Ch a pt er 1

Survey of Electronics

Learning Outcomes With this book, you are about to begin your study of
electronics. Your goal is no doubt a job and career in
After studying this chapter, you should be able to: electronics. You could not have chosen a better career
List the five major sectors of the electronics path. Not only is the electronics industry one of the
industry and name three examples of each. largest, most dynamic and exciting, but also it can be
Name the two major types of jobs in the electronics one of the most lucrative. Jobs continue to be plentiful,
industry. and there is a lifetime of interesting jobs to be had. The
Describe the kind of education that you will need electronics industry changes daily with a blizzard of in-
for each of the major job types. novative new products, components, technologies, and
Name the one thing that will keep your knowledge applications. This industry is one that will challenge you
and skills current during your career. as well as keep you interested. This chapter introduces
List the major players in the electronics industry you to the industry, as well as to the jobs and the edu-
and how they interact with one another. cation you will need to succeed.
Explain two ways in which all electronic circuits
can be represented.

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 1.1 Life Impact worldwide at over $1.5 trillion. And the industry continues to
grow under the toughest economic conditions, attesting to its
Just so you understand how important electronics is to our
diversity and importance in our lives. To get a handle on how
lives, take a minute and think about how electronics affects
the industry is structured, it is best to divide it into segments,
you personally. As a starting point, do the following:
or areas of specialization. Then you can see how they are all
• Make a comprehensive list of all the electronic prod- interrelated. The five major divisions are components, com-
ucts and services you own and use daily. Do it now. munications, computers, control, and instrumentation. See
• Make an hour-by-hour diary especially identifying Fig. 1-1. All electronic equipment and applications fall into
things you do with electronics daily. Again, do it now. one of these sectors if not several.
Now, study your results. Are you astonished? Electronics is Components
so pervasive that we simply take most of it for granted. It Components are the individual parts that make up all circuits
just is. We are not surprised or amazed anymore by even the and equipment. These include resistors, capacitors, induc-
most sophisticated electronic devices although we use them tors, transformers, connectors, wire and cable, and printed
and perhaps covet some of them. And even common every- circuit boards. The largest segment of the components field
day appliances are loaded with electronics. is semiconductors like integrated circuits (chips), transistors,
Now think about where all that equipment comes from. diodes, solar cells, and many other specialty parts. These
Someone has to design and build it, sell it, install it, and parts are used by the engineers to design all types of elec-
otherwise support it. And it must usually be operated, main- tronic equipment.
tained, and serviced later. Lots of job opportunities are in-
volved. Electronics is fun and interesting, and many engage Communications
in electronics as a hobby. Maybe that is how you became in- The oldest and one of the largest segments of electronics is
terested in electronics. Electronics is a great hobby because communications. It began with the telegraph and telephone
it helps you learn while having fun. Table 1-1 lists the most in the mid- to late 1800s. In the early 1900s, radio was de-
popular electronic hobbies. If you do not have an electronics veloped, then the vacuum tube came along and the rest as
hobby, you should consider starting one, as it is engaging, they say is history. It was specifically the vacuum tube that
challenging, and educational. And more often than not your created the electronics industry as we know it today. The
hobby becomes your career. vacuum tube brought us amplification and electronic switch-
ing, neither of which existed in the telegraph and telephone.
1.2 Major Segments of the Later on we got TV, satellites, and many other communica-
Electronics Industry tions applications. Broadcast radio and TV dominated the
The electronics industry is enormous and diverse. One es- early years, then two-way radio became commonplace, and
timate has the total of all electronic goods sold annually radar was invented during World War II.

Table 1-1 Popular Electronic Hobbies

1. Amateur radio. Amateur radio operators, or hams, build and operate radio equipment to make contact with other hams to
exchange signal reports, technical information, and personal experiences. A Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
license is required.
2. Computers. Computer hobbyists build personal computers, write programs, work with peripheral equipment, interface com-
puters to other gadgets, and boost computer performance. Software and programming are a major part of this hobby.
3. Robots. Building and experimenting with robots has become a huge hobby in the past few years.
4. Model radio control. Building model airplanes, boats, cars, and other objects that can be controlled remotely by radio will
also get your outdoors.
5. Audio. Building and experimenting with high-fidelity stereo and surround sound equipment, speakers, and music is popular.
Electronic music instruments and sound systems are also a part of this hobby.
6. Home entertainment centers. Building and using high-definition television and audio systems are indoor hobbies. Cable TV,
satellite TV, Internet TV, wireless connectivity, gaming, and 3D TV are popular elements of this hobby.
7. Home monitoring and control. Electronic components and systems to monitor and control heating and air conditioning,
lighting, appliances, and electrical systems (sprinklers, garage doors, security, etc.) provide energy savings, safety, and
convenience.
8. General experimenting. Curiosity can lead to kit building, miscellaneous projects, and experimentation with various electronic
gadgets and equipment.

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 Electronics
Industry

Components Communications Computers Control Instrumentation

Integrated circuits Internet Super computers Industrial automation Test equipment

Transistors Cell phones Mainframes Robots Test systems
Diodes Radios Servers (networks) Appliances Data acquisition
Resistors Televisions Personal computers Home control Medical
Capacitors Telephones Peripheral equipment Security Telemetry
Inductors Satellites Embedded controllers Toys Scientific, laboratory
Transformers Cable TV Special purpose such Automotive
Connectors Networks as industrial or military

Printed circuits Wireless systems

Wire and cable Consumer entertainment

Figure 1-1 The major sectors of the electronics industry.

