Introduction to Electronics

What is Electronics?

Electronics is the science of dealing with the development and application of devices and systems involving the flow of electrons or other carriers of electric charge.

Who defined Electronics under Philippine law?

Republic Act 9292 (2004) defines electronics and its scope.

What are the main carriers of electric charge in electronics?

Electrons and other charge carriers such as ions or holes.

What does electronics involve?

The study and application of devices and systems in vacuum, gases, plasma, semiconductors, and solid-state materials.

What are the main intended learning outcomes of studying electronics devices and circuits?

Explain basic concepts, distinguish analog and digital circuits, and assess their impact on IT and IoT.

Who invented the Vacuum Diode and when?

J.A. Fleming in 1897.

Who implemented the Vacuum Triode?

Lee De Forest.

What is the purpose of the Vacuum Triode?

To amplify electrical signals.

What era began in 1948 with the invention of the junction transistor?

The Transistor Era.

Who introduced the microprocessor and when?

Intel, in 1969.

What marked the years 1958 to 1975 in electronics?

The introduction of Integrated Circuits (ICs).

What did ICs allow engineers to do?

Integrate thousands of components on a single chip.

What are the main IC fabrication technologies?

TTL, I²L, ECL, PMOS, NMOS, CMOS.

What came after digital ICs?

Analog ICs such as operational amplifiers and ADC/DAC converters.

What is a Signal?

An electromagnetic or electrical current that carries data from one system or network to another.

What is an Analog Signal?

A continuous signal representing real-world quantities such as voltage, current, or temperature.

What is a Digital Signal?

A discrete-time signal where analog values are converted into equivalent digital values.

Give an example of an Analog Signal.

The voice of a radio announcer.

What type of values does a Digital Signal use?

Discrete binary values (0 and 1).

What is an Atom?

The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element.

What is a Proton?

A subatomic particle with a positive charge.

What is a Neutron?

A subatomic particle found in the nucleus with no charge.

What is an Electron?

An elementary particle with a negative charge orbiting the nucleus.

What are Electronic Devices?

Components that control the flow of electrons or electrical energy to process information or control a system.

What is Current?

The rate of flow of electrons in a circuit, measured in Amperes (A).

What is Voltage?

The electrical pressure that pushes current through a circuit, measured in Volts (V).

What is Power?

The rate at which electrical energy is transferred, measured in Watts (W).

What is Direct Current (DC)?

An electric current that flows in only one direction.

What is Alternating Current (AC)?

A current that periodically reverses direction.

What is Resistance?

The opposition to current flow in a circuit, measured in Ohms (Ω).

What is Capacitance?

The ability of a material or device to store electrical charge, measured in Farads (F).

What is Inductance?

The property of a conductor that opposes changes in current, measured in Henries (H).

What is Conductance?

The ease with which current flows through a material.

What is a Conductor?

A material that allows charge to flow freely.

What is a Semiconductor?

A material with conductivity between a conductor and an insulator.

What is a Resistor?

A component that limits or regulates the flow of current in a circuit.

What is a Capacitor?

A device that stores electric charge between two conductors separated by an insulator.

What is an Inductor?

A coil that stores energy in a magnetic field when current flows through it.

What is a Transformer?

A device that transfers energy between circuits, stepping voltage up or down.

What is a Diode?

A two-terminal device that conducts current primarily in one direction.

What is a Transistor?

A semiconductor that regulates, amplifies, or switches electrical signals.

What is an Integrated Circuit (IC)?

A miniaturized circuit built on a single semiconductor chip.

What is a Logic Gate?

A digital circuit that performs basic logic operations on binary inputs.

What are Passive Devices?

Devices that cannot control current using another electrical signal (e.g., resistors, capacitors).

What are Active Devices?

Devices that can control charge flow using an input signal (e.g., transistors, ICs).

Give examples of other electronic devices.

Voltage/current sources, resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, switches, ICs, displays.

What are Programmable Integrated Circuits (PIC)?

Microchips that can be programmed for specific electronic applications.

What is a Seven Segment Display?

A device that displays numbers using seven illuminated segments.

What is an Alphanumeric Display?

A display capable of showing both letters and numbers.

What is an LCD?

A Liquid Crystal Display that uses liquid crystals and light modulation to display information.

What is a Pin Header?

A connector used to attach electronic modules or components.

What is a Breadboard?

A board for prototyping circuits without soldering.

What is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)?

A board that mechanically supports and electrically connects components via conductive tracks.

What is an Electronic Circuit?

A complete path for current to flow, composed of components connected by wires.

What is the main difference between Electrical and Electronic circuits?

Electronic circuits must include at least one active component.

What are the basic elements of a circuit?

Energy source, load, conductive path (wires), and switch.

What does the Energy Source do?

Provides the push (voltage) that drives current through the circuit.

What is a Load?

A device that consumes energy to perform a function.

What is the function of Wires in a circuit?

To carry current and connect components.

What is a Switch?

A control device that opens or closes a circuit.

What is a Closed Circuit?

A circuit where current flows in a complete loop.

What is an Open Circuit?

A circuit with a break where current cannot flow.

What is a Short Circuit?

A low-resistance path that diverts current from its intended route, often causing damage.

What is a Series Circuit?

A circuit where current has only one path to follow.

What is a Parallel Circuit?

A circuit where current splits into multiple paths, with the same voltage across each branch.

What is Ohm’s Law?

V = I × R; current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance.

What is Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)?

The sum of voltage rises and drops around a closed loop is zero.

What is Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL)?

The total current entering a junction equals the total current leaving it.

What are Analog Circuits?

Circuits that use continuous signals and components like resistors, capacitors, and transistors. red

What are Digital Circuits?

Circuits that process discrete signals using logic gates and digital ICs.

What is the difference between Analog and Digital technology?

Analog uses continuous varying signals; digital uses binary (0/1) discrete signals.

What is Amplitude Modulation (AM)?

A modulation method that varies the amplitude of a carrier signal.

What is Frequency Modulation (FM)?

A modulation method that varies the frequency of a carrier signal.

What are some analog transmission media?

Twisted pair, coaxial cable, optical fiber, radio waves, water.

Why are analog circuits prone to noise?

Small voltage variations can cause significant signal errors.

What do Digital Circuits commonly include?

Logic gates, flip-flops, and integrated digital systems.

What makes digital circuits synchronous?

They use a reference clock to coordinate operations.

How does digital communication achieve error-free transmission?

Through binary encoding and error detection.

What is “Granularity” in digital signals?

The difference between the actual analog value and its digital representation (quantization error).

Why are digital copies better than analog copies?

Digital data can be duplicated without loss of quality.

What are the advantages of digital technology?

Higher accuracy, easy data manipulation, and long-distance transmission.

What is the main drawback of digital devices?

Higher cost compared to analog devices.

What is an Embedded System?

A small computer built into a larger device for a specific function.

Give an example of an Embedded System.

Smartphone CPU managing sensors and camera hardware.

What are the main components of Computer Hardware?

CPU, RAM, and motherboard circuits.