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I IntroductionA capacitor is an electronic component composed of an insulator between two conductors, like a sandwich. We can understand it as a container that holds the electric charge. In actual capacitors, two conductors are filled with an insulating dielectric. There are numerous types of dielectrics, so the types of capacitors formed are also different. For example, according to dielectric materials, capacitors can be divided into gas dielectric capacitors, liquid dielectric capacitors, inorganic solid dielectric capacitors, and organic solid dielectric capacitors; according to polarity, they can be divided into polarized capacitors and non-polarized capacitors. This article will introduce the various types of capacitors in detail and some additional basic knowledge of them, mainly explaining from the perspective of the manufacturing process and structure.Capacitors: types, use and testing. CatalogI IntroductionII The Basic Principle of CapacitorsIII Film Capacitor  3.1 Metal Foil Film Capacitor  3.2 Metallized Film CapacitorIV Electrolytic Capacitor  4.1 Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors  4.2 Tantalum Electrolytic Capacitors  4.3 Niobium Electrolytic CapacitorsV Ceramic Capacitor  5.1 Ceramic Disc Capacitor  5.2 Multi-layer Ceramic Capacitor  5.3 Monolithic Capacitors  5.4 Classification of Ceramic MediaVI SupercapacitorVII Fixed, Trimmer and Variable Capacitors  7.1 Mica Capacitor  7.2 Paper Capacitor  7.3 Trimmer Capacitor  7.4 Variable CapacitorVIII Comparison of Polarized Capacitors and Non-polarized Capacitors  8.1 Medium  8.2 Performance  8.3 Capacity  8.4 Structure  8.5 Application Environments and UseIX Axial and Radial Leaded CapacitorsX A Quiz About Capacitor TypesⅪ FAQII The Basic Principle of CapacitorsCapacitors, along with inductors and resistors, are the three basic passive devices in electronics. The function of the capacitor is to store electrical energy in the form of electric field energy.Taking the parallel plate capacitor as an example, we briefly introduce the basic principle of capacitance.Figure1. Parallel Plate CapacitorAs shown in the figure above, a DC voltage is applied to two metal plates that are close to each other and are parallel to each other (the dielectric between the plates). After stabilization, the metal plate connected to the positive electrode of the voltage will exhibit a certain amount of positive charge, while the metal plate connected to the negative electrode of the voltage will exhibit an equal amount of negative charge. In this way, an electrostatic field is formed between the two metal plates, so the capacitor stores electrical energy in the form of electric field energy, and the stored charge is Q. The amount of charge stored in the capacitor Q is related to the voltage U and its own property (that is, the capacitance value C), that is, Q=U*C. According to the theoretical derivation, the capacitance formula of the parallel plate capacitor is as follows:In this formula:C is the capacitance value, the unit is F (Farad)ε is the dielectric constant of the medium, F/mS is the area of the metal flat plate, m²d is the distance between metal plates, mThe ideal capacitor contains a dielectric, and there is no free charge, so it is impossible to produce charge movement, which is the current.  How does the ideal capacitor pass AC power? AC PowerVoltage can form an electric field inside the capacitor, and alternating voltage will produce an alternating electric field. According to the law of full current in Maxwell's equations:This means that either a current or a changing electric field can generate a magnetic field. Maxwell defines ε(∂E/∂t) as a displacement current, which is an equivalent current and represents the change of the electric field. (The current here represents the current density, or J)Let the AC voltage change sinusoidally, ie:The actual displacement current is equal to the current density times the area:Therefore, the capacitive reactance of the capacitor is 1/ωC. When the frequency is high, the capacitive reactance will be very small, which means passing the high frequency. DC BlockingThe DC voltage does not change with time, the displacement current ε(∂E/∂t) is 0, and the DC component cannot pass through.The characteristics of actual capacitors are non-ideal and have some parasitic effects; therefore, a more complicated model is needed to represent the actual capacitors. The commonly used equivalent model is as follow:Figure2. Equivalent ModelSince the medium is not absolutely insulated, there is a certain conductivity; therefore, any capacitor has a leakage current, expressed by the equivalent resistance Rleak;The conductors and electrodes of the capacitor have a certain resistivity, and there is a certain dielectric loss of the dielectric; these losses are uniformly expressed as the equivalent series resistance ESR;There is a certain inductance in the conductor of the capacitor, which has a greater impact at high frequencies, expressed as the equivalent