Communications refers to all the various types of wired problems. Other large powerful computers are the main-
and wireless technologies you use every day. Typical wired frames that still serve the data processing needs of large
technologies include cable TV, computer networks, the business and government. Small but very powerful com-
telephone system, and the Internet. Typical wireless com- puters known as servers are the workhorse of our computer
munication technologies include radio of all types, includ- networks, from the Internet to local area networks to which
ing broadcast and two-way radio, cell phones, satellites, and most computers are connected today. The personal com-
wireless networks. Today the communications industry con- puter is probably the most visible and widespread. Laptop
tinues to dominate with the huge telecommunications sys- computers have now passed desktop personal computers in
tem, the Internet and networking, and of course the huge total volume of computers shipped. The tablet market is also
wireless industry with its cell phones, wireless networks, and growing, taking market share from laptops.
links of all kinds. Leading the industry is the smartphone But the real breakthrough was the single-chip computer
like the Apple iPhone and others that are not only phones but with the processor, memory, and input/output circuitry in
also full-blown computers in a handset with Internet access one integrated circuit. This device, called an embedded con-
and other communications features. troller or microcontroller, permits the power of a computer
to be packaged into other electronic devices, expanding their
Computers functionality, versatility, and power. Today, virtually every
Computers didn’t really come along until World War II and electronic product in existence contains an embedded con-
later. And these were the huge vacuum tube monsters called troller as its central control point. These small computers
mainframes. Transistors and integrated circuits made them handle all monitoring and control functions in cell phones,
smaller, faster, and better. During the 1970s, thanks to digi- TV sets, DVD players, and MP3 music players. In fact, you
tal integrated circuits (ICs), we got the minicomputers. Then can say that every electronic piece of equipment made today
later in the 1970s the microcomputer was created. This put is simply an embedded microcontroller surrounded by pe-
most of a computer’s circuitry on a single chip of silicon. ripheral devices that perform the functions of the equipment.
Called a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU), This puts computers everywhere, in our cars, consumer
it formed the basis for newer personal computers. They cre- electronics products, and appliances. It is impossible to
ated a whole new industry making computers available and name an electronic product that does not contain one. As you
affordable for everyone. Today, PCs, laptops, and tablets are will find out, all electronic products are mainly an embed-
as common as the TV set. ded controller surrounded by other circuits that customize it
The computer segment encompasses an enormous range to the specific application.
of different types of computers. Computers process data. The computer part of the electronics industry is also huge
The largest and most powerful (meaning fast with lots of but dispersed. And with computers readily available in all
storage) computers are known as supercomputers that solve forms from mainframes to PCs and to micros on a chip, the
massively difficult scientific, engineering, and mathematical focus in the industry has turned to software. Software is the

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 term used to describe the programs that a computer uses to largest categories is test equipment, such as meters, oscil-
perform as desired. There continues to be a great demand for loscopes, signal generators, spectrum analyzers, and other
people who can program computers. general-purpose instruments that are used to test and mea-
sure all other electronic equipment. Test systems used for
Control automated component or equipment testing for complete
Control is a huge and diverse part of electronics. Think of systems also fall into this category.
electronics as that field of science that is used to monitor and Instrumentation and measurement also include the cat-
control physical functions. Monitoring means observing and egory known as data acquisition, by which systems are used
measuring physical things like temperature, pressure, me- to collect data from a variety of sensors and other sources.
chanical position, liquid level, or light intensity. Sensors turn A major segment of instrumentation and measurement is
these physical characteristics into electrical signals that can medical diagnosis and testing. Medical instruments measure
be processed by electronic circuits. We may want to record EEG, EKG, temperature, blood characteristics, and chemi-
the physical phenomena or, better still, use the information cal compositions and include MRI, CT, and x-ray machines.
they provide as signals to tell electronic circuits what to do. Some examples of instrumentation besides generic test
That is the control part. equipment are the instruments in a jet aircraft, the electron-
Control is simply the execution of various duties with ics in a chemical or process control plant, or an automated
electronic circuits. Some common control functions are test system for cell phones.
turning lights off or on, turning motors off or on, operating
pumps or valves, or controlling the transmission of data over 1.3 A Converged Industry
a network. As you can see, the electronics industry is enormous and
Electronic controls are everywhere, in home appliances, diverse. Yet all these segments of electronics have a signifi-
cars and trucks, vending machines, military weapons, air- cant impact on our lives. They provide us with instantaneous
craft of all types, and most factories. Think of robots, garage information and communications, speed up and simplify our
door openers, traffic lights, remote keyless entry on a car, work with computers, and protect us at home and office.
and the autopilot on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The While we still view electronics as being comprised of
examples are broad and diverse. these basic sectors, as you can easily see, there are lots of
Monitoring and control is a very large segment of elec- crossovers and overlaps. The different segments converge in
tronics involved in performing monitoring operations of var- different devices and applications. Tablet computers contain
ious physical characteristics. Components called sensors or wireless transceivers to connect to hot spots or the cellular
transducers are used to measure temperature, light intensity, network, and iPods and MP3 music players contain a control
pressure, and literally hundreds of other physical character- computer and lots of memory to store songs. Factory auto-
istics. These measurements are then used in control systems mation and control systems contain instrumentation, com-
to activate appliances, robots, chemical plants, automotive puters, and networking for communications. And almost
systems, and hundreds of other devices. The signals being everything contains an embedded controller. Home appli-
monitored are processed in various ways, and embedded ances like washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, blend-
controllers or computers produce outputs that control other ers, toasters, coffeemakers, and most others are all loaded
devices, such as factory automation, manufacturing plants, with electronic controls. Our consumer entertainment equip-
security systems, appliances, and toys. ment like HD TV sets, DVD players, cable and satellite TV
sources, stereo audio systems, and others are totally elec-
Instrumentation tronic. The modern automobile contains an ever-increasing
Instrumentation is that segment of electronics involved with number of electronic components, control systems, and
testing electronic circuits and equipment or other equipment safety features. It is difficult to name something today that
using electronics and in making precise measurements of does not include some electronic segment. Nevertheless, it is
electrical and electronic signals. Working in electronics, you still best to keep these divisions separate in your mind as you
will eventually use a wide variety of electronic test instru- decide what interests you most and how you wish to focus in
ments like multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, your electronics career.
and analyzers of all sorts. You cannot design, build, trouble-
shoot, or service electronic equipment without the need to 1.4 Jobs and Careers in the
measure voltage, current, power, frequency, or other elec- Electronics Industry
tronic characteristics. As you saw in the previous section, the electronics industry is
Instrumentation and measurement relate to precisely and roughly divided into five major specializations. The largest in
accurately measuring electronic characteristics. One of the terms of people employed and the dollar value of equipment

