http://www.componentbasics.com Learning about electronic components...one blog post at a time Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:23:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en To understand how wind turbines function, think of how a basic fan works. Current (typically electricity) flows into a motor The electrical power from the current makes the motor spin The spinning motion of the motor is applied to an axle The axle is connected to the fan blades The fan blades rotate from the ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=80 Are you color challenged? Don't know what color goes best with another? Luckily, there are many online tools to help you muddle your way through whether you are designing a web site or trying to find the perfect paint color for your home. Many will provide color suggestions based on the ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=75 [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Zener Diode"][/caption] Zener diodes are a special type of diode which permit current to flow in the forward direction as in a normal diode, but where it differs is that it also allows current flow in the reverse direction when the voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage also ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=69 A multilayer chip capacitor, which is abbreviated as MLCC, is a thin film capacitor that is constructed of several layers of conductors which are set apart by the dielectric material. The conductive layers are joined to the interconnect lands through conductive vias. The interconnect lands permit the capacitor to be ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=65 Datasheets for electronic parts have become relatively easy to find on the internet. Here are a few of my favorite places to find spec sheets for electronic components: http://www.alldatasheet.com/ - easy to use, straightforward search for a datasheet. One thing I like is that if you put in a part ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=59 I saw this contest today and wanted to share it with others. Of course I already entered! If you are unfamiliar with the Flip Mino, you can read more about it here: Flip Mino. Great little camcorder that is so easy to use and even easier to upload to your computer and ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=55 The LM324AD is a readily available quad operational amplifier. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="276" caption="LM324"][/caption] The LM324 series is a low−cost quad op amp with true differential inputs. It has a few notable benefits over regular operational amplifiers constructed in single supply applications. The quad op amp operates at voltages as low as ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=49 Electrolytic capacitors are constructed of high purity aluminum foil that has an aluminum oxide thin film dielectric on their surface. West Florida Components has a large selection of radial electrolytic capacitors in stock. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="3.3uF 450V electrolytic capacitor"][/caption] Here's a list of the Radial Electrolytic Capacitors available. 0.22uF .22uF 50V ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=42 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="125" caption="Pico Fuse"][/caption] A fuse is over current protection device, which breaks the circuit in case of an excessive current flow, thus protecting the other electronic components of the circuit from any damage that excessive current may cause. The fuse normally consists of a metal strip or wire ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=33 Soldering is the process of joining two or more parts together with a fusible alloy, such as tin or lead, using a heated instrument called a soldering iron. Soldered joints, if improperly done, may need to have the solder removed in order to re-solder them. A poor joint may result in ... http://www.componentbasics.com/?p=26