Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics, 4th Edition

1

The Master Plan

You’ll encounter three types of diagrams in electricity and electronics literature. Each style serves a unique purpose. When you buy an electric or electronic device or system, it should (in the ideal case) come with an operating and maintenance manual that includes all three types of diagrams.

•   A block diagram gives you an overview of how the individual circuits in a system work together. You’ll see each circuit represented as a “block” (rectangle or other shape, depending on the application). Interconnecting lines, sometimes with arrows on one or both ends, show how the circuits combine to form the whole system, and how currents and signals flow among those circuits. Figure 1-1 is a simple example.

FIG. 1-1   Block diagram ...