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 purchased is the communications field, closely followed by a technician, you need to look at not only the job titles given
the computer field. The components, industrial control, and above but also those using the terms mechanic, installer, as-
instrumentation fields are considerably smaller. Hundreds of sociate, assistant, assembler, manufacturing tester, trouble-
thousands of people are employed in these fields, and bil- shooter, and similar titles.
lions of dollars’ worth of equipment is purchased each year. Technicians can also be involved in engineering. Engi-
The growth rate varies from year to year depending on the neers may use one or more technicians to assist in the design
economy, technological developments, and other factors. All of equipment. They build and troubleshoot prototypes and
segments of electronics have grown steadily over the years, in many cases actually participate in equipment design. A
creating a relatively constant opportunity for employment. great deal of the work involves testing and measuring. In
If your interests lie in electronics, you will be glad to know this capacity, the technician is known as an engineering
that there are many opportunities for long-term jobs and ca- technician, lab technician, engineering assistant, or associ-
reers. This section outlines the types of jobs available and ate engineer. Engineering technician positions were once
the major kinds of employers. widely available, but because of the widespread use of ICs
The two major types of technical positions available in and design software, engineers rarely need technicians to the
the electronics field are engineer and technician. extent they once did. Engineering technician jobs are rarely
available today.
Engineers Technicians are also employed in manufacturing. They
Engineers design electronic components, equipment, and may be involved in the actual building and assembling of
systems. Engineers work from specifications and create new the equipment but, more typically, are concerned with final
components, equipment, or systems that are then manufac- testing, measurement, and quality assessment of the finished
tured. For example, some engineers specialize in integrated products. Other positions involve quality control or repair
circuit design. They use sophisticated computer software of defective units. Online and telephone help and support is
called electronic design automation (EDA) to create the de- another common opportunity.
tailed circuits that ultimately become the chips making up the Technicians are the hands-on electronic workers. Their
electronic equipment we use. Other engineers use the chips duties involve the equipment and systems and their service,
and other components to design the electronic end products installation, maintenance, calibration, and repair. Techni-
like cell phones, DVD players, network routers, industrial cians do not design or do any significant amount of analy-
controllers, or medical instruments like a pacemaker. sis. Therefore, their knowledge of math and science does not
But while most engineers specialize in design, others have to be as great as that of an engineer. Practical hands-on
work in manufacturing, testing, quality control, and man- job training, work experience, and specific equipment or sys-
agement, among other areas. Engineers may also serve as tem training are far more important.
field service personnel, installing and maintaining complex
equipment and systems. If your interest lies in the design of Other Technical Positions
electronic equipment, then an engineering position may be There are many jobs in the electronics industry other than
for you. those of engineer or technician. For example, there are
It is important to note that what engineers do is design and many outstanding jobs in technical sales. Selling complex
analyze. They use their heavy math and science knowledge electronic equipment or systems usually requires a strong
to model electronic circuits and systems and use computer technical education and background. The work may in-
software to simulate the behavior of circuits, equipment, and volve determining customer needs and related equipment
systems. While engineers do indeed work with the end prod- specifications, writing technical proposals, making sales
ucts they design and analyze, mostly they work at this higher presentations to customers, and attending conferences and
abstract level. exhibits where equipment is sold. The pay potential in sales
is generally much higher than in the engineering or service
Technicians positions.
Technicians are most often employed in service jobs. The Another position is that of technical writer. Technical
work typically involves equipment installation, trouble- writers generate the technical documentation for electronic
shooting and repair, testing and measuring, maintenance equipment and systems, producing installation and service
and calibration, or operation. Technicians in such positions manuals, maintenance procedures, and customer operations
are sometimes called field service technicians, field service manuals. Most of this material is web-based today. This im-
engineers, or customer representatives. Today, the jobs for portant task requires considerable depth of education and
technicians are so diverse that the generic term electronic experience as well as a knack for writing, organizing, and
technician is rarely used. When you are looking for a job as categorization.

