of the circuit to another.
They can be voltage controlled or
current controlled. A transistor can
work as an amplifier or as a switch.
Electronic Component Abbreviation:
Q
 ACTIVE Component
• SCR (Silicon Controlled
Rectifier)
An SCR or Silicon Controlled
Rectifier is a three terminal
device which is generally
used as a switch in
power electronics. It is a
combination of two back-to-
back diodes having 3
junctions.
 PASSIVE COMPONENTS
RESISTOR CAPACITORS INDUCTORS
S