Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics, 4th Edition

5

Complex Circuits

As you learn to read and draw schematic diagrams, don’t get discouraged by occasional difficulties. You might think, “Anyone can learn to read schematics of simple circuits, like those that have a transistor or two, a few capacitors, and a few resistors. But it’ll take years before I can decipher complex schematics.” Not so! You must put some effort into the learning process, but you can always break a complicated system down into simple circuits.

Identifying the Building Blocks

Even a system whose diagram looks overwhelming at first glance comprises smaller circuits interconnected in a straightforward way. A system with six diodes, ten inductors, ten transistors, and dozens of resistors and capacitors might resolve into four ...