An electronic component is a basic electronic Electronics is the branch of science and technology which makes use of the controlled motion of electrons through different media and vacuum. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation, element usually packaged in a discrete form with two or more connecting leads or metallic pads. Components are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a relatively low melting point. Soft soldering is characterized by the melting point of the filler metal, which is below 400 °C . The filler metal used in the process is called solder to a printed circuit board A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring board. A PCB populated with electronic components is a, to create an electronic circuit An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, transmission lines, voltage sources, current sources, and switches with a particular function (for example an amplifier Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is any device that changes, usually increases, the amplitude of a signal. The relationship of the input to the output of an amplifier—usually expressed as a function of the input frequency—is called the transfer function of the amplifier, and the magnitude of the transfer function is termed the gain, radio receiver A radio receiver is an electronic circuit that receives its input from an antenna, uses electronic filters to separate a wanted radio signal from all other signals picked up by this antenna, amplifies it to a level suitable for further processing, and finally converts through demodulation and decoding the signal into a form usable for the consumer,, or oscillator An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave). Components may be packaged singly (resistor Resistors are elements of electrical networks and electronic circuits and are ubiquitous in most electronic equipment. Practical resistors can be made of various compounds and films, as well as resistance wire, capacitor A capacitor is a passive electronic component consisting of a pair of conductors separated by a dielectric (insulator). When there is a potential difference (voltage) across the conductors a static electric field develops in the dielectric that stores energy and produces a mechanical force between the conductors. An ideal capacitor is, transistor A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals. It is made of a solid piece of semiconductor material, with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current flowing through another pair of terminals, diode In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts electric current in only one direction. The term usually refers to a semiconductor diode, the most common type today. This is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals. A vacuum tube diode is a vacuum tube with two electrodes: a etc.) or in more or less complex groups as integrated circuits In electronics, an integrated circuit is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material. Integrated circuits are used in almost all electronic equipment in use today and have revolutionized the (operational amplifier An operational amplifier, which is often called an op-amp, is a DC-coupled high-gain electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single-ended output. An op-amp produces an output voltage that is typically millions of times larger than the voltage difference between its input terminals, resistor array Resistors are elements of electrical networks and electronic circuits and are ubiquitous in most electronic equipment. Practical resistors can be made of various compounds and films, as well as resistance wire, logic gate A logic gate performs a logical operation on one or more logic inputs and produces a single logic output. The logic normally performed is Boolean logic and is most commonly found in digital circuits. Logic gates are primarily implemented electronically using diodes or transistors, but can also be constructed using electromagnetic relays , fluidic etc.)

Components

Very often electronic components are mechanically stabilized, improved in insulation properties and protected from environmental influence by being enclosed in synthetic resin A resin dispensing system is a technical installation to process casting resin for the purpose of filling, sealing, covering or soaking technical parts, especially in the field of electricity and electronics like transformers, LCDs and other devices of various size

Components may be passive or active:

• Passive components are those that do not have gain In electronics, gain is a measure of the ability of a circuit to increase the power or amplitude of a signal from the input to the output. It is usually defined as the mean ratio of the signal output of a system to the signal input of the same system. It may also be defined on a logarithmic scale, in terms of the decimal logarithm of the same or directionality. ^[1] In network analysis A network, in the context of electronics, is a collection of interconnected components. Network analysis is the process of finding the voltages across, and the currents through, every component in the network. There are a number of different techniques for achieving this. However, for the most part, they assume that the components of the network they are called electrical elements The concept of electrical elements is used in the analysis of electrical networks. Any electrical network can be modeled by decomposing it down to multiple, interconnected electrical elements in a schematic diagram or circuit diagram. Each electrical element affects the voltage in the network or current through the network in a particular way. By.
• Active components are those that have gain or directionality, in contrast to passive components, which have neither. They include semiconductor devices Semiconductor devices are electronic components that exploit the electronic properties of semiconductor materials, principally silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide. Semiconductor devices have replaced thermionic devices in most applications. They use electronic conduction in the solid state as opposed to the gaseous state or thermionic and vacuum tubes In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve (elsewhere, especially in Britain) is a device used to amplify, switch, otherwise modify, or create an electrical signal by controlling the movement of electrons in a low-pressure space. Some special function vacuum tubes are filled with low-pressure gas: these are so-called soft (valves).

