Basic Instrumentation & Measurement - Electrical and Electronic Components

Electric and electronic components are the basic elements in a electric or electronic circuits. i.e lamp , transformer , resistor and etc. We can categorize these components to different types of components i.e ideal and real components , passive and active components , linear and not linear components and discrete and integrated components.

Ideal and Real Components

• Ideal components => dummy components with ideal characteristics. They are used to calculate or simulate simmulation circuits.
• Real components => the realistic components which can be used in the real ciruits. They could be used by themselves or with the combinations of other components in a circuits. 

Passive and Active Components

• Passive components => don't have amplifying and controlling functions (e.g resistors , capacitors , coils)
• Active components => have amplifying and controlling functions (e.g transistors , opto-couplers)

Linear and None Linear Components

• Linear components => used to show the principal of super position. These components are used normally to show the linear relationship between the electrical dimensions e.g voltage or current and the derivation of time.  Example in AC voltage or AC current -> We can measure the frequency of output signal and compare it with the input signal.
• None linear components => have none linear characteristics. e.g a rectifier diode let the current flow in one directions and at the same time it act as an isolator to control the polarity of the voltage.

Discrete and Integrated Components

• Discrete components => components which have a single function e.g diode , transistor.
• Integrated components => components with different functions which are integrated together to become a single electronic component.

Functions

• These components usually use the principal of magnetic and electric field and also the mechanical oscillation , movement and force in order to create an electrical relationship between current and voltage in order to function in a circuit.
• Some components apply the characteristics of magnetic flux in a conductor , the electrical resistivity , the characteristic of semiconductor and also the transformation of electrical signal into infrared signal.
• Some of them use the non electrical characteristic (wave, sound , heat etc) to function properly e.g photodiode , relays , lightdiode etc.)