Electronics Workshop Companion for Hobbyists

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In memory of Jack,

mentor and friend

About the Author

Stan Gibilisco, an electronics engineer and mathematician, has authored multiple titles for

the McGraw-Hill Demystified and Know-It-All series, along with numerous other technical

books and dozens of magazine articles. His work appears in several languages. Stan has

been an active Amateur Radio operator since 1966, and operates from his station W1GV

in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA.

Contents

Introduction

1 Setting Up Shop

Workbench

Multimeter

Bonus Equipment

Power Considerations

Experiment: Dirty Electricity

2 Resistors

Fixed Resistors

Power Ratings

Ohmic Values

Tolerance

Color Codes

Variable Resistors

Handy Math

Experiment 1: Resistance of a Liquid

Experiment 2: Resistors in Series

Experiment 3: Ohm’s Law

3 Capacitors

What Is Capacitance?

Simple Capacitors

Expressing Capacitance

Fixed Capacitors

Variable Capacitors

Stray Capacitance

Handy Math

Experiment 1: Discharging a Capacitor

Experiment 2: Capacitance Measurement

4 Inductors

What Is Inductance?

Simple Inductors

Expressing Inductance

Coil Interaction

Air Cores

Ferromagnetic Cores

Handy Math

Experiment 1: Electromagnet

Experiment 2: Galvanometer

5 Transformers

Voltage Transformation

Impedance Matching

Autotransformers

Transformers for AC

AF versus RF

Experiment 1: Transformer Tests

Experiment 2: Back-to-Back Transformers

6 Diodes

Characteristics

Rectification

Detection

Frequency Multiplication

Signal Mixing

Switching

Voltage Regulation

Amplitude Limiting

Frequency Control

Oscillation and Amplification

Energy Conversion

Experiment 1: Voltage Reducer

Experiment 2: Bridge Rectifier

7 Transistors

Bipolar Transistors

Basic Bipolar-Transistor Circuits

Field-Effect Transistors

Metal-Oxide FETs

Basic FET Circuits

Experiment 1: Check a Bipolar Transistor

Experiment 2: Check a JFET

8 Integrated Circuits and Digital Basics

Advantages of IC Technology

Limitations of IC Technology

Linear ICs

Digital ICs

Component Density

IC Memory

Microcomputers and Microcontrollers

Boolean Algebra

Logic Gates

Clocks

Flip-Flops

Counters

Experiment 1: Build an OR Gate

Experiment 2: Build an AND Gate

9 More Components and Techniques

Cells and Batteries

Wire Splicing

Soldering and Desoldering

Cords and Cables

Plugs and Connectors

Oscilloscope

Spectrum Analyzer

Frequency Counter

Signal Generator

Appendix A Schematic Symbols

Appendix B Prefix Multipliers

Appendix C Standard International Unit Conversions

Appendix D Electrical Unit Conversions

Appendix E Magnetic Unit Conversions

Appendix F Miscellaneous Unit Conversions

Appendix G American Wire Gauge (AWG) Diameters

Appendix H British Standard Wire Gauge (NBS SWG) Diameters

Appendix I Birmingham Wire Gauge (BWG) Diameters

Appendix J Maximum Safe DC Carrying Capacity for Bare Copper Wire in

Open Air

Appendix K Common Solder Alloys

Appendix L Radio Frequency Bands

Suggested Additional Reading

Index

Introduction

If you like to invent, design, build, test, and tweak electronic circuits and gadgets, then

you’ll like this book. It’s aimed at beginning and intermediate-level hobbyists and home

experimenters, although technicians and engineers should find it useful as a reference

from time to time.

Chapter 1 offers suggestions for setting up a basic home electronics workshop: a sturdy

bench, plenty of organized storage space, a test meter, an ample supply of components and

connectors, a modest computer, and a reliable source of electricity. Once you have your

lab together, I’ll show you a simple experiment you can do there.

