An introduction to electronics gives the basics of Ohm’s law; Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws; current and voltage sources; how resistors, capacitors, and inductors function; and similar topics. A typical curriculum will cover the ideal versions of these topics to clearly convey the basics. Unfortunately, academic simplifications can be misleading. Real-world applications frequently run into problems when ideal concepts fall short. Nothing is ideal.
This chapter takes a brief look at some of the “less than ideal” components seen in real-world applications, how they differ from ideal devices, and where designers need to pay attention to the limitations of nonideal devices. This chapter is about building an awareness of problems that are commonly encountered; the rest of the book develops solutions or strategies to avoid these issues.
To solve any problem, the designer needs to be aware of the problem first. Again, nothing is ideal.
Basic Electronics
There are many textbooks that cover fundamental electronic design from scientific, engineering, and hobbyist perspectives. The focus here is not on basic electronics; rather, it is on the important things that are necessary to design a reliable electronic system. Figures 1-1 and 1-2 serve as a quick checkpoint. If you are reasonably familiar with the topics listed in these figures, you should have the background required to work with the material presented here.
Figure 1-1. Basic concepts, part ...
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