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 Finally, there is the position of trainer. Engineers and High school
technicians are often used to train other engineers and tech- graduate

nicians or customers. With the high degree of complexity

Community
that exists in electronic equipment today, there is a major college
need for training. Many individuals find education and train-
Preengineering
ing positions to be very desirable and satisfying. The work Transfer associate degree
typically involves development of curriculum and programs,
generating the necessary training manuals, presentation ma- 4-year engineering
college or university
terials and lab exercises, creating online training, and con-
ducting classroom training sessions in-house, online, or at a BSEE or BSET
customer site. Job in industry

1.5 Engineering and Technology Graduate

school
Education
To get a good job in electronics today, you need some for- MSEE
Job in industry
mal postsecondary education at a college or university. This
education varies widely with the type of job but can be cat- MBA
Job in business
egorized as engineering education or technology education. Graduate
They are similar because they both involve electronics, but school
they are not the same simply because the jobs they prepare
the graduates for are so vastly different and require differ- PhD Job in industry
or academia
ent levels of knowledge and skills. Education is essential to
being successful in getting a job in electronics, but it is also Figure 1-2 Educational paths for engineers.
the one single ingredient of continuing success in the field.
Continuing personal education is the key to staying on the
top of your job and field. Some engineers have a bachelor’s degree in electronics
technology from a technical college or university. Some typ-
Engineering Education ical degree titles are bachelor of technology (BT), bachelor
Engineers need a bachelor’s (BSEE), master’s (MSEE), or of engineering technology (BET), and bachelor of science in
doctoral (PhD) degree in electrical or electronic engineer- engineering technology (BSET.)
ing. Figure 1-2 shows the general paths through college to Bachelor of technology degrees often begin with a two-
a job. Such an education starts with a strong science and year associate degree program followed by two additional
mathematics background, including physics, chemistry, cal- years required for a bachelor of technology degree. Dur-
culus, statistics, and other advanced math courses. This is ing those last two years, the student takes more complex
followed by specialized education in electronic circuits and electronics courses along with additional science, math,
equipment. The education is largely design- and analysis- and humanities courses. The main difference between the
oriented with an emphasis on computer simulation and soft- BT graduate and the BSEE engineering graduate is that
ware development. the technologist usually takes courses that are more practi-
Some jobs require additional education beyond the bach- cal and hands on than engineering courses. Holders of BT
elor’s degree. Figure 1-2 shows the path to graduate school degrees can generally design electronic equipment and sys-
that may include more advanced electrical or electronic tems, but do not typically have the depth of background in
courses leading to a master of science in electrical engineer- analytical mathematics or science that is required for com-
ing (MSEE) degree. This prepares you for more advanced plex design jobs. However, BT graduates are generally em-
jobs with better pay. An alternative path is to pursue a mas- ployed as engineers. Although many do design work, others
ter in business administration (MBA) degree. Some BSEE are employed in engineering positions in manufacturing and
graduates find that their greater interest lies in the business field service rather than design.
side of the industry, such as finance, economics, marketing Although a degree in electrical engineering is generally the
and sales, or management. minimum entrance requirement for engineering jobs in most
A doctorate degree or doctor of philosophy (PhD) is an organizations, people with other educational backgrounds
advanced degree usually with a specialization in one spe- (e.g., physics and math) also become engineers. Technicians
cific area of electronics. It is the path to take to emphasize who obtain sufficient additional education and appropriate
research or teaching. experience may go on to become engineers as well.

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 Technology Education usually not able to transfer to an engineering degree pro-
Technology education is usually less stringent in the areas of gram. If you decide to become an engineer, you must liter-
math and science and more practical than engineering edu- ally start over at an engineering school because of the big
cation. Usually less education is required to be a technician differences in math and science backgrounds needed. That
than an engineer. Engineers do far more math, design, and is a choice few make because the BSET degree is far faster
analysis, making their jobs far more mental. Technician jobs to achieve and the chance of working as an engineer just as
do not require the heavy math, science, and analytical back- good in most cases.
ground, but they do require clear logical thinking as well as Many BSET graduates do go on to some kind of engi-
good hands-on skills. neering job. Another path is an MBA degree if a business
Technicians have some kind of postsecondary educa- slant to your education is desired. Another alternative is a
tion in electronics, from a vocational or technical school, master in technology (MT) degree, which is available at a
a community college, or a technical institute. The typical limited number of colleges and universities. Such degrees
technology education paths are illustrated in Fig. 1-3. Many generally focus on teaching or some specialty subject.
technicians are also educated in military training pro-
grams. Most technicians have an average of two years of Continuing Education
formal post-high school education and an associate degree. Continuing education refers to the education you obtain
Common degrees are associate in arts (AA), associate in after graduating from college. And don’t think it is not nec-
science (AS), or associate of science in engineering technol- essary. You should know up front that you cannot survive in
ogy (ASET) or associate of science in electronic engineer- the field of electronics without a continuous process of per-
ing technology (ASEET), and associate in applied science sonal self-education. Electronics changes fast and furiously.
(AAS). The AAS degree tends to cover more occupational New components, products, technologies, and methods are
and job-related subjects; the AA and AS degrees are more developed daily, and all have an impact on how products
general and are designed to provide a foundation for transfer are designed and used. Usually what was current yesterday
to a bachelor degree program. The math level is typically is often obsolete tomorrow. You always need to know the
algebra and trigonometry, rather than calculus although latest products and techniques to stay competitive in your
some AAS programs may require an introduction to calcu- job. When you enter the electronics field, consider the fact
lus. As for science, AAS programs do not commonly require that you will immediately need to engage in some form of
engineering-level physics or chemistry although some intro- continuing education as soon as possible. The half-life of
ductory courses may be included. an engineering or technology degree is only a few years
Technicians with an associate degree from a commu- today, meaning that within those few years, half of what you
nity college can usually transfer to a bachelor of technology learned will be obsolete or irrelevant. That may be depress-
program and complete the bachelor’s degree in another two ing to some extent, but think of the bright side. Learning new
years. Just keep in mind that associate degree holders are stuff is fun, and that is half the excitement with electronics.