Terminals and connectors

Devices to make electrical connection

• Terminal
• Connector An electrical connector is a conductive device for joining electrical circuits together. The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, or may require a tool for assembly and removal, or may be a permanent electrical joint between two wires or devices. There are hundreds of types of electrical connectors. In computing, an electrical
  • Socket In electronics and electrical assemblies, the term jack commonly refers to a surface-mounted connector, often with the female electrical contact or socket, and is the "more fixed" connector of a connector pair. The related term "jack plug" commonly refers to a "less fixed" connector of a connector pair, often with the
  • Screw terminal, Terminal Blocks
  • Header
    • Closed

Cords

Cables A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables used to carry electric currents. An optical cable contains one or more with connectors or terminals at their ends

• Power cord A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cord or cable that temporarily connects an electrical appliance to the distribution circuits of an electrical power source via a wall socket or extension cord
• Patch cord
• Test lead

Switches

Components that may be made to either conduct (closed) or not (open)

• Switch In electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most familiar form of switch is a manually operated electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts. Each set of contacts can be in one of two states: either ' - manually operated switch
• Keypad A keypad is a set of buttons arranged in a block or "pad" which usually bear digits and other symbols and usually a complete set of alphabetical letters. If it mostly contains numbers then it can also be called a numeric keypad. Keypads are found on many alphanumeric keyboards and on other devices such as calculators, push-button - small array of pushbutton switches
• Relay A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled by one signal. The first relays were used in long - Electrically operated switch. This is a mechanical component, unlike the Solid State Relay
• Reed switch - Magnetically activated switch
• Thermostat A thermostat is a device for regulating the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint temperature. The name is derived from the Greek words thermos "hot" and statos "a standing". The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the - Thermally activated switch
• Circuit Breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then has to be replaced, a - Over-current activated switch
• Limit switch - Mechanically activated switch
• Mercury switch A mercury switch is a switch whose purpose is to allow or interrupt the flow of electric current in an electrical circuit in a manner that is dependent on the switch's physical position or alignment relative to the direction of the "pull" of earth's gravity, or other inertia
• Centrifugal switch

Resistors

Components used to resist current.

1. See the Transducer section below for resistors used to sense environmental conditions (Thermistor, Photo resistor, RTD...)
2. See the Protection section below for resistors used for current or voltage limiting (MOV, Inrush Limiters...)

• Resistor Resistors are elements of electrical networks and electronic circuits and are ubiquitous in most electronic equipment. Practical resistors can be made of various compounds and films, as well as resistance wire - fixed value
• Resistor network - array of resistors in one package
• Trimmer - Small variable resistor
• Potentiometer, Rheostat A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used (one side and the wiper), it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on audio equipment. Potentiometers operated by a - variable resistor
• Heater A heater is any object that emits heat or causes another body to achieve a higher temperature. In a household or domestic setting, heaters are usually appliances whose purpose is to generate heating . Heaters exists for all states of matter, including solids, liquids and gases - heating element A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters resistance, resulting in heating of the element
• Resistance wire - wire of high-resistance material, similar to heating element
• Thermistor A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance varies significantly with temperature. The word is a portmanteau of thermal and resistor. Thermistors are widely used as inrush current limiters, temperature sensors, self-resetting overcurrent protectors, and self-regulating heating elements - temperature-varied resistor
• Varistor A varistor is an electronic component with a significant nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. The name is a portmanteau of variable resistor. Varistors are often used to protect circuits against excessive transient voltages by incorporating them into the circuit in such a way that, when triggered, they will shunt the current created by the - voltage-varied resistor

Protection devices

Passive components that protect circuits from excessive currents or voltages

1. While these components technically belong to the Wire, Resistor and Vacuum classes, they are grouped here based on their use.
2. Active components that perform a protection function are in the Semiconductor class, below.

• Fuse In electronics and electrical engineering a fuse is a type of sacrificial overcurrent protection device. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows, which interrupts the circuit in which it is connected. Short circuit, overload or device failure is often the reason for excessive current - Over-current protection, one time use
• Resettable fuse (PolySwitch, self-resetting fuse)- Over-current protection, resettable
• Metal Oxide Varistor, Surge Absorber A varistor is an electronic component with a significant nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. The name is a portmanteau of variable resistor. Varistors are often used to protect circuits against excessive transient voltages by incorporating them into the circuit in such a way that, when triggered, they will shunt the current created by the (MOV) - Over-voltage protection. These are passive components, unlike the TVS
• Inrush current limiter - protection against initial Inrush current
• Gas Discharge Tube - protection against high voltage surges
• Circuit Breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then has to be replaced, a - Over-current activated switch
• Spark gap A spark gap consists of an arrangement of two conducting electrodes separated by a gap usually filled with a gas such as air, designed to allow an electric spark to pass between the conductors. When the voltage difference between the conductors exceeds the gap's breakdown voltage, a spark forms, ionizing the gas and drastically reducing its - two electrodes with a gap in between to create arcing
• Filament lamp
• GFCI or RCD

Capacitors

Components that store electrical charge in an electrical field. Capacitors are used for filtration in the electronic circuits. Capacitors in general pass changing (e.g. AC) and block unchanging (e.g. DC) voltage levels.