series inductance ESL;In addition, there is a certain hysteresis in any medium, that is, after the capacitor is quickly discharged, the voltage is suddenly disconnected, and the capacitor will recover part of the charge, which is represented by a series RC circuit（Related post: LC circuit）.Most of the time, the main concern is the ESR and ESL of the capacitor. Quality FactorAs with inductors, the quality factor of the capacitor can be defined, which is the Q value, which is the ratio of the stored power of the capacitor to the power loss:Qc=(1/ωC)/ESRThe Q value is a relatively important parameter for high-frequency capacitance. Self-Resonance FrequencyBecause of the existence of ESL, a resonant circuit is formed together with C, and its resonant frequency is the self-resonant frequency of the capacitor. Before the self-resonant frequency, the impedance of the capacitor becomes smaller as the frequency increases; after the self-resonant frequency, the impedance of the capacitor becomes smaller as the frequency increases, which is inductive. As shown in the following figure:Figure3. Self-Resonance FrequencyAccording to the capacitance formula, in addition to the size of the capacitor, the size of the capacitance is related to the Permittivity of the dielectric. The performance of the dielectric affects that of the capacitor, and different media are suitable for different manufacturing processes.Capacitors can be divided into three main categories according to the manufacturing process: Film Capacitor Electrolytic Capacitor Ceramic CapacitorIII Film CapacitorFilm capacitors are made by winding two plastic films with metal electrodes into a cylindrical shape, and finally encapsulated; because its medium is usually plastic material, also known as plastic film capacitors. Its internal structure is rough as shown in the following figure:Figure4. The Structure of Film CapacitorFilm capacitors can be divided into two categories according to the manufacturing process of their electrodes:3.1 Metal Foil Film Capacitor For metal foil film capacitors, a thin metal foil, usually aluminum foil, is directly added to the plastic film as an electrode. This process is relatively simple, the electrode is easy to lead out, and can be applied to large current occasions.3.2 Metallized Film CapacitorMetalized film capacitors form a thin metal surface directly on the surface of the plastic film by vacuum deposition process as an electrode. Because the thickness of the electrode is very thin, it can be wound into a capacitor with a larger capacity. However, due to the thickness of the electrode, it is only suitable for small current applications.Figure5. Metallized Film ConstructionThe metalized film capacitor has the function of self-repair, that is, if there is a breakdown point inside the capacitor, an avalanche effect will occur at the damaged place, and the vaporized metal will form a vaporized assembly surface at the damaged place, the short circuit disappears, and the damaged point is repaired. Therefore, the reliability of the metalized thin film capacitor is very high, and will not fail due to a short circuit. There are two winding methods for film capacitors:Inductive winding method Before winding, the lead has been connected with the internal electrode.After the non-inductive winding method, gold plating and other processes are used to connect the internal electrodes of the two end surfaces into one surface, so that a smaller ESL can be obtained, and the high frequency performance should be higher.In addition, there is a laminated type non-inductive capacitor, the structure is similar to MLCC, the performance is better, and it is easy to make SMD package.Figure6. Winding MethodsThe characteristic of the film capacitor is that it can achieve large capacity and high withstand voltage. However, due to process reasons, its size is difficult to be small, and it is usually used in strong electric circuits, such as the power electronics industry.Figure7. Winding MethodsIV Electrolytic CapacitorElectrolytic capacitors use metal as an anode, and form a metal oxide film on the surface as a medium, and then wet or solid electrolyte and metal as a cathode. Electrolytic capacitors are mostly polarized. If the metal on the cathode side also has an oxide film, it is a non-polarized electrolytic capacitor.Depending on the metal used, there are three types of electrolytic capacitors:4.1 Aluminum Electrolytic CapacitorsAluminum electrolytic capacitors should be the most widely used electrolytic capacitors and the cheapest. Its basic structure is shown in the following figure:Figure8. The Structure of Aluminum Electrolytic CapacitorThe manufacturing process of aluminum electrolytic capacitors is roughly as follows:First, the aluminum foil will form a very rough surface by electroetching process, which increases the surface area of the electrode and can increase the capacitance;The anode is oxidized by a chemical method to form an oxide layer as a medium;Then, a layer of electrolytic paper is added between the anode aluminum foil