High school Figure 1-3 Educational paths for

graduate technicians.

Community college
or technical institute

AAS
4-year technology Transfer
Military training Job in industry
college or university

Transfer to 4-year
BSET engineering school
Job in industry Job in industry NOT PERMITTED

Graduate school

MT
Job in industry or academia
MBA
Job in business

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 There is always something new, interesting, and exciting to telephone connection for audio. They are like a lecture and
learn and get involved with. Besides learning more usually typically run about an hour. The subject is very focused, but
means earning more. there are lots of them online. Many are sponsored by com-
Where do you get continuing education? Outlined below panies which want to promote the use of their products in
are the most common sources that most engineers and tech- new designs. These are mostly free, so do as many as time
nicians use today. allows, assuming they are relevant.

Advanced Degrees Books Books are still a good choice for self-education. You
If you have an AAS degree, think of going back to school to rarely need to read the entire book anyway. Mostly if you can
get a BSET degree. If you live near a college or university find the books related to the subject you want to read, you
that will accept your previous college work, you are gener- will buy them for reference and specific knowledge. Check
ally halfway to the bachelor’s degree anyway. Maybe you out your local bookstore and especially the college bookstore
can even complete the degree at night, and amazingly many for relevant materials. Also search for the books you want
employers will help you pay for that. online by going to sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Go
If you already have a bachelor’s degree, think of going for directly to technical book publishers websites to see what is
a master’s degree. Your BSEE or BSET will lead you to an available. Some good technical book publishers are Artech
MSEE or MT as described earlier. House, Elsevier, McGraw-Hill, Morgan Kauffman, Newnes,
A good option for both BSEE and BSET degree holders Prentice Hall, and Wiley. Also look for good used books to
is a master of business administration (MBA). If you decide save a few dollars.
you like the business side of electronics more than the tech- Magazines There are lots of electronic magazines written
nical side, this is a good choice. You can parlay that degree for engineers and technicians. These are what are called con-
into very high end marketing, financial, or management trolled circulation magazines or business-to-business (B2B)
positions. magazines. They are free to the subscriber and are paid for
A PhD is the ultimate degree in engineering, but it is by advertisers who want to get their products in front of a
rarely worth the long process and very high cost. If you plan targeted audience like engineers. These magazines come out
to teach engineering or do advanced research, then you will at least monthly and sometimes two times a month. Many
need it, of course. For most good jobs a master’s is more than also include online newsletters weekly. These magazines
enough today. have in-depth technical articles, new product information,
and a whole range of business- and technology-related in-
Alternative Forms of Education
formation. Subscribe and read them regularly. Some popular
In addition to adding a degree, there are other methods for electronic magazines for engineers are Electronic Design,
continuing education or staying current. EDN, EETimes, and Electronic Products. The IEEE Spec-
University Courses Sometimes you only need to take a course trum is a great magazine, but it does require that you be a
here or there to learn what you need. You can take regular uni- member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engi-
versity courses toward a master’s degree or university-sponsored neers (IEEE), a professional association you should eventu-
continuing education courses. ally look into after graduation.
Don’t forget the hobby-oriented electronic magazines.
Seminars Many companies offer specialized seminars. These are excellent on the practical side as they cover not only
Such seminars last from two days to a week and focus on a theory and practice but often include construction projects.
specialty like programming skills, RF design, or computer A couple of popular electronic magazines are Circuit Cellar,
networking. You will have to ferret these out for yourself Elector, Make, and Nuts & Volts. Amateur radio magazines
with Internet searches or magazine announcements, but often like CQ, QEX, and QST are also excellent sources of new
they will be just what you need on the job. Many employers learning. These are paid subscriptions but worth the price.
will pay for them.
The Internet If you ask any working engineer or technician
Company-Sponsored Classes Many larger companies offer
how and where he or she learns new stuff, their first answer
internal courses for their employees. Training employees
is usually, “The Internet.” The Internet offers a huge world-
helps the company. You should take as many of these as you
wide source of information and learning materials. And it is
can, depending how relevant they are to your situation and
free in most cases. All you have to do is search for it. You
available time.
have probably already done some of this so it may already
Webinars Webinars are online seminars. They consist of be second nature. Just type in what you want to know; do a
a presentation over the Internet via PC and sometimes a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search; and within seconds you will

