Circuit Elements and Theory of Operation - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cibola
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 15, 2013, 09:28:58 pm
content: Summary of longer message below-- Fundamental Friday --->> Two Thumbs Up!-- Suggested Topics --->> Simple circuit elements, theories of operation, pattern spotting-- Opportunities:1. Ideal for short videos (five to ten minutes)2. Mix it up between simple fundamentals and more advanced topics.3. Perfect for off-the-cuff style and little or no prep, or video editing.4. Build up a permanent "Fundamentals Knowledge Base" in EEV Forum5. Attract a new audience that is desperately searching the internet for just such fundamentals (not coincidentally. increasing your YouTube stats and, potentially, your subscriber base).6. Sell more Tee Shirts!Message:One of the topics I'd personally love to see explored often in Fundamental Friday blogs is a brief description of "circuit elements", how they work, why they are used, common alternatives, and how to spot them in a schematic or on a PCB. By this I mean, for example, the parts that go into a particular sub-section of an overall circuit design, say a bridge rectifier (to pick the simplest example I can think of; well, next to a voltage divider of course).You point out circuit elements all the time in Teardown Tuesday, for example, but (rightly) don't take the time then and there to explain what a particular circuit element does and how it does it.Yes, very fundamental!But as a newer hobbyist with no formal training, it would be invaluable to me and help me to better understand and learn more from your other blogs. I'm generally not yet able to spot "patterns" (aka circuit elements) when I look at a schematic or PCB; and, trying to sort through the maze of components and figure out what they each do, individually and together as a unit, has been very discouraging. Even knowing where one sub-section begins and ends can be a daunting challenge. Once I'm past this steep rising edge of the learning curve, I know things will come together but, right now, I could sure use a Fundamental Friday every day of the week.The schematics, tutorials or blogs that have been most useful to me are the ones that explain the "theory of operation" in very simple terms. When you apply power, this turns on which then does this, unless that, in which case this is the result and the circuit does that, and so on.The brilliance of doing blogs on circuit elements (and corresponding theory of operation) is confirmed by:1- The opportunity to quickly make some very short educational blogs on basic subjects (say five to ten minutes) and slightly longer blogs on more advanced subjects (like the voltage multiplier circuit).2- The opportunity to keep everybody happy by mixing it up some: sometimes a blog on a basic subject and sometimes a blog on a more advanced one.3- The opportunity to use your off-the-cuff style to best advantage; just pick up a schematic or PCB, or DaveCad, and start talking. Any circuit element I could think of you can do off the top of your head and in your sleep; thus, no lengthy prep and little or no editing required. I'd bet you can do five-minute circuit elements or theories of operation with no editing other than to add your magic-sizzle sign-off at the end.4- The opportunity, over time, to build up a library of fundamental (and more advanced) tutorials, short and to the point in Dave's trademark off-the-cuff style, that could be added to the EEV Forum as a permanent "Fundamentals Knowledge Base". This would likely answer many newbie questions even before they are posed.5-Perhaps more importantly such fundamental tutorials will attract a large audience of viewers who are searching the internet for just such a thing. Once they've seen you in action, and derived value from it, they are likely to become repeat viewers (increasing your YouTube stats) and perhaps even become outright subscribers! There are far more people looking for educational videos to help them gain fundamental skills than are trolling YouTube looking for a teardown of a spectrum analyzer (albeit a very impressive, top-of-the-line Agilent).6- Sell more Tee Shirts!