and the cathode aluminum foil as a separator, and is pressed and wound;Finally, fill the electrolyte, the electrolytic paper will absorb the electrolyte, and the package is molded.Wet aluminum electrolytic capacitors using electrolyte are the most widely used, with the advantages of large capacitance, high rated voltage, and low cost. The disadvantages are also obvious, that is, shorter life, poor temperature characteristics, and larger ESR and ESL. For hardware development, it is necessary to avoid over-design. In the case of meeting performance requirements, cheap is the biggest advantage.Recommendation: How to Test Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors4.2 Tantalum Electrolytic CapacitorsThe most widely used tantalum electrolytic capacitor should use manganese dioxide as a solid electrolyte. The internal structure of the solid tantalum electrolytic capacitor is rough as shown in the figure below:Figure9. The Internal Structure of the Solid Tantalum Electrolytic CapacitorCompared with aluminum electrolytic capacitors, the dielectric constant of tantalum oxide (tantalum pentoxide) is much higher than that of aluminum oxide (aluminum oxide). With the same volume, the capacity of tantalum capacitors is larger than that of aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Tantalum capacitors have a longer life and more stable electrical performance.Figure10. The Internal Structure of the Solid Tantalum Electrolytic CapacitorTantalum capacitors also use conductive polymer as electrolyte, the structure is similar to the manganese dioxide tantalum capacitor in the above figure, which is to replace manganese dioxide with a conductive polymer. Conductive polymers have higher conductivity than manganese dioxide, so ESR will be lower. In addition, there are wet tantalum capacitors, which are characterized by super large capacity, high withstand voltage, and low DC leakage current, which is mainly used in military and aerospace fields.Figure11. Wet Tantalum Capacitors4.3 Niobium Electrolytic CapacitorsNiobium electrolytic capacitors are similar to tantalum electrolytic capacitors, in that niobium and its oxides replace tantalum. The dielectric constant of niobium oxide (niobium pentoxide) is higher than that of tantalum oxide (tantalum pentoxide). The performance of niobium capacitors is more stable and more reliable.V Ceramic CapacitorCeramic capacitors use ceramic materials as dielectric materials. There are many types of ceramic materials with different dielectric constants and stability, which are suitable for different occasions.Ceramic capacitors mainly include the following:5.1 Ceramic Disc CapacitorThe main advantage of the ceramic capacitor is that it can withstand high voltage, and it is usually used as a safety capacitor, which can withstand 250V AC voltage. Its appearance and structure are shown below:Figure12. The Structure of Ceramic Disc Capacitor5.2 Multi-layer Ceramic CapacitorMulti-layer ceramic capacitors, that is, MLCCs, chip multi-layer ceramic capacitors are currently the most widely used capacitor types in the world. Their standardized packaging and small size are suitable for automated high-density chip production.The internal structure of the multilayer ceramic capacitor is shown below:Figure13. Internal Structure of Chip Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor5.3 Monolithic CapacitorsBecause multilayer ceramics need to be sintered and porcelainized to form an integrated structure, the multilayer ceramic capacitors in lead packages are also called monolithic capacitors.The structure of monolithic capacitors is that several ceramic film blanks are covered with electrode paddle material, and after being laminated, they are wound into an inseparable whole at a time, and the outside is encapsulated with resin.Monolithic capacitors are a new type of capacitors with small volume, large capacity, high reliability and high-temperature resistance. Low-frequency monolithic capacitors with high dielectric constant also have stable performance and are actively small.5.4 Classification of Ceramic MediaAccording to EIA-198-1F-2002, ceramic media are mainly divided into four categories:Class I: Ceramic medium with temperature compensation characteristics, the dielectric constant is mostly low, not more than 200. It is usually a paraelectric medium. Under temperature, frequency and bias voltage, the dielectric constant is relatively stable and the change is small. The loss is also very low, the dissipation factor is less than 0.01.Figure14. Coding of Class 1 Capacitors According to EIA SpecificationThe most stable and most used is the C0G capacitor, or NP0. NP0 is the code name for the IEC/EN 60384-1 standard as Negative Positive Zero, using N and P for Positive and Negative deviations.Due to the low dielectric constant, the capacitance value of C0G capacitor is small and can be up to 0.1uF. The 0402 package usually has a maximum of 1000pF. Class II, III: Among them, the temperature characteristic A-S belongs to Class II, and the dielectric constant is about