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 have at your fingertips just what you want. Maybe. You may The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also of-
have to refine your search to zero in, but it is most likely fers its popular general radiotelephone operators license
there in the form of a Wikipedia report, magazine article, (GROL) that is obtained by passing a comprehensive exam
technical paper, company white paper, or application note or on electronic fundamentals, communications techniques,
other. It could even be a free online tutorial or website. Start and FCC rules and regulations. It is required for working on
using the Internet now while you are in school to reinforce certain types of radio equipment but is also useful as a job-
what you are learning or get a different perspective or con- getting credential. There are also many specialty certifica-
firm how something works from another source. tions in the fields of communications and industrial control.
After you get your AAS degree, a good next step is a license
Manufacturers Resources Component and equipment manu- or certification that will go a long way to giving you new
facturers want you to buy their products, so they offer tons of knowledge as you prepare for the exams but also a great cre-
literature to help sell them. Most of this is on the Internet, but dential that is appreciated by many employers.
some is available in hard copy like data sheets, brochures,
reference manuals, books, or other literature, usually free Hobby and Personal Experimentation Finally, don’t forget
for the asking. Then there are the usual massive databases that just enjoying electronics as a hobby can lead to learn-
on their websites. Most offer product data sheets, applica- ing and experience. While you cannot really document such
tion notes, white papers, and tutorials—all available for free. involvement or claim it as experience, the knowledge and
Here is one other resource you can begin using to educate skills you gain are invaluable and show up in your work. So
yourself. don’t hesitate to build your own lab bench and build kits and
things of your own design. Become involved with embedded
Licensing and Certification Programs There are numerous controllers, personal computers, robots, radio, audio, video,
programs that offer to prepare you for a wide range of cer- or whatever interests you.
tifications, licenses or registration. Engineers can seek reg-
istration in their state as a professional engineer (PE). You
have to be a BSEE graduate, have a certain number of years 1.6 The Major Employers
of experience as an engineer, and pass a rigorous exam. It The overall structure of the electronic industry is shown in
is a tough process, but you learn a great deal in the process Fig. 1-4. The four major segments of the industry are manu-
of preparing. Having a PE license opens new doors of em- facturers, resellers, service organizations, and end users.
ployment and higher pay. For most jobs a PE license is not
required. Manufacturers
There are similar programs for technicians. Numerous It all begins, of course, with customer needs. Manufacturers
organizations offer certification programs that examine your translate customer needs into products and purchase compo-
knowledge and experience to certify you as knowledge- nents and materials from other companies to use in creating
able and proficient in your field. Generic certifications are the products. Note that there are three types of manufac-
offered by organizations like the International Society for turers: component, equipment, and system manufacturers.
the Certification of Electronic Technicians (ISCET) and the Component manufacturers buy the raw materials like cop-
Electronic Technicians Association–International (ETA-I). per and other metals, plastic, and chemicals to create the

Distributors, Figure 1-4 The structure of the

wholesalers, Service electronics industry.
and sales rep companies
organizations

Electronic Customers
Raw Component
equipment and
materials manufacturers
manufacturers end users

System
integrators

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 various resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transformers. End Users
Semiconductor manufacturers buy silicon and other materi- The end user is the ultimate customer—and a major em-
als like germanium, gallium, arsenic, phosphorus, indium, ployer. Today, almost every person and organization is an
and other chemicals to make the transistors, diodes, and in- end user of electronic equipment. The major categories of
tegrated circuits. end users are:
Then there are the equipment manufacturers that make
complete products, which may be computers, cell phones, • Consumers
TV sets, cable boxes, military radios and radars, or auto- • Government (national, state, county, and city)
mobile components like ignitions, fuel injectors, and fuel • Military
control computers. You will often hear these companies • Transportation (airlines, railroads, trucking, and
referred to as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). shipping)
Engineers design the products and manufacturing produces • Education (schools, colleges, and universities)
them. There are jobs for engineers, technicians, production
• Hospitals and health care organizations
workers, salespeople, field service personnel, technical writ-
• General business
ers, and trainers.
The final category is system manufacturers or integra- • Industry, manufacturing, process control, and
tors that put together larger, more complex systems like pro- automation.
cesses controls for petroleum processing, military aircraft, • Telecommunications (telephone, broadcast, satellite,
or satellite systems like GPS. Other system examples are air cellular, and networking)
traffic control, broadband Internet access, wireless base sta- What you will most likely find is that most of the good elec-
tions, and electrical utility monitoring and control. Again, tronic technician jobs are not directly in the electronics in-
there are many jobs for engineers and technicians. dustry itself but in the end user category.
Resellers 1.7 Where Are You Headed?
Manufacturers that do not sell products directly to the end Hopefully this chapter has given you some ideas and at
users sell the products to reselling organizations, which in least a working knowledge of the industry. And if you did
turn sell them to the end user. For example, a manufacturer not have any idea of what you wanted to do in electronics,
of marine communication equipment may not sell directly perhaps you now have a better feel for what is available and
to a boat owner but instead to a regional distributor or ma- what you may be doing on the job. If not, then continue to
rine electronics store or shop. This shop not only sells the explore the field on your own, so when you do graduate from
equipment but also takes care of installation, service, and college, you will have a starting point. Once you get some
repairs. A cellular telephone or copy machine manufacturer real-world experience, you may want to change and you will
also typically sells to a distributor or dealer that takes care readily identify new jobs and opportunities as you work.
of sales and service. Most of the jobs available in the re- One key to success in electronics is to find the most prom-
selling segment of the industry are in sales, service, and ising emerging technologies and find or prepare for jobs in
training. those areas where the growth will be greatest. When growth
Other sales organizations are sales representatives that is fast, many jobs open up as do opportunities for learning
sell components or equipment, or system integrators that buy and advancement. Some of the more promising areas offer-
equipment from others and assemble it into a more complex ing potential future growth are:
system for a specific application.
• Alternative energy. Solar, wind, geothermal, and other
Service Organizations so-called green energy jobs are sparse now but slowly
These companies usually perform some kind of service, such increasing and will ultimately offer some interesting
as repair, installation, or maintenance. One example is an new opportunities.
avionics company that does installation or service work on • Biomedical. The health care industry is huge and still
electronic equipment for private planes. Another is a systems growing. Electronic equipment is an enormous part of
integrator, a company that designs and assembles a piece of this industry.
communication equipment or more often an entire system by • Wireless. The cellular industry continues its amazing
using the products of other companies. Systems integrators growth with many opportunities.
put together systems to meet special needs and customize • Broadband Internet connectivity. Cable TV and
existing systems for particular jobs. Best Buy and similar broadband wireless services are also growing. Fiber
retail organizations also perform service and repair. optics is a continuing growth area.

