Chapter 5
Reading Schematic Diagrams
In This Chapter
Depicting circuits in simplified diagrams
Introducing common component symbols
Representing voltage supply and common ground circuits
Seeing how components are typically labelled
You come across many different types of maps: roadmaps to take on holiday, political maps of the countries of the world and geological maps of underlying rocks, to mention just a few. When you think of a map, you may well visualise a bird’s eye view, showing the precise distances and physical relationships between places, features and landmarks.
Yet one of the world’s most famous, useful and influential maps doesn’t do that at all. Harry Beck’s colour-coded diagrammatic map of the London Underground doesn’t depict exact locations or distances, but focuses instead on the important aspects of the order and connections (check out the nearby sidebar ‘Finding your way underground’).
Electronics uses its own form of map: the schematic diagram. Like Beck’s map these diagrams show how all the different parts that make up an electronic circuit are connected, instead ...