several thousand. The temperature characteristic T-V belongs to Class III, and the dielectric constant can be as high as 20000. It can be seen that the performance of Class III is more unstable. According to the classification of IEC, both Class II and III belong to the second category, high dielectric constant media. For example, X5R and X7R are Class II capacitors, which are widely used in power supply decoupling, while Y5V belongs to Class III capacitors, and their performance is not stable.Figure15. EIA Coding of Class 2 and 3 CapacitorsThe capacitance value of Class II and III capacitors can be up to several hundred uF, but due to the high dielectric constant medium, most of them are ferroelectric medium (Ferroelectric), and the temperature stability is poor. In addition, the dielectric constant of ferroelectric media will decrease under DC bias voltage. Class IV: The manufacturing process is different from the usual ceramic materials. The internal ceramic particles are all a thin oxide layer on the outside, and the core is a conductor. This type of capacitor has a large capacity but a small breakdown voltage. Due to the unstable performance and high loss of these capacitors, they have been basically eliminated.VI SupercapacitorSupercapacitor refers to a new type of energy storage device between a traditional capacitor and a rechargeable battery. There are two ways to store charge: EDLC and pseudocapacitance. It not only has the characteristics of rapid charge and discharge of the capacitor but also has the energy storage characteristics of the battery. The capacity of the supercapacitor is particularly large. It can replace the battery as a power supply device, and can also be used in conjunction with the battery. Supercapacitors charge fast, can be fully charged and discharged, and can be charged to any desired voltage, as long as the rated voltage is not exceeded. There are many applications of supercapacitors, for example, many cities in China have supercapacitor electric buses. There are also applications in some electronic products, such as some driving recorders, which can continue to supply power for several days.Figure16. SupercapacitorsVII Fixed, Trimmer and Variable CapacitorsA capacitor with a fixed capacitance is called a fixed capacitor. According to the different media can be divided into ceramics, mica, paper, film, electrolysis. Having described film capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, and ceramic capacitors, let's look at the other two types of fixed capacitors.  7.1 Mica CapacitorMica capacitors can be divided into foil type and silver type. Silver electroplating is very direct on mica sheets by vacuum evaporation or sintering method. Due to the elimination of the air gap, the temperature coefficient is greatly reduced and the capacitance stability is higher than foil type. Mica capacitors are widely used in high-frequency electrical appliances and can be used as standard capacitors. The glaze capacitor is made of a special mixture with a concentration suitable for spraying into a film. The medium is then sintered with a silver layer electrode to form a "monolithic" structure. Glass glaze capacitor is comparable to a mica capacitor in performance and can withstand various climates. It can generally work at 200℃ or higher, with rated working voltage up to 500 V and loss tan = 0.0005 ~ 0.008.Figure17. Silver Mica Capacitors7.2 Paper CapacitorPaper capacitors are widely used in radio and electronic equipment. Generally, two aluminum foils are used as electrodes, which are separated by overlapping winding of capacitor paper with a thickness of 0.008 ~ 0.012 mm. Simple manufacturing process, low price, can obtain a large capacitance, generally below 0.25 F, but the capacity error is large and difficult to control, good quality is ±10%, loss (tan ≤ 0.015), temperature and frequency characteristic stability is poor. The paper capacitors commonly used in the past are non-sealed, impregnated only with ground wax, paraffin wax and chlorinated diphenyl, etc., which are prone to aging and poor stability. They are easily affected by humidity, insulation resistance decreases after being affected by moisture, and atmospheric pressure also affects them. The paper capacitor whose core is sealed inside the metal or ceramic tube is of good quality and has little influence on the external climatic conditions. It can be normally used in the situation with the relative humidity up to 95 ~ 98 %. The electrode of metalized paper capacitor uses vacuum evaporation to directly attach the metal to the capacitor paper, which is only about 1/4 of the volume of the ordinary paper capacitor. Its main feature is its "self-recovery" function, that is, it can be "self-healing" after a breakdown. It is an improved type of paper capacitor. Oil-immersed capacitors have a higher voltage than ordinary paper capacitors, good stability, suitable for high-voltage circuits.Paper capacitors are intermediate frequency capacitors, which are generally used in low-frequency circuits and usually