Handy Guide: Electronics Industry Terms You Need to Know.

Understanding the terminology in the electronics industry can be quite helpful. Here’s a handy guide:

1. Integrated Circuit (IC):

   • A compact arrangement of transistors, resistors, and capacitors on a semiconductor material. Commonly referred to as a “chip.”

2. Resistor:

   • An electronic component that limits or controls the flow of electric current in a circuit.

3. Capacitor:

   • An electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field.

4. Inductor:

   • A coil of wire that resists changes in electric current, creating a magnetic field.

5. Transistor:

   • A semiconductor device that amplifies or switches electronic signals.

6. Diode:

   • A semiconductor device that allows current to flow in one direction only.

7. Voltage:

   • The electric potential difference between two points in a circuit.

8. Current:

   • The flow of electric charge in a circuit, measured in Amperes (A).

9. Resistance:

   • The opposition a material offers to the flow of electric current, measured in Ohms (Ω).

10. Ohm’s Law:

    • The relationship between voltage, current, and resistance: $V=I\times R$.

11. Printed Circuit Board (PCB):

    • A board that mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components using conductive tracks, pads, and other features.

12. Microcontroller:

    • A compact integrated circuit designed to control a specific operation in an embedded system.

13. Semiconductor:

    • A material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Commonly used in electronic components.

14. Oscillator:

    • A circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often used as a clock in digital systems.

15. Voltage Regulator:

    • A device that maintains a constant output voltage despite changes in input voltage or load.

16. Amplifier:

    • A device that increases the amplitude of a signal.

17. Frequency:

    • The number of cycles of a periodic waveform that occur in a unit of time, usually measured in Hertz (Hz).

18. Logic Gate:

    • An elementary building block of digital circuits, performing a Boolean function.

19. Soldering:

    • The process of joining two or more electronic components using molten solder.

20. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI):

    • Electrical noise that interferes with the proper functioning of electronic devices.

21. Surface Mount Device (SMD):

    • Electronic components mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board.

22. Field-Effect Transistor (FET):

    • A type of transistor that uses an electric field to control the flow of current.

23. Digital Signal Processor (DSP):

    • A specialized microprocessor designed to process digital signals like audio or video.

24. Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC):

    • Converts analog signals into digital signals for processing in digital systems.

25. Power Supply:

    • A device that provides electrical energy to an electric load.

Feel free to dive deeper into each term based on your specific interests or projects!