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 • Electric utilities. Retiring baby-boom generation person- Inputs Processes Outputs
Compact disc (CD)
nel are leaving this legacy field wide open. The emer-
gence of the smart grid and alternative energy sources
makes electric utility jobs more exciting than ever. Process

Amplification,
formatting,
1.8 How Electronic Equipment and digital-to-analog Speakers
conversion,
Circuits Work Laser Photo power amplification
light detector
The study of electronics is one of learning electrical theo-
ries, electronic device characteristics, and circuit operation.
But before venturing into those details, here is a simplified
overview of how all electronic gadgets work.
Figure 1-7 A compact disc (CD) player.
Figure 1-5 shows the big picture. It is a relatively simple
concept overall but becomes more complex as you dig deeper
into the various elements. Inputs that are electrical signals
representing some type of information—such as voice,
that normally covered by a human voice. A person speaks
video, sensor data, computer data, or other intelligence—
into a microphone. The microphone is a sensor that gener-
are applied to circuits or equipment to be processed. These
ates electric voltage that represents the voice. The voice volt-
signals are voltages. A voltage is an electrical quantity that
age is amplified by several amplifier circuits, and a larger
causes current to flow. The overall goal in electronics is to
stronger voice signal is generated. This output signal is ap-
create the input voltages and then process them into other
plied to one or more speakers. The speaker is a transducer
voltages called outputs. The result is some useful end result.
that converts the signal into sound waves.
The processing takes many forms. Some common pro-
Another example is shown in Fig. 1-7. A compact disc
cesses are amplification, attenuation, filtering, computation,
(CD) player gets its inputs from a compact disk which has
conversion, decision making, interpretation, or translation.
embedded music or other sounds. A laser light is shined on
The process then generates new output signals that do some-
the bottom of the spinning CD, and reflections from the em-
thing useful.
bedded music produce digital or pulse signals in the photo
A simple example is given in Fig. 1-6. This public address
detector. These signals are then amplified, converted, and
system allows sound to be distributed over a wider area than
translated into the audio signals that drive the speakers or
headphones. A DVD player works the same way, although
Inputs Outputs
the information on the DVD disc includes video and audio.
Voltages Process(es) Voltages
The outputs are audio to speakers and video to a liquid-
crystal display (LCD) or other TV screen.
A computer or laptop is a good example. See Fig. 1-8.
Amplify
Attenuate The inputs to the computer are voltages developed from key-
Convert boards, mouse, disk drives, digital cameras, microphones,
Compute
Make decisions
video cameras, or the Internet. These inputs are stored in a
Interpret memory and processed by the computer in some way. The
Translate processing is defined by software. Software consists of many
programs that define how to process the inputs and create
Figure 1-5 A model of all electronic circuits or equipment.
new outputs. These programs are also stored in a memory.
The computer then generates output signals that drive the
Process LCD screen, speakers, disk drives, a printer, or other pe-
Speakers ripheral device. The computer also works with modems
Microphone OUTPUT
voltage and interfaces to connect to networks and the Internet. The
INPUT
diagram in Fig. 1-8 is also representative of the new tablet
voltage computers.
Amplifiers
An industrial control example is given in Fig. 1-9. A tank
holds a liquid for some type of chemical process that is part
of manufacturing an end product. The liquid must be kept
at a specific temperature, so a heating element is attached to
Figure 1-6 A public address system. the bottom of the tank and a temperature sensor is used to

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 Figure 1-8 A complete example of the Inputs Processes Outputs

electronics model. Keyboard

Mouse Video monitor

Disk drives Personal computer Printer

• Central processor
• Memory
Digital or
• Input/output Disk drives
video camera

Internet Speakers/
Modem
headphones
Software
Network
Interface

Figure 1-9 An industrial control example of Liquid-level Temperature

sensor sensor
the electronics model. Intake Outlet
valve valve
Liquid
Liquid
To next
Heating process
source element