cannot be used in frequencies higher than 3 ~ 4 MHz.Figure18. Paper Capacitor7.3 Trimmer CapacitorTrimmer capacitors, also called semi-variable capacitors, have a capacitance that can be adjusted within a small range and fixed to a certain capacitance value after adjustment.Ceramic trimmer capacitors are of high quality and small size, and can usually be divided into two types: round tube type and round chip type.Trimmer capacitors for mica and polystyrene media are usually of spring-loaded structure, which is simple in structure but less stable.The wire-wound porcelain trimmer capacitor is used to change the capacitance by removing the copper wire (external electrode), so the capacitance can only be reduced and is not suitable for repeated debugging.7.4 Variable CapacitorAs the name implies, a variable capacitor means that the capacitance value can vary over a large range and can be determined to a certain value. Variable capacitors are divided into two forms: film medium and air medium. It is commonly used in coupling and tuning circuits, such as double capacitors, ceramic capacitors and so on.VIII Comparison of Polarized Capacitors and Non-polarized Capacitors8.1 MediumWhat is the medium? To put it bluntly, is the substance between the two plates of the capacitor. Most polarized capacitors use an electrolyte as the dielectric material. Generally, capacitors of the same volume have large polar capacitance. In addition, different electrolytic materials and processes produce polarized capacitors of the same volume. Furthermore, pressure resistance is also closely related to the use of dielectric materials. There are likewise many non-polarized capacitor dielectric materials, most of which use metal oxide film and polyester. Because the reversible or irreversible performance of the medium determines the use environment of polarized and non-polarized capacitors.8.2 PerformancePerformance is the requirement for use, and maximum demand is the requirement for use. If the metal oxide film capacitor is used for filtering in the power supply part of the TV, the capacitor capacity and withstand voltage required by the filtering must be achieved. Maybe only a power supply can be installed in this case. Therefore, only polarized capacitors can be utilized for filtering, and these capacitors are irreversible. In other words, the positive electrode must be connected to the high potential end, and the negative electrode must be connected to the low potential end. Generally, the electrolytic capacitor is above 1 microfarad for coupling, decoupling, power supply filtering, etc. Non-polarized capacitors are mostly below 1 microfarad, participating in resonance, coupling, frequency selection, current limiting, etc. Of course, there are also large-capacity and high-pressure-resistant ones, which are mostly used for reactive power compensation of electric power, phase shifting of motors, and frequency shifting power supply. There are many types of non-polarized capacitors, so this article won’t go into detail.Figure19. Classification of Capacitors8.3 CapacityAs mentioned earlier, the electrical media of the same volume are different, so the capacity is not equal.8.4 StructureIn principle, any shape capacitors can be used in the environment without considering the tip discharge. The electrolytic capacitors (polarized capacitors) that are usually used are round, and the square ones are rarely utilized. The shape of non-polarized capacitors varies. Like tube shape, deformed rectangle, sheet shape, square shape,combined square shape and round shape, etc., see where it is used. Of course, there are invisible. Intangible here refers to distributed capacitance. The distributed capacitance must not be ignored in high-neck and intermediate-frequency devices.8.5 Application Environments and UseIn the repair of home appliances, all of the above may be found. If you want to understand in a simple way, you have to find out by yourself.Because of the relationship between its internal materials and construction, the capacity of polarized capacitors (such as aluminum electrolysis) can be very large, but its high-frequency characteristics are not good, so it is suitable for power supply filtering and other occasions, but there are also good high-frequency characteristics. Polarized capacitor-tantalum electrolysis, its price is relatively high; Non-polarized capacitors are small in size, low in price, and satisfactory in high-frequency characteristics, but they are not suitable for large capacity. Like ceramic capacitors, monolithic capacitors, and polyethylene (CBB) capacitors, ceramic capacitors are generally used in high-frequency filtering and oscillation circuits.Figure20. Axial and Radial Type ConstructionIX Axial and Radial Leaded CapacitorsOne method of packaging capacitors is the lead structure. 　　