Electrical terms definition, circuits, components, devices and semiconductors

Switches are used to control current flow through electric circuits. They provides on an off operation to start or stop any electrical circuit from work. Switches are very commonly used in electrical. They can be normally open or normally closed switches.

Normally open switch don’t provide a closed path to electric current to flow in its rest or off position. It provides a closed path when the switch is turned to on position of closed position.

Normally open switch provides a closed path to current flow when switch is in rest of off position. This kind of switch don’t allow current to flow when it is in on position or in activated position.

Buzzers are used to produce sound through electricity. They are used in automotive circuits to give warning to the driver or operator that something is happening and you should make reaction or response as something undesirable is occurring. Examples are seat best not fasten audio alarm, Speed limit crossing alarm and forgetting switched on head lights in car when parking or living the car and engine is shutdown.

Relays are provided in the circuit to make automatic switching or to make switching through electrical signal. Relays are controlling large amount of current of high current through a small current signal or less current to activate the relay switch.

Stepped resistance or stepper resistor has more than one steps to provide different preset resistance valued to produce certain voltage drop in automotive circuit. They are normally used in climate fan speed control in the car compartment.

Rheostat is a kind of variable resistance which provides variable resistance in a certain range. It limits the amount of current passes through a circuit. Potentiometer is a type of rheostat which has three terminals. Potentiometers are used as voltage dividers to provide constant variable voltage signal to computer input to translate mechanical position of some system in electrical signal terms to system microcontroller to take necessary action.

Variable resistance provides infinite resistance values for a certain range of resistance. Variable resistance also acts like a rheostat.

Diode is one direction device. It only passes current to flow in one direction. On the opposite direction it provides open circuit. This in like a wire in one direction and like an open on the opposite direction. Using this property diodes are used in rectifier to rectify ac into dc. Diode has two biases. Forward bias means when positive voltage is applied to P layer and negative voltage is applied to N layer. In such a condition the diode conducts when the voltage crosses the forward bias limit. Reverse bias is a condition when positive voltage are provided to the N layer and negative voltage is provided to the P layer of the diode. In such a case the diode doesn’t conduct and it provides an open circuit characteristic till avalanche breakdown occurs. Ata avalanche breakdown point the diode destroys and would be no more a useful device instead it will be short circuited.

Transistor is another important semiconductor device with three layer and three pins. Transistors are used to do fast electronics switching. They are very commonly used in electrical and electronics.

Integrated circuit or IC is a complicated electronic circuit design in which thousands or even millions and trillions of transistor, resistors and capacitors are created on a single wafer knows as chip. IC is the compulsory part of today electronics and computer system. Without ICs there is no concept of electronics circuit today. ICs are making the circuit very compact and efficient.

Protection devices are used to protect the electrical circuit and wiring against huge current flow. Huge current flow in conductors creates heat and can cause fire. The most simple protection device is fuse which is basically a small piece of wire and it melts in current of huge current flow. The second type of protection device is the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers are complicated devices interrupts and make the current flow through a circuit. They interrupt in case of short circuit and huge current flow more than normal. Fuse is rated for current. Always replace a fuse with the specified or according to the old rating of fuse as it protects the circuit against over current flow. Never use an over rating fuse in a circuit. Use of over rating or over size of fuse can destroy the circuit or it can harm and damage the circuit and can be a risk of fire to humans.

Open circuit is a type of circuit in which there is a break and no continuity for electricity. The current can’t pass through such a circuit. The path for the current could not complete in such open circuit. Examples are open in wiring, open switch, open circuited load lamp or fan or horn etc.

Short circuit is the case in electrical circuit in which a short or bypass path is created in the electric circuit. Short circuit causes huge current to flow wrong way. Short circuits are not engineered so their resistance is also not defined and normally it is a low resistance due to which high current flows which result in fuse blow or circuit breaker activation. Short circuit can occur anywhere in the circuit. It can be in wiring, devices, source or anywhere. Short circuit can occur between circuits, components, wires or power to ground. Short circuit is not acceptable in any case.