• Capacitor A capacitor is a passive electronic component consisting of a pair of conductors separated by a dielectric (insulator). When there is a potential difference (voltage) across the conductors a static electric field develops in the dielectric that stores energy and produces a mechanical force between the conductors. An ideal capacitor is - fixed capacitance
• Capacitor network (array)
• Variable capacitor - change the capacitance
• Varicap In electronics, a varicap diode, varactor diode, variable capacitance diode, variable reactance diode or tuning diode is a type of diode which has a variable capacitance that is a function of the voltage impressed on its terminals diode - variable capacitor come diode

Magnetic (inductive) devices

Electrical components that use magnetism

• Inductor An inductor or a reactor is a passive electrical component that can store energy in a magnetic field created by the electric current passing through it. An inductor's ability to store magnetic energy is measured by its inductance, in units of henries. Typically an inductor is a conducting wire shaped as a coil, the loops helping to create a strong, coil, choke
• Variable inductor
• Saturable Inductor
• Transformer A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core, and thus a varying magnetic field through the secondary winding. This varying magnetic
• Magnetic amplifier (toroid)
• Ferrite impedances, beads A ferrite bead is a passive electric component used to suppress high frequency noise in electronic circuits. It is a specific type of electronic choke. Ferrite beads employ the mechanism of high dissipation of high frequency currents in a ferrite to build high frequency noise suppression devices. Ferrite beads may also be called ferrite blocks,
• Motor An electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, very typically through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors. The reverse process, producing electrical energy from mechanical energy, is accomplished by a generator or dynamo. Many types of electric motors can be run as generators, and vice versa / Generator In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor; motors and generators have many similarities. A generator forces electrons in the windings to flow through the external electrical circuit. It is
• Solenoid A solenoid[nb 1] is a three-dimensional coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create controlled magnetic fields and can be used as
• Speaker A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal into sound. The speaker moves in accordance with the variations of an electrical signal and causes sound waves to propagate through a medium such as air or water / Microphone

Networks

Components that use more than one type of passive component

• RC network - forms an RC circuit, used in Snubbers
• LC Network - forms an LC circuit, used in tuneable transformers and RFI filters

Piezoelectric devices, crystals, resonators

Passive components that use piezoelectric effect

• Components that use the effect to generate or filter high frequencies
  • Crystal - Is a ceramic crystal used to generate precise frequencies (See the Modules class below for complete oscillators)
  • Ceramic resonator - Is a ceramic crystal used to generate semi-precise frequencies
  • Ceramic filter - Is a ceramic crystal used to filter a band of frequencies such as in radio receivers
  • Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters
• Components that use the effect as mechanical Transducers.
  • Ultrasonic motor - Electric motor that uses the piezoelectric effect
  • For piezo buzzers and microphones, see the Transducer class below

Power sources

Sources of electrical power

• Battery - acid- or alkali-based power supply
• Fuel cell - an electrochemical generator
• Power supply - usually a mains hook-up
• Photo voltaic device - generates electricity from light
• Thermo electric generator - generates electricity from temperature gradients
• Electrical generator - an electromechanical power source

Transducers, sensors, detectors

1. Transducers generate physical effects when driven by an electrical signal, or vice-versa.
2. Sensors (detectors) are transducers that react to environmental conditions by changing their electrical properties or generating an electrical signal.
3. The Transducers listed here are single electronic components (as opposed to complete assemblies), and are passive (see Semiconductors and Tubes for active ones). Only the most common ones are listed here.

• Audio (see also Piezoelectric devices)
  • Loudspeaker - Magnetic or piezoelectric device to generate full audio
  • Buzzer - Magnetic or piezoelectric sounder to generate tones
• Position, motion
  • Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) - Magnetic - detects linear position
  • Rotary encoder, Shaft Encoder - Optical, magnetic, resistive or switches - detects absolute or relative angle or rotational speed
  • Inclinometer - Capacitive - detects angle with respect to gravity
  • Motion sensor, Vibration sensor
  • Flow meter - detects flow in liquid or gas
• Force, torque
  • Strain gauge - Piezoelectric or resistive - detects squeezing, stretching, twisting
  • Accelerometer - Piezoelectric - detects acceleration, gravity
• Thermal
  • Thermocouple, thermopile - Wires that generate a voltage proportional to delta temperature
  • Thermistor - Resistor whose resistance changes with temperature, up PTC or down NTC
  • Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) - Wire whose resistance changes with temperature
  • Bolometer
  • Thermal cutoff - Switch that is opened or closed when a set temperature is exceeded
• Magnetic field (see also Hall Effect in semiconductors)
  • Magnetometer, Gauss meter
• Humidity
  • Hygrometer
• Electromagnetic, light
  • Photo resistor - Light dependent resistor (LDR)

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