Electronic component Totally Explained

Everything about Electronic Component totally explained

An electronic component is a basic electronic 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 to a printed circuit board, to create an electronic circuit with a particular function (for example an amplifier, radio receiver, or oscillator). Components may be packaged singly (resistor, capacitor, transistor, diode etc.) or in more or less complex groups as integrated circuits (operational amplifier, resistor array, logic gate etc.)

Components

Very often electronic components are mechanically stabilised, improved in insulation properties and protected from environmental influence by being enclosed in synthetic resin Components may be Passive or Active:

Passive components are those that don't have gain or directionality. In the Electrical industry they're called Electrical elements or electrical components
Active components are those that have gain or directionality, in contrast to passive components, which have neither. They include Semiconductors (Solid State Devices) and Thermionic Valves (Vacuum Tubes)

Terminals and connectors

Devices to make electrical connection

Terminal

Connector

Cords

Cables with connectors or terminals at their ends

Power cord

Data Cable

Patch cord

Test lead

Switches

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

Switch - manually operated switch

Keypad - small array of pushbutton switches

Relay - Electrically operated switch. This is a mechanical component, unlike the Solid State Relay

Reed switch - Magnetically activated switch

Thermostat - Thermally activated switch

Circuit Breaker - Over-current activated switch

Limit Switch - Mechanically activated switch

Mercury switch

Centrifugal switch

Resistors

Components that dissipate electrical energy as heat.

See the Transducer section below for resistors used to sense environmental conditions (Thermistor, Photoresistor, RTD...)

See the Protection section below for resistors used for current or voltage limiting (MOV, Inrush Limiters...)

Resistor - fixed value

Resistor network - array of resistors in one package

Trimmer - Small variable resistor

Potentiometer, Rheostat - Variable resistor

Heater - heating element

Resistance wire - wire of high-resistance material, similar to heating element

Thermistor - Temperature-varied resistor

Protection devices

Passive components that protect circuits from excessive currents of voltages

While these components technically belong to the Wire, Resistor and Vacuum classes, they're grouped here based on their use.

Active components that perform a protection function are in the Semiconductor class, below.

Fuse - Over-current protection, one time use

Resettable fuse (PolySwitch, self-resetting fuse)- Over-current protection, resettable

Metal Oxide Varistor, Surge Absorber (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 - Over-current activated switch

Spark gap - 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 are passes AC and block DC

Capacitor - fixed capacitance

Capacitor network (array)

Variable capacitor - change the capacitance

Varicap diode - variable capacitor come diode

Magnetic (inductive) devices

Electrical components that use magnetism

Inductor, coil, choke

Variable inductor

Saturable Inductor

Transformer

Magnetic amplifier (toroid)

Ferrite impedances, beads

Motor

Solenoid

Speaker

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 fudge 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

Photovoltaic device - generates electricity from light

Generator - an electromechanical power source

Transducers, sensors, detectors

Transducers generate physical effects when driven by an electrical signal, or vice-versa.

Sensors (detectors) are transducers that react to environmental conditions by changing their electrical properties or generating an electrical signal.

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)

Microphone - Magnetic, electrostatic (capacitive), piezoelectric and others. Convert audio to electrical signal
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
Flowmeter - 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's opened or closed when a set temperature is exceeded