Axial capacitance refers to the capacitance of the two pole leads on the same axis. Generally, it is a non-inductive structure. It is made of metalized polyester film as the dielectric/electrode. The wire is tinned copper clad steel wire (or flexible wire), the outer layer is wrapped with polyester tape, and both ends are sealed with epoxy resin.Figure21. Axial Lead StructureAxial leads (the leads are on the same plane as the capacitor axis) are radial leads. The figure below shows an example of a radial lead. The lead is in the radial position of the capacitor. Critical dimensions are lead spacing "S", height "H", length "L" and thickness "P'. Because they are inserted on the printed circuit board rather than on the surface of the circuit board like surface mount components, axial And radial elements are collectively referred to as "plug-in elements".Figure22. Radial Lead StructureX A Quiz About Capacitor TypesQuestion:The capacitors which use chemical reactions to store charge are calledA.ceramic capacitorsB.fixed capacitorsC.parallel plate capacitorsD.electrolytic capacitorsAnswer:D Ⅺ FAQ1. How do you identify a capacitor?Ceramic types of capacitors generally have a 3-digit code printed onto their body to identify their capacitance value in pico-farads. Generally, the first two digits indicate the value of the capacitor and the third digit indicates the number of zero's to be added. 2. What are the 2 types of capacitors?Capacitors are divided into two mechanical groups: Fixed capacitors with fixed capacitance values and variable capacitors with variable (trimmer) or adjustable (tunable) capacitance values. The most important group is the fixed capacitors. Many got their names from the dielectric. 3. Can a 440v capacitor be used for a 230v application?The 440 volts listed on the cap is the maximum allowable voltage the capacitor can handle. You could actually use a 370-volt cap on 230 volts. ... Capacitor is connected in series with the auxiliary winding of the motor. Since winding is inductive, the voltage across the capacitor is much higher than the supply voltage. 4. What side of the capacitor is positive?Electrolytic capacitors have positive and negative sides. To tell which side is which, look for a large stripe or a minus sign (or both) on one side of the capacitor. The lead closest to that stripe or minus sign is the negative lead, and the other lead (which is unlabeled) is the positive lead. 5. What does 50 uF mean on a capacitor?It's a symbol that means micro so 50 μF means 50 microfarads or 000050 Farads. The farad is such a large unit that the microfarad is the practical unit for capacitance. 6. What are capacitors in parallel called?When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitors' capacitances. If two or more capacitors are connected in parallel, the overall effect is that of a single equivalent capacitor having the sum total of the plate areas of the individual capacitors. 7. Are AC and DC capacitors interchangeable?You can use AC caps on DC. AC caps have a much higher DC rating. All capacitors have microscopic air bubbles between the foil layers. DC is just a special case where the polarity of the voltage does not change, so you can use AC capacitors - as is - in a DC application. 8. Which type of capacitor is polarized?The only type of capacitor that is polarized (works differently depending on which way the current is flowing) is the electrolytic capacitor. Electrolytic capacitors have higher capacitance, but for most purposes, the non-polarized capacitor is preferred. 9. What is the main function of the capacitor?A capacitor is an electronic component that stores and releases electricity in a circuit. It also passes alternating current without passing direct current. A capacitor is an indispensable part of electronic equipment and is thus almost invariably used in an electronic circuit. 10. What happens if you use the wrong size capacitor?If the wrong run capacitor is installed, the motor will not have an even magnetic field. This will cause the rotor to hesitate at those spots that are uneven. This hesitation will cause the motor to become noisy, increase energy consumption, cause performance to drop, and cause the motor to overheat. 

I IntroductionThis article introduces the basics of low voltage transformer, including the definition of low voltage transformer, the principle of low voltage transformer, its installation method, malfunction, and how to repair a household low voltage transformer. A transformer is an electronic instrument that we can use everywhere in our lives. For example, we are inseparable from the mobile phone chargers. The internal components also have transformers. For example, the power supply in our computers is also composed of transformers. Therefore, all electronic products are indispensable for transformers. The transformers used in electronic components are all power transformers (included low voltage transformers). The power transformer is mainly used in electronic products to convert the power supply to the voltage required by the electronic circuit.CatalogⅠIntroductionⅡ Basics of low voltage transformer2.1 Definition of low voltage transformer2.2 Types of low voltage transformers2.3 How does low voltage transformer work?2.4 Design requirements of low voltage