The Function of Connecting Wires

Connecting wires provide a medium to an electrical current so that they can travel from one point on a circuit to another. In the case of computers, wires are embedded into circuit boards to carry pulses of electricity. Most wires in computers and electronic components are made of copper or aluminum, because copper is cheap and electrically conductive.

In a basic circuit, the wire comes from one terminal of a power source, then connects to a switch that determines whether the circuit is open or closed. The connected wires of a device are used to draw power and electricity, and perform specified tasks. Before a current can travel through the wire, the circuit has to be closed; in other words, there cannot be any breaks in the path. Electricity cannot easily travel through air, and if it does there is a risk of stray current leaking into the surroundings and causing damage or failing to power the appliance.

Different Transformer Types

Some different types of transformers are power transformers, potential transformers, audio transformers and output transformers. A transformer transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another without changing its frequency.

Power transformers are used in electric power transmissions and electrical appliances to convert main voltage to low voltage. Laminated core and toroidal transformers are two power transformer types. Laminated core transformers have an insulated lamination that minimizes eddy current loss in the inner core, while compared to laminated core transformers, toroidal transformers have a lower external field and need less space.

Potential transformers are used to monitor single-phase and three-phase power line voltages in power metering applications. There are three types of potential transformers: optical, capacitor and electromagnetic transformers. Optical transformers are designed for optical materials. The electromagnetic and capacitor transformers are both designed for higher voltage applications.

Audio transformers are used to carry audio signals in audio circuits. They provide impedance matching between high and low impedance circuits. Audio transformers are commonly used to interconnect professional audio systems components.

Instrument transformers are used to operate instruments from high current circuits or high voltage lines. Two instrument transformers types are current and potential transformers. Current transformers are used with an ammeter to measure current in AC voltages, while potential transformers are used with a voltmeter to measure voltage in AC.

Make a Simple Touch Sensor

To make a simple touch sensor, you only need 3 components: a transistor, a resistor and an LED. Connect the resistor and LED in series from the positive supply to the collector of the transistor. Choose a resistor that sets the current of your LED to around 20 mA. Connect the emitter of the transistor to the negative terminal of the supply. Create two wires with exposed ends – so you can see the metal. 

One goes to the positive supply. The other goes to the base of the transistor. Now, try to touch these two wires with your finger – and the LED lights up! The reason is that your finger acts as a resistor and will give enough current to the base of the transistor to turn it on.

How to Program Microcontrollers?

Have you ever thought whether it’s possible to learn electronics and how to program microcontrollers in C on your own as a hobbyist? Of course, it is absolutely possible to learn how to program microcontrollers in C on your own without going to college. If you really want to learn electronics, then you have to go for it. Here we are going to suggest 3 alternative routes for you:
Start with Arduino. It uses a simplified version of C, and it is extremely easy to get started. You won’t learn all the ins and outs of a microcontroller, but you’ll get up and running really fast.
Use a microcontroller breakout board. This way you don’t have to solder anything, but you get to try out how it is to program a microcontroller.
Build the electronics yourself, and program it yourself from scratch. This is the hardest, but it’s useful. If you have never built any circuits before, building the circuit in the last option might be a bit difficult. But all it takes is some practice.

How does a Shunt Resistor Work?

A shunt resistor works by measuring either direct or alternating current that flows in an electrical circuit through the voltage drop that is generated across the resistance. Also known as a current shunt, this precision device uses the principle of Ohm's Law, which is mathematically represented by the equation V = I×R, where "V" indicates voltage, "I" denotes current and "R" is resistance.

The functionality of shunt resistors is generally indicated in terms of their current rating, output voltage, resistance drift, resistance accuracy and power rating. Modern ammeters are typically designed with a shunt resistor. This arrangement allows full current load to flow through the ammeter shunt.

Traditional ammeters, meanwhile, require an external shunt resistor. This set-up involves a parallel connection of the shunt resistor. This is common in motor vehicles. The concept behind the application is that only a small portion of the measured current flows through the galvanometer while the rest passes through the shunt resistor. The low-resistance property of shunt resistors enables large currents to be measured without damaging the galvanometer.

5 Top Soldering Mistakes

These 5 top mistakes beginners are easily make when soldering. We here explain the reason why it is wrong in simple words. Hope it is useful to you.
1. Removing iron before applying solder: Some people are used to heating the pad and the pin, then removing the solder iron before trying to apply the solder. But this will unfortunately not work well. When you remove to iron, the pad and pin will cool down quickly, so the solder won’t melt.
2. Heating only the pad: This is another common mistake. You may heat the pad, then apply the solder. But since the pin is not heated, the solder will not connect properly to the pin.
3. Cutting pins too short: To make the board look nice and neat, some people often push the component all the way into the hole, then cut the pin so that it doesn’t stick out of the board at all. But this makes it hard to solder the pin, and ends up with some solder covering the hole, but not actually connecting the pin to it.
4. Using too little solder: Some people are afraid of using too much solder, so they apply only a little bit. Though the amount of solder isn’t the most important point, it’s better to apply enough solder to a solder joint so as to make sure it connects properly.
5. Afraid to heat the joint too much: You may worry about heating the board too much, so you try to solder the solder joint in less than a second to keep the circuit board from burning. However, you can damage some components by too much heat from the solder joint, but in the beginning it’s not something to worry about.

How Does Power Affect Soldering Irons?

When talking about the wattage of a soldering iron and whether it is enough or not, one really needs to vary from unregulated and regulated tools.

Unregulated soldering irons usually have a fixed wattage that is selected to fit the given size of the tool tip. For electrical and electronics works and small to medium sized tools (usually less than about 2 mm width) 30W should be sufficient. Issues arise when soldering large or highly thermal conductive components due to decreasing temperature of the tool tip.

As to regulated soldering irons, high power ratings mean in that case the ability of the tool to reach the desired temperature fast (e.g. come from stand-by temperature or during soldering of components) as well as the ability to solder components with a large thermal mass (e.g. ground planes or heat sinks) while maintaining the pre-set temperature.