Electronics All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 5

Reading Schematic Diagrams

IN THIS CHAPTER

Examining how schematic diagrams provide a road map for electronic circuits

Looking at the most commonly used component symbols

Noting how voltage supply and common ground circuits are often drawn

Seeing how components are typically labeled

I love maps. I think I’ve kept every map I’ve used on every trip I’ve taken. I have big maps of entire countries and states, maps of cities, walking maps, maps of parks and museums, and even subway maps. My favorite maps are topographical maps of the areas where I’ve gone on weeklong backpacking trips. These maps not only show the routes I’ve hiked, but also have elevation lines that represent every painful uphill step I’ve carried my 50-pound backpack up.

Without maps, we’d be lost. We’d never get to our destinations because we wouldn’t know where the roads are. Think of all the sights we’d miss along the way!

Electronics has its own form of maps. They’re called schematic diagrams. They show how all the different parts that make up an electronic circuit are connected.

Just as maps use symbols ...