awesome-copilot/skills/legacy-circuit-mockups/references/basic-electronic-components.md

Basic Electronic Components

This document covers four fundamental electronic components: Resistors, Capacitors, Buttons, and Switches, including common values, formulas, and types.

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1. Resistors (R)

Resistors limit the flow of electrical current and dissipate energy as heat.

Common Formulas

• Ohm's Law: V = I \times R (Voltage = Current \times Resistance)
• Series Resistance: R_{total} = R_1 + R_2 + ... + R_n
• Parallel Resistance: \frac{1}{R_{total}} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + ... + \frac{1}{R_n}

Common Values (E12/E24 Series - 5% Tolerance)

Values are multiplied by powers of 10 (e.g., 10$\Omega$, 100$\Omega$, 1k$\Omega$, 10k$\Omega$, 100k$\Omega$, 1M$\Omega$): 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.2, 6.8, 7.5, 8.2, 9.1

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2. Capacitors (C)

Capacitors store electrical charge in an electric field.

Common Formulas

• Capacitance: C = \frac{Q}{V} (Charge / Voltage)
• Current: i = C \frac{dV}{dt}
• Parallel Capacitance: C_{total} = C_1 + C_2 + ... + C_n
• Series Capacitance: \frac{1}{C_{total}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + ... + \frac{1}{C_n}
• Energy Stored: W = \frac{1}{2} C V^2

Common Values

• Ceramic (picoFarads/nanoFarads): 10pF, 22pF, 100pF, 1nF, 10nF, 100nF (often labeled "104")
• Electrolytic (microFarads): 1µF, 10µF, 22µF, 47µF, 100µF, 220µF, 470µF, 1000µF

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3. Buttons (Push Button)

A momentary switch that completes a circuit only when pressed.

Common Types

• Normally Open (NO): Circuit is open (off) until pushed.
• Normally Closed (NC): Circuit is closed (on) until pushed.
• Tactile Switch: Small, standard button for PCB mounting.

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4. Switches (SW)

An electromechanical device that breaks or connects a circuit, staying in position until flipped.

Common Types

• SPST: Single Pole, Single Throw (On/Off)
• SPDT: Single Pole, Double Throw (Toggle between two paths)
• DPST/DPDT: Double Pole variants (controls two independent circuits simultaneously)
• DIP Switch: Small array of switches for circuit boards.

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Quick Reference Summary Table

Component	Symbol (Ref)	Key Formula	Common Use
Resistor	Zigzag / Box	V=IR	Current limiting, voltage divider
Capacitor	Two Parallel Lines	i=C \frac{dV}{dt}	Filtering, timing, coupling
Button	Momentary	N/A	User input (momentary)
Switch	Toggle/Lever	N/A	Power control, signal routing

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Common Suffixes

• k = kilo (10^3)
• M = Mega (10^6)
• m = milli (10^{-3})
• µ = micro (10^{-6})
• n = nano (10^{-9})
• p = pico (10^{-12})