The document provides an overview of basic hardware and electricity concepts. It defines electricity as the flow of electrons and describes the charges of atoms. Conductors and insulators are introduced, with conductors allowing electron flow and insulators inhibiting it. Ohm's law is explained, relating current, voltage, and resistance. Basic circuit components like resistors, capacitors, and switches are also outlined. Digital electronics represent signals as either 1 or 0 based on voltage thresholds.
2. Electricity
Electricity is the flow of electrons
Atoms contain
In the nucleus (center)
Protons with a positive charge
Neutrons with no charge (no consequence here)
Orbiting around the nucleus
Electrons with a negative charge
-
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
3. Charged Atoms
Atoms with more protons that electrons
Positively charged
Try to acquire additional electrons to get back in balance
Atoms with more electrons than protons
Negatively charged
Want to give up electrons to get back in balance
If you set up an imbalance, electrons will try to
jump (flow) between atoms to correct this
This flow is electricity
4. Conductors and Insulators
Materials that allow electrons to flow easily are
conductors
Most metals are good conductors
Materials that dont allow electrons to flow easily
are insulators
E.g., plastic, rubber, glass
Some materials can be influenced to change from
conducting to insulating (a very useful property)
Semiconductors
5. Basic Law of Charges
Like charges repel each other
Opposite charges attract each other
Exert a force
Can do work: e.g., move something
+ -
+ + - -
6. Charge
Charge is measured in Coulombs ( C )
(A unit we wont use much)
Measure of how many more protons than
electrons in a substance
1 Coulomb = 2.15 x 1018 excess protons
2.15 x 1018
extra electrons
=
-1 C
7. Electromotive Force
(Voltage)
Charge has the ability to do work
A potential to e.g. move something in one
direction or another
Difference in potential (in charge) provides a
force: Electromotive Force (EMF): Voltage
Extra
electron
s EMF (voltage)
+
8. Flow of electrons
If this is a conductor then 遜 the excess
electrons will very rapidly flow to the other
end to balance the charge
Conductor
Extra
electron
s EMF (voltage)
+
9. Flow of electrons
If this is a conductor then 遜 the excess
electrons will very rapidly flow to the other
end to balance the charge
Conductor
0 voltage
遜 the extra electrons
10. Flow of electrons
If this is a conductor then 遜 the excess
electrons will very rapidly flow to the other
end to balance the charge
And then things are not very interesting
Conductor
0 voltage
遜 the extra electrons
11. Flow of electrons
If this is a conductor then 遜 the excess
electrons will very rapidly flow to the other
end to balance the charge
And then things are not very interesting
Hence we set up circuits
(cycles, loops) to keep this
going
12. Flow of Electrons
Current is the flow of electrons
Measured in Amperes (Amp, or A)
1A is 1 Coulomb of charge flowing past a point
per second
13. Current vs. Voltage
Water analogy
Useful, but only goes so far
Coulombs analogous to quantity (gallons)
Amps analogous to flow rate (gallons / sec)
Voltage analogous to pressure (lbs/ft2)
14. Resistance
Can have a lot of flow at low pressure or a
lot of pressure but low volume
Depends on the size of the pipe
Resistance is analogous to the size of the
pipe
Resistance is the opposition to current flow
Measured in Ohms ( 立 )
15. Ohms Law
Relates current, voltage, and resistance
Current normally denoted by variable I
Voltage normally denoted by variable V
Resistance normally denoted by variable R
V = I * R
17. Ohms Law
In the electronics we will do, we tend to
(try to) hold the voltage constant (or zero)
Typically 5v
starting to use 3.3v, but 5v still most common
I = V / R I = 5 / R
Raise the resistance, current drops
Lower the resistance, current rises
18. Ohms Law
I = V / R I = 5 / R
Raise the resistance, current drops
Lower the resistance, current rises
What happens if we lower the resistance
towards zeros?
19. Ohms Law
I = V / R I = 5 / R
Raise the resistance, current drops
Lower the resistance, current rises
What happens if we lower the resistance
towards zeros?
Current goes towards infinity
Power = V * I (related to heat)
Boom! (or Poof!)
20. Current Limiting
Important
This is how you (literally) fry hardware if you dont pay
attention (trust me, I know)
Always think carefully (and check!) that the path
from 5v source
From power supply, or from output pin of a chip
to ground (0v location) has appropriate resistance
Not a short circuit ~0立
Current limiting resistor at value needed to stay within
current limits of the device
21. Aside: Units
Volts, Amps, Ohms
Normally use metric system unit prefixes
mega M million 1,000,000 106
kilo k thousand 1,000 103
one 1 100
milli m thousandth 0.001 10-3
micro 亮 millionth 0.000 001 10-6
nano n billionth 10-9
pico p trillionth 10-12
22. Examples
5V with 10立 5/10 A = 0.5A = 500mA
For typical chips you will use = Poof!
5V with 100立 5/100 A = 50mA
Still Poof!
5V with 250立 5/250 A = 20mA
OK for PIC processors, not for lots of other digital electronics
5V with 10k立 5/10000 A = 0.5mA
Good for most digital electronics
25. AC vs. DC
DC Direct Current
Current flows steadily in one direction
Most of what we will do is DC
AC Alternating Current
Current flows in one direction then another
Wall current does this
Alternating 60 times per sec
60 Hz
V
V
26. Capacitance
Capacitor
Device with two conducting plates separated by
insulating material (called dielectric)
Stores electric charge in the dielectric
Water metaphor
Consider a pipe with a rubber balloon blocking it
DC current bulges out the balloon (charges the capacitor)
But then stops flowing
Release the pressure the charge drains back out over time
AC current can go back and forth continuously
Capacitor blocks DC but allows AC to pass
27. Capacitance
Capacitance is measured in Farads ( F )
and denoted by variable C
Amount of charge divided by voltage across
plates
Charge (in Coulombs) denoted by Q
C = Q / V
31. Digital Electronics
Computer circuits treat signals as digital
values
Consider signals to only have two states: 1 or 0
+5v is considered to be 1
0v is considered to be 0
32. Digital Electronics
But need to leave some room for
error or fluctuation
Between VHMin and +5v considered 1
Between 0v and VLmax considered 0
Between VLmax and VHMin is undefined
(and unpredictable)
Can pass through this but you dont want
to stay there long
+5v
0v
VHMin
VLmax
1
0
??