Chapter 2 describes the types of resistors available for use with electronic circuits,

defines some of the more technical jargon that you’ll encounter, offers a few useful

formulas for resistance calculations, and concludes with three simple experiments you can

do without spending a lot of time or money.

Chapter 3 offers a brief refresher on capacitance, along with information about the

types of capacitors you can easily obtain and use in your electronics adventures. You’ll

learn a few capacitance-relevant formulas. Two experiments will give you some insight

into how capacitors behave and how to measure their values.

Chapter 4 is the inductance counterpart to Chapter 3. You’ll learn about coil core types

and optimum coil configurations for audio versus radio-frequency circuits. You will also

be shown some simple inductance calculations. In the experiments, you’ll build a simple

DC electromagnet and an inductor-based galvanometer.

Chapter 5 involves transformers and their uses, from changing voltages to matching

impedances. You’ll learn formulas to help you choose the best transformer for your

evolving creation. You’ll test a small transformer module and then conduct an experiment

where you connect two identical modules “back-to-back.”

Chapter 6 gives you an overview of diode applications including rectification,

frequency multiplication, signal mixing, switching, voltage regulation, amplitude limiting,

frequency control, oscillation, and DC power generation. You’ll do a couple of

experiments to reduce DC voltage and convert AC to DC.

Chapter 7 deals with the fundamentals of bipolar and field-effect transistors, including

metal-oxide devices. You’ll learn which transistors work best in particular circuits. In the

experiments, you’ll use a multimeter to test a bipolar transistor and a junction field-effect

transistor (JFET) for proper operation.

Chapter 8 describes integrated circuits (ICs), emphasizing the advantages but noting the

limitations. You’ll get familiar with linear versus digital IC technology, learn IC functions,

and fortify your understanding of binary logic hardware. In the experiments, you’ll use

resistors and diodes to simulate the operation of OR and AND gates.

Chapter 9 offers an assortment of hardware manipulation and lab techniques, such as

cells and batteries, wire and cable splicing, soldering and desoldering, commonly used

connectors, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, frequency counters, and signal generators.

An extensive set of Appendixes contains diverse reference data involving electrical and

electronic hardware, and breaks down the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum into its formally

defined bands.

With this reference in your workshop library, you’ll have the fundamental information

needed to undertake your odyssey into the world of hobby electronics, from hi-fi to ham

radio, from switches to microprocessors.

I welcome your suggestions for future editions. Please visit my website at

www.sciencewriter.net. You can e-mail me from there.

Above all, have fun!

Stan Gibilisco

CHAPTER 1

Setting Up Shop

As an electronics hobbyist, you’ll want a site that can stand up to plenty of activity. If you

own a home with a basement, then you have an ideal place for a workshop waiting for you

to add some imagination and “sweat equity.” If you live in a condo, an apartment, or a

home without a basement, you’ll have more trouble setting up your shop, especially if you

share limited living space. Nevertheless, true electronics enthusiasts never fail to find a

place to carry on their art.

Workbench

Before a writing and video-production computer claimed it, my electronics workbench

comprised a piece of plywood, weighted down over the keyboard of an old upright piano

in the cellar, and reinforced by chains from the ceiling. As I sit on a barstool four feet

above the floor to write this book, I gaze over the top of a computer tower to see my new,

less elaborate electronics workstand on the top shelf of a general-purpose, heavy-duty

storage set that I bought at a local department store.

Locating It

Your test bench doesn’t have to be as unorthodox as mine, of course, and you can put it

anywhere you want, as long as it won’t shake or collapse. The surface should consist of an

electrically nonconductive material, such as wood or hard plastic, protected in the work

area by a meat-cutting board and/or baking sheet, as shown in Fig. 1-1. You’ll want some

containers for electronic components, and a place to plug in electrical tools, such as the

soldering iron shown in the figure. A desk lamp with an adjustable arm completes the

ensemble; mine is out of sight here, affixed to the wall.