transformer2.5 Application environmentⅢ Differences between low&high voltage transformerⅣ How to Estimate the Loss of Low Voltage TransformerV Guide to What You May be Interested in5.1 How to Install Low Voltage Transformer for Household?5.2 How to Troubleshoot a Low-Voltage Transformer5.3 Repairing a household transformer5.4 Malfunction of factory low voltage transformerVI One Question Related to Low Voltage Transformer6.1 Question (Multiple choice questions)6.2 AnswerVII FAQII Basics of Low Voltage Transformer2.1 Definition of Low Voltage Transformer Transformers are important power equipment in our life, especially low-voltage transformer. Whether it is for large-scale power plants or home circuits, it is inseparable from the transformer. There are two kinds of transformers used in our life, one is the high-voltage transformer which used in the high-voltage or ultra-high-voltage circuit, the other is the low-voltage transformer which used in the family lighting circuit or small power circuit.The so-called low-voltage transformer refers to the transformer with low load voltage. As long as the load is lower than 600V, it can be called a low-voltage transformer. The low-voltage transformer is mainly composed of primary coil, secondary coil, and a magnet iron circuit. Low voltage transformers are commonly used for low voltage lighting, which typically only uses 12 or 24 volts. 2.2 Types of Low Voltage TransformersThere are two main types of low voltage transformers: electronic and magnetic.（1）Electronic Low Voltage TransformersElectronic transformers are much smaller, lighter, and less expensive than magnetic counterparts. But they only have about a 5-6 year lifespan. Also, electronic low voltage transformers are known for being noisy.Electronic Low Voltage TransformersAdvantagesDisadvantages▪ Smaller and lighter, easier to hide▪ Less expensive▪ Shorter life span▪ Noisy▪ Heat-sensitive（2）Magnetic Low Voltage TransformersThere are two types of magnetic transformers: stack laminated and toroidal.  Stack laminated transformers have a longer lifespan, about 15 to 20 years. But they only operate at about 80 to 85 percent efficiency, also are known for being noisy.Toroidal transformers are very quiet and more energy efficient. They can operate at about 90 to 95 percent efficiency. And they are long-lived, lasting 20 to 25 years.Magnetic Low Voltage TransformersAdvantagesDisadvantages▪ Long life span of over 15 years▪ Energy efficient▪ Quiet▪ Heavy, big, and difficult to hide▪ Expensive2.3 How Does Low Voltage Transformer Work?Electricity and magnetism are two kinds of energy that can mutually transform. Electricity can generate magnetism, and magnetism can also generate electricity. The low-voltage transformer uses this principle to adjust the voltage through the mutual conversion of electricity and magnetism.A low voltage transformer consists of two electrical coils of wire, one of which is called primary winding and the other is called secondary winding. The primary side of the transformer collects power and the secondary side provides power.Figure 1. Low Voltage Transformer StructureThe two coils intertwine together on a magnet iron circuit core, but without electrically in contact with each other. The magnetic core is made of soft magnetic material, which consists of laminations connected together to help reduce core loss. The core allows power to be transferred from one coil to another. When the primary winding is connected to the power supply, the generated magnetic field transfers the voltage to the secondary winding.Figure 2.  How Does Low Voltage Transformer Work?In summary, the primary winding transforms the electrical power into magnet field when connected to the input voltage supply while secondary winding transforms alternating magnetic field into electrical power of required output.2.4 Design Requirements of Low Voltage TransformerThe low-voltage transformer should be vacuum cast, molded resin encapsulated, 60Hz, Class F insulation, comply with the requirements of IEC726, and meet the requirements of capacity, voltage, phase number, and wiring shown. Each low-voltage transformer has separate primary and secondary windings, and there are two 2.5% normal voltage full-capacity taps above and below the rated voltage on the primary side. The low-voltage transformer should be installed on a base that can isolate, reduce vibration and noise, and the iron core and coil should be properly fixed to withstand the mechanical stress generated in the event of line failure and can withstand 16460 Lite 16460-6 V2. 0 2002/ 11/ 25 Vibration and impact during shipment. Unless otherwise specified, the impedance of low-voltage transformers shall be in accordance with IEC 726. The average noise level of the low-voltage transformer should not exceed the value specified in IEC 726. Each dry-type low-voltage transformer should have appropriate terminals to accommodate the required primary and secondary wiring connections. Low-voltage transformers can be reserved for cable entry from either side or bottom.2.5 