5 Major Parts Of Electrical Circuit Design You Should Know About
What happens when you press the ignition on your automobile? Or what happens when you flick the switch that turns of the lightbulb?
There are so many technologies in our life that work intricately and about which we have no idea. What we see is the engine running or the light coming from the bulb. What we do not see is the myriad functions that seamlessly happen in the background leading to the end result.
Almost everything is governed by the laws of physics. Every gadget that you see in your house runs through a mechanical brain known as the Circuit Board. Good circuit boards have at their heart a strong and efficient electrical circuit design.
In this resource article, we are going to look at and examine the five major parts of an electrical circuit design. Before we get to the list of components, let us first try to understand what is electrical circuit design.
Electrical Circuit Designs: What you should know
Every piece of technology around us that runs on electrical power needs to have a circuit design. It is a physical component that integrates the various hardware components that help in the efficient flow of electricity to parts.
Electrical circuits can either be analog or digital in shape and form. They can be based on linear as well as non-linear flow of power. Basic electrical circuits can be designed by one individual. Some examples are your normal transistors.
Complex electrical circuits require electrical engineers to use design and simulation tools like SEACAD SOLIDWORKS Electrical software. Whether it is designing the circuit boards of automobiles or systems on airplanes, simulation software is used by designers and engineers.
List of 5 Major Components of Electrical Circuit Design
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)-
Imagine this as the base of any electrical circuit. A PCB ensures that the layout of all the components of the circuit design is efficiently placed out according to their rational order. It is the blueprint that helps in placing pathways, tracing electrical signals, and ensuring that the entire system works flawlessly. Designers and engineers use simulation software for PCB.
Energy Source-
There are multiple forms of energy sources. They can be either in the form of batteries, like the ones in your car or in the laptop. Or, it can be in the form of a constant source. For example, the power and voltage from the energy grids that power your home. The energy can let out power in the form of both AC and DC sources. This is measured in amperes (amps).
Switch or Button-
This is the most physical aspect of the entire process. A switch is what triggers the power flow into the system. It can be in the form of a simple flick one, toggle switches, or buttons that you usually see performing the start-stop ignition functions in automobiles. The main function of the switch is to act as a gatekeeper between the source and the effect. It lets in or cuts off power.
The Conductor-
In very simple words, the conductor is all the wiring that carries the electrical load or voltage from the source and transports it all through the circuit and into the movements. You can think of a conductor as the blood vessels in your body that carry oxygenated blood to the different organs. In much the same way, a conductor carries live current to the parts that need it.
The Load or Pressure-
Every device needs to maintain a certain load and flow of electricity to ensure it works. The Load is the velocity or force of the current required to ensure proper working. Electrical circuits also have systems that help in the regulation of the load. If the system does not have a protective guard too much electricity flowing into the circuit can cause the parts to rupture.
The Bottom Line
Apart from the above-mentioned five major components of an electrical circuit design, there are a number of other components as well. You have transmitters, gates, power-bearing meters as well as hinges that all connect and complement the five major parts and elements.
Whether it is the Smart TV in your home or the NASA satellite blasting off into space, everything has at its heart an electrical circuit. If you have any other questions, you would like us to discuss the topic, please let us know in the comments below.
