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Making Electronic Circuits
This page should help you learn about how different components can be combined to create useful circuits. We've included a range of example circuit diagrams and explanations of how they work. The circuits start from the very basics and move on to more advanced practical circuits.
Connecting Resistors Together
Resistors are commonly used for limiting the current available to part of a circuit, but they are also used together in networks to allow voltages to be distributed how you want it around a circuit.
Resistors
in Series
Connecting resistors together in series
allows you to increase the overall resistance
of the chain. The values of each resistor can simply be added together
to get the overall total value of resistance.
This is commonly written as RT = R1 + R2 + R4 ......
Resistors
in Parallel
When resistors are connected in parallel
the overall resistance is reduced. This is because there are more paths
for the current
to follow making it easier than just flowing through one device. Connecting
two resistors in parallel that are of the same value simply halves the
total resistance, connecting four in parallel makes the total resistance
1/4 of a single resistor, and so on.
When connecting resistors in parallel of different values the following formula is used. 1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
Voltage
Dividers
A common use of resistors is to put them together to form a voltage divider.
The term voltage divider (aka potential divider) is quite self descriptive
as they are used to divide up the voltage
into portions determined by the resistor values.
Useful Link: Voltage Dividers
This diagram shows a simple example using a single battery and two resistors. The three points (A,B,C) on the circuit are where the voltage measurements can be made.
If this battery is 10V then the voltage between 'C' and 'A' will also be 10V. The voltage at 'B' is determined by the ratio of the values of the resistors R1 and R2. For example; if R1 and R2 are of the same value then the voltage at 'B' will be exactly half the voltage between 'A' and 'C'. The polarity of 'B' can be considered as either positive or negative depending upon whether you use 'A' or 'C' as reference for the measurement.
From this simple example you can have a three rail power supply with outputs of either 10V, 5V, 0V, or 5V, 0V, -5V with respect to A,B,C.
To get different voltage ratios you just alter the resistance ratio. For example; if R1 is 1k Ohms, and R2 is 9k Ohms, the voltage between 'C' and 'B' will be 1V, while the remaining 9V can be measured between 'B' and 'A'.
Connecting Capacitors Together
Capacitors are used as temporary energy storage devices and are often used for generating or tuning signals. Capacitors can also be connected up to work in the same way as as the voltage divider described above. The formulae used for capacitor networks are similar to those used for resistors but they are used in reverse with respect to series and parallel configurations.
Capacitors
in Series
Connecting capacitors in series divides the voltage between each capacitor
in a similar way to how it works for resistors. This is useful for creating
high voltage capacitors from a series of lower rated ones. This technique
is often used for making DIY homemade high
voltage capacitors (known as an MMC) for use with devices like Tesla
Coils. When capacitors are connected in series the total capacitance
(C Total) is reduced. If two identical capacitors are connected in series
the overall capacitance is half the value of a single one. This is usually
expressed using the formula below.
1/CT = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3 ..........
When making a high voltage capacitor like an MMC, it is common to create several series strings of capacitors to match the desired voltage rating, and then to connect these in parallel.
Capacitors
in Parallel
Capacitors are often connected in parallel to create a larger overall
effective capacitance. The voltage tolerance remains the same while the
capacitance of the capacitors can be added together to get the total.
This is usually expressed using the formula;
CT = C1 + C2 + C4 ......
RC Circuits (Resistors & Capacitors)
An RC circuit is simply some combination of a resistor and a capacitor. The value of the resistor in a circuit with a capacitor will change the rate at which the capacitor can be charged and discharged. This relationship is known as the RC time constant. The combination of resistors and capacitors can be very useful for timing circuits and also filtering signals.
Here
a capacitor is placed in series with a resistor and an LED. The LED is
simply used to give a visual indication to what is happening in the circuit.
When the battery is first connected the capacitor will begin to charge
and therefore a current will flow around the circuit. As the capacitor
charges the current flow will decrease until the voltage across the capacitor
is equal to the battery voltage. While C1 is charging you will see the
LED light up and gradually fade out when C1 is fully charged. Releasing
the switch will not reset the circuit. The capacitor must be discharged
before the process can start again
This
circuit is the same as before except the LED is placed in parralel with
the capacitor. The LED will now light when the capacitor is charged. When
SW1 is pressed there will be a small time delay before the LED gradually
lights up. When SW1 is released, C1 will discharge through R1 and the
LED causing it to gadually fade out.
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