Tank

Computer or control
circuits

measure the temperature. The tank also has an output valve 1.9 An Electrical View of Electronics
that can be opened to allow the liquid to pass on to the next
Another way to view electronic circuits is shown in Fig. 1-10.
process. An input valve lets more liquid into the tank as it
It begins with a voltage source. Remember that a voltage is
drains. A liquid-level sensor is used to detect when the tank
a form of electric energy that causes current to flow. The
is full.
In this example, the inputs come from the temperature
sensor and liquid-level sensor. The outputs are the heating
Input
element, input valve, and the output valve. These inputs and
outputs attach to a computer or some specialized control cir-
cuit. If the liquid-level sensor detects that the tank is not full, Control element
or circuit
it tells the control circuit to open the input valve and let the
liquid in. The input valve is closed when the tank is full. The
process here is decision making based on the liquid level. Voltage source
Useful
When the tank is full, the controller next reads the tem- Input (causes current Load
output
to flow)
perature. If the liquid is not hot enough, it generates a signal
that turns on the heating element until the desired higher
temperature is reached. The control circuits turn off the
heater. Finally, a signal to the output valve opens it to let the Interconnecting wires
liquid flow to the next stage of the process. All the process- Current flow
ing is built into a program in a computer or an electronic
circuit. Figure 1-10 An electric current model of electronics.

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 voltage is an input. Current is electrons, subatomic particles ON/OFF switch (control)

that move through wires and electric components. The cur-

rent flows through a load that produces the desired output.
Some form of control element or circuit is used to vary the Battery ⫹ Light-emitting
(voltage source diode (LED)
current in some way to produce the desired output. Another or input) ⫺
input causes the desired control. As indicated earlier, the
whole objective of electronic circuits is to use a voltage to
(a)
create current that is then controlled in a specific way to pro-
duce an output in the load. Input
Some simple examples are given in Fig. 1-11. Figure 1-11a
shows a flashlight. The voltage comes from a battery. The load
is a light-emitting diode (LED). A simple on-off switch is the Speed
control circuit
control element. In Fig. 1-11b, the standard alternating current
(ac) voltage from a wall outlet is the voltage source. The load AC power
line M Drill motor
is the motor on an electric drill. The speed is controlled by an
(Input)
electric circuit that varies the current in the motor.
While these are simple examples, they illustrate the con-
(b)
cept. Remember, all electronic circuits operate this way. And
electronic equipment is made up of many such circuits oper- Figure 1-11 Sample circuit examples. (a) Flashlight.
ating concurrently to do more complex things. (b) Electric drill.

CHAPTER 1 REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following is not one of the major 5. An integrated circuit is a component.
segments of electronics? a. True.
a. Medical electronics. b. False.
b. Communications. 6. The duties of a technician do not usually involve
c. Instrumentation. a. troubleshooting.
d. Computers. b. installation.
2. Which of the following is the oldest segment of c. analysis and design.
electronics? d. equipment testing.
a. Control. 7. The main duties of an engineer are
b. Communications. a. equipment maintenance.
c. Instrumentation. b. troubleshooting.
d. Computers. c. design and circuit analysis.
3. Which of the following is the largest segment of d. equipment operation.
electronics? 8. An engineer requires at least which degree for a job?
a. Components. a. Associate’s.
b. Communications. b. Bachelor’s.
c. Instrumentation. c. Master’s.
d. Control. d. PhD.
4. Which of the following is not used in military 9. The primary degree of technician jobs is the
electronics? a. associate’s.
a. Computers. b. bachelor’s.
b. Communications. c. master’s.
c. Control. d. high school’s.
d. All are used.

Survey of Electronics 13

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 10. A core difference between technician and engineer 16. Current flow is
education is primarily a. like atoms in motion.
a. the humanities. b. molecules.
b. management training. c. liquid atoms.
c. math and science. d. moving electrons.
d. electronics. 17. Which is not a major part of a simple electrical
11. A graduate with an AAS degree in electronics tech- system?
nology can transfer directly to a BSEE program. a. Load.
a. True. b. Control element.
b. False. c. Voltage source.
12. What must you do to stay competent and employable d. Protection device.
electronics? 18. What is a good supplement to an AAS degree in
a. Get a master’s degree. getting a job in electronics?
b. Work more than three jobs in your career. a. A second AAS degree.
c. Find a mentor. b. A license or certification.
d. Engage in some form of continuing education. c. A bachelor’s degree.
13. Which of the following in not a type of process that d. Any job experience.
an electronic input signal may encounter? 19. A BSET degree is considered as part of which field of
a. Stretching. education?
b. Amplification. a. Technology.
c. Filtering. b. Engineering.
d. Conversion. c. Business.
14. The result of electronic processing is d. Science.
a. new inputs. 20. What is your best immediate source of learning in
b. removal of inputs. electronics?
c. new outputs. a. Books.
d. a change in process. b. Magazines.
15. What causes current to flow? c. The Internet.
a. Electric power. d. Other people.
b. Voltage.
c. Electrons.
d. Magnetism.

CHAPTER 1 ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. What do you think is the single most important elec- 8. Which of the newer growth segments of electronics
tronic invention? interests you most? Why?
2. What is your favorite electronic product? 9. Name the inputs, outputs, and main processes that
3. What electronic product could you not do without? take place in a smartphone like an Apple iPhone.
4. Of the major segments of electronics, which interests 10. What is your main goal in pursuing a career in
you the most? electronics? A good job, money, interest, security,
fascination, contribute to society, or what?
5. Would you rather be an engineer or a technician? Why?
11. What is your electronic hobby?
6. Do you prefer hands-on work with electronic equip-
ment or more abstract thinking about and analyzing 12. What hobby would you like to pursue?
of electronic products?
7. Does the business side of electronics (finance,
accounting, economics, marketing, management,
etc.) interest you? Why?

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