Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [components]

Components are the most basic elements in an electronic circuit. Characteristic is that they're in a single package. There are passive and active components, from as simple as a zero-ohm resistor to as complex as a multi-billion transistor IC.

This tag should be used in questions related to mystery components, about what component you should use in a specific scenario, or any question about what component to use to achieve a desired result in a circuit.

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Which electronics components should I always have on hand?

I am thinking about ordering up some parts for every day use. I am thinking about making one big purchase so as to minimize on shipping and other charges. What are some of the components that any electronics hobbyist should have around ALL the…
jdiaz
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How to read the text printed on top of every IC?

I find very difficult to read part numbers. I haven't figured out how which kind the ideal amount of light and inclination would help me. I also wonder why chipmakers don't paint the numbers in white for a better contrast.
Jader Dias
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Is there any reasoning behind component names?

All the components I own have strange names, like a transistor called 2N2222 and a motor driver called L293D. When you see these kind of things writen down do you instantly know what it means or do you have to google it every time? How much…
Buh Buh
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Long-Life Electronics

i was wondering for a project of mine if i can order components that are made for a long time of usage. would Mil-spec components fit under this category? What i basically want are parts that are good for a very long time, and have a very high…
DownCount
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Do manufacturers lie about the specifications of their components?

These days misleading commercial practices are not uncommon despite the presence of laws and regulations designed to protect consumers. It should not be impossible for electronic component manufacturers to provide misinformation about their products…
user120905
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How do components fail?

How do components fail? General rules with an answer per component type would be valuable. We can work as a community to build up a single question that holds valuable information about how components fail.
Thomas O
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Why are there so many grounds?

A bit of context: I'm working on a smart tracker watch for an 8 year old. A hobby project, and I'm looking for parts to use. Anyways, that's not what I'm confused by. This is my first project, so please don't judge me if I've done something wrong.…
Nomkid
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How to find Junk yards

I want to find junk yards to get components, transformers etc. When I search google, all I see is "we buy junk" How can I find where the junk is like broken microwaves, tv's etc? I live near Denver, CO
skyler
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What is this component from an old thermostat?

I recently cannibalized an old thermostat for parts, and found a strange looking component with no markings at all. Here's a picture (since I can't figure out how to describe it): My first guess was that this was some sort of resistor, but I can't…
hairyhenderson
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convex vs concave resistor arrays

SMT resistor arrays are available in convex or concave form. What are the dis/advantages of either?
stevenvh
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What is this part called?

Kind of a random question, but what are the blue wire-clamp-things in the image below called? I see those everywhere, and I think they'd be awesome to have in a grab bag...
Soviero
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Electronics Freeganism

Has many of you acquired used parts (motors, expensive IC chips, sensors, actuators, etc.) from the dumpsters, recycling, or trash and used them for your projects? How did you feel benefited from such choices, on top of saving the environment,…
stanigator
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What is this electrical component?

Well that's a quite simple question. I tried my chance with Google Images without success and tried some lists of images to be able to know what is this component. But I don't find it and there is nothing written on it.
rels
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Identifying manufacturer logos on components

This question is inspired by this question. I'm interested in on-line resources which can be used to identify logos. Are there any databases of commonly and not so commonly used logos on ICs which can help there? I know that…
AndrejaKo
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Cannot find what the PCB reference designator "CE" refers to

I'm trying to figure out what parts are being used on a board. There are various PCB reference designators that are stumping me and I'm having trouble figuring out what the components are. In this instance, the reference designator "CE" is being…
markhyphen
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