Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 1

Want to know how to use an electronic component? This first book of a three-volume set includes key information on electronics parts for your projects—complete with photographs, schematics, and diagrams. You’ll learn what each one does, how it works, why it’s useful, and what variants exist. No matter how much you know about electronics, you’ll find fascinating details you’ve never come across before.

Convenient, concise, well-organized, and precise

Perfect for teachers, hobbyists, engineers, and students of all ages, this reference puts reliable, fact-checked information right at your fingertips—whether you’re refreshing your memory or exploring a component for the first time. Beginners will quickly grasp important concepts, and more experienced users will find the specific details their projects require.

• Unique: the first and only encyclopedia set on electronic components, distilled into three separate volumes
• Incredibly detailed: includes information distilled from hundreds of sources
• Easy to browse: parts are clearly organized by component type
• Authoritative: fact-checked by expert advisors to ensure that the information is both current and accurate
• Reliable: a more consistent source of information than online sources, product datasheets, and manufacturer’s tutorials
• Instructive: each component description provides details about substitutions, common problems, and workarounds
• Comprehensive: Volume 1 covers power, electromagnetism, and discrete semi-conductors; Volume 2 includes integrated circuits, and light and sound sources; Volume 3 covers a range of sensing devices.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. How to Use This Book
Chapter 2. battery
Chapter 3. jumper
Chapter 4. fuse
Chapter 5. pushbutton
Chapter 6. switch
Chapter 7. rotary switch
Chapter 8. rotational encoder
Chapter 9. relay
Chapter 10. resistor
Chapter 11. potentiometer
Chapter 12. capacitor
Chapter 13. variable capacitor
Chapter 14. inductor
Chapter 15. AC-AC transformer
Chapter 16. AC-DC power supply
Chapter 17. DC-DC converter
Chapter 18. DC-AC inverter
Chapter 19. voltage regulator
Chapter 20. electromagnet
Chapter 21. solenoid
Chapter 22. DC motor
Chapter 23. AC motor
Chapter 24. servo motor
Chapter 25. stepper motor
Chapter 26. diode
Chapter 27. unijunction transistor
Chapter 28. bipolar transistor
Chapter 29. field effect transistor
Appendix A. Schematic Symbols