Electronics Introduction:

Current: Current is the rate at which electric charge flows in a circuit (or)
The rate of flow of charge carriers (Electrons or Holes) is known as current.
Current cannot flow without voltage.
Current (I) = Charge (Q)
Time (t)
Current (I) measured in Amps (A).
1 Ampere = 1 coulomb/second.
1 Ampere of current represents one coulomb of electrical charge, i.e. 6.24×1018 charge carriers,
moving in one second.
Current can be measured by using an Ammeter.
Note: Current Intensity. So Current Represent with ‘I’ not “C. ‘C’ indicates Capacitor.
Voltage or Potential:
Voltage, also called as electromotive force, is simply the energy per unit charge (or)
Voltage is the difference in electric potential between two points.
Note: Voltage represents the force or pressure that drives electric current through a conductor.
Work done
Voltage =
Charge
Voltage is measured in volts (V).
1 Volt= 1 Joule/coulomb.
Voltage can be measured by using a Voltmeter.
Ohm’s law states that the voltage across a conductor is directly proportional to the current flowing
through it.
VαI
V=IR
V: Voltage across the conductor
I: Current flowing through the conductor
R: Resistance provided by the conductor to the flow of current (The constant of proportionality R)
Resistance measured in ohms, denoted by symbol Ω (Omega).
Resistor: Resistor opposes /limits the current flow in the circuit.
It indicates how much a material opposes the flow of electric current.
Voltage (V) is like the water pressure pushing the water.
Current (A) is the rate at which the water flows.
Resistance (Ω) is like the size of the pipe – a smaller pipe offers more resistance to the water flow.

Power: In physics, power is the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred or converted. It’s
a measure of how quickly energy is being used or transformed. The standard unit of power in the
International System of Units (SI) is the watt (W), which is equivalent to one joule per second (J/s).
P=W/t Where:
P = Power (in Watts, W)
W = Work done (in Joules, J) t = Time taken (in seconds, s)
In electrical circuits, power is the rate at which electrical energy is consumed or delivered. Basic
Formula: Power (P) = Voltage (V) × Current (I)
Where:
P = Power (in Watts, W)
V = Voltage or potential difference (in Volts, V)
I = Electric current (in Amperes, A)
Note: According to atomic theory, all matter is made of atoms. Atom has nucleus at the center.
Nucleus consists of protons and neutrons and around the nucleus electrons are rotating.

So, we conclude electrons are available in the material.

Classification of materials:

Materials are available in 3 forms like solid, liquid, gas. We can touch, sense and feel them.

Based on conductivity (current flow) materials are classified as

i) Conductors: It passes /allows current through them.

Examples: All metals like Copper (Cu), Aluminum (Al), Silver (Ag), Gold (Au).
ii) Insulators: It does not allow current through them.
Examples: Paper, Wood, Plastic, Rubber, Glass, Mica, Diamond.
iii) Semiconductors: Examples: Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge).

Note: Silicon (Si) has lower temperature effect and easily available in nature from sand.

So mostly Si used.

S. No. Conductors Semiconductors Insulators

1 It allows current pass The conductivity in It does not allow current
through them. between Conductor and pass through them.
Insulator (Less than
Conductor and greater
than Insulator).
2 Examples: Examples: Examples:
All metals like Copper Silicon (Si), Germanium Paper, Wood, Plastic,
(Cu), Aluminum (Al), (Ge) Rubber, Glass, Mica,
Silver (Ag), Gold (Au). Diamond.
3 Resistance is very small. Resistance is high. Resistance is very high.
4 It has one valance electron It has 4 valance electrons It has 8 valance electrons
in outer most orbit. in outer most orbit. in outer most orbit.
5 In energy band diagram, In energy band diagram, In energy band diagram,
valance and conduction valance and conduction valance and conduction
bands are overlapped. bands are separated by bands are separated by
forbidden energy gap of forbidden energy gap of
1.1 electron volt (ev). 6 to 10 electron volt (ev).

Electronics is derived from the word “Electron Mechanics” that means

The mechanism or behavior or flow of an electron when applied electric field or magnetic field
through vacuum tubes or semiconductor devices. (Or) Simply,

The mechanism or behavior or flow of an electron in semiconductor devices when an electric field is
applied. (Or)

Electronics is the field of science and engineering with deals with study, design and applications of
electronics. (Or) Simply,

Electronics is the field of science and engineering with deals with electronic devices and their
applications.
 Electronic Devices or Components

Passive components Active components

R, L, C

Tube Devices Semiconductor devices

Diodes Transistors

PN Diode Zener Diode

BJT MOSFET

Electronics Applications:
i) Computers: Monitor, Key board, Printer, Scanner
ii) Education: RPS (Regulated Power Supply), FG (Function Generator), CRO (Cathode
Ray Oscilloscope), LCD projectors.
iii) Home applications: Digital camera, Refrigerator
iv) Communication: Mobile, TV, Radio, Satellite, Optical Fiber, RADAR (RAdio Detection
And Ranging), RADAR Applications: Weather Monitoring, Traffic control, Military
Applications
v) Medicines: Scanning
Differences between Electronics and Electrical:

Note: i) For Transmission, AC current used.

ii) For storage, DC current used.
iii) Rectifier converts AC into DC.
iv) Inverter converts DC into AC. (It stores in DC form and again convert into AC)

[Link]. Electronics Electrical

1 Electronics deals with the current flow in Electrical deals with the current flow in
semiconductors. conductors.
2 The device run by DC known as Electronic The device run by AC known as Electrical
device. Examples: Laptop, Computer, TV, device. Examples: Bulb, Fan, Cooler, Air
Mobile, Internet. conditioner, Refrigerator, Motor.
3 Small Size Large size
4 Low DC Voltages (1.5 to 12 V), Low DC AC supply: (220 to 230) V/ 50 Hz.
currents (mA) or upto1Amp or 2 Amps are High AC voltages (Volts), High AC
required. currents (Amps) like 10 Amps ,20 Amps
are required.
5 Frequency in KHZ, MHz, GHz. Frequency in Hz.
Passive Component: Passive component can only absorb/store the power or energy in the circuit.
So, Passive components cannot give any energy in the circuit.

Note: It absorbs energy & dissipate it in the form of heat or

It stores energy in the form of electric field (Voltage/ Current) or magnetic field.

It cannot be providing power amplification in a circuit.

Ex: Resistor (R), Inductor (L), Capacitor (C).

Resistor: Resistor opposes /limits the current flow in the circuit.

Capacitor: Capacitor store energy in the form of electric charge between 2 plates.

C= Charge stored Q/ Voltage across the capacitor V.

Units are Farad (1 Coulomb / 1 Voltage=1 Farad).

Active component: Active components can supply/ source/ produces/ generates/ gives the power or
energy in the circuit.

Ex: Voltage Source, Current Source, Battery, Generator, Diodes, Transistor, IC.

Intrinsic Semiconductor: The material made up with only pure Si.

In intrinsic Semiconductor, Number of free electrons= Number of holes

Drawback: Conductivity (low current levels) is very less in intrinsic semiconductor. This is not used
for electronics applications.

To increase current levels, add an impurity to the pure Silicon semiconductor (intrinsic
semiconductor).

This process is known as “Doping” and this semiconductor known as extrinsic semiconductor.

Extrinsic semiconductor:

2 Types
i) N type semiconductor: To increase current levels (conductivity) add pentavalent
impurities to the pure si semiconductor.
Examples: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Arsenic (As), Antimony (Stibium-Sb) and

Bismuth (Bi)

In N type semiconductor,

Majority carriers are electrons.

Minority carriers are holes.

ii) P type semiconductor: To increase current levels (conductivity) add trivalent impurities
to the pure si semiconductor.
Examples: Boron (B), Aluminum (Al), Gallium (Ga) and Indium (In).
In P type semiconductor,

Majority carriers are holes.

Minority carriers are electrons.

P-N junction diode:

A p-n junction diode is a semiconductor device that allows the current flow in one direction only.

It is made by joining or combining a p-type semiconductor to an n-type semiconductor.

It has 2 electrodes, one is Anode (A) and another one is cathode (K). Hence Diode.

PN Diode Applications: i. Switch ii. Rectifier

Rectifier: Rectifier Converts AC into Pulsating DC.

Zener Diode Applications: Voltage Regulator or Stabilizer

Transistor or MOSFET Applications: i). Switch ii). Amplifier

Transistor Terminals: Emitter, Base, Collector

MOSFET Terminals: Source, Gate, Drain

S. No. BJT (Transistor) MOSFET (FET)

1 Large Size Small Size
2 High Power Low Power
3 High Noise compare to MOSFET Low Noise
4 Low Efficiency High Reliability / Efficiency/Performance.
5 Temperature effects are High. Temperature effects are Low.

So, MOSFET mostly used in IC fabrication.

IC (Integrated Circuit): The interconnection of active and passive components on a single Silicon
chip is called an IC.

(or) The collection of combination of one or more gates fabricated on a single chip is called IC.

Note: i) Si has lower temperature effect

ii) Easily available in the nature from sand.

Design abstraction layers:

Top-down approach System Example: PC (Personal Computer), Microprocessor

Modules Programmable Logic Devices: RAM, ROM, PROM,

PLA, PAL, CPLD, FPGA

Gates Digital Electronics: Digital Circuits,

Digital IC Applications

Circuits Analog Electronics: Electronic Circuit Analysis,

Linear or Analog IC Applications

Devices Electronic Devices

Bottom-up approach

Note: ROM consists of Decoders and OR gates.

Gates consists of electronic components.

Bipolar logic: The circuit is implemented with diodes, transistors and other passive components is
called Bipolar logic circuit.

CMOS logic circuit: The circuit is implemented with only MOSFETs is called CMOS logic circuit.

CMOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (It consists of both PMOS and NMOS).

ROM: Read Only Memory

RAM: Random Access Memory

CPLD: Complex Programmable Logic Device

FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array

PLA: Programmable Logic Array

PAL: Programmable Array Logic