Electronics guide > The very first steps
The very first stepsMost people look at an electronic circuit diagram, or a printed circuit board,
and have no idea what they are. One component on the board, and one little squiggle
on the diagram, looks much as another. For them, electronics is a black art, practised
by weird techies, spouting untranslatable jargon and abbreviations which make absolutely
no sense whatsoever to the rest of us in the real world.
But this needn’t be! Electronics is not a black art — it’s just a science. And
like any other science — chemistry, physics or whatever — you only need to know
the rules to know what’s happening. What’s more, if you know the rules you’re set
to gain an awful lot of enjoyment from it because, unlike many sciences, electronics
is a practical one; more so than just about any other science. The scientific rules
which electronics is built on are few and far between, and many of them don’t even
have to be considered when we deal in components and circuits. Most of the things
you need to know about components and the ways they can be connected together are
simply mechanical and don’t involve complicated formulae or theories at all.
That’s why electronics is a hobby which can be immensely rewarding. Knowing just
a few things, you can set about building your own circuits. You can understand how
many modern electronic appliances work, and you can even design you own. I’m not
saying you’ll be an electronics whizz-kid, of course — it really does take a lot
of studying, probably a university degree, and at least several years’ experience,
to be that — but what I am saying is that there’s lots you can do with just a little
practical knowledge. That’s what this book is all about — starting electronics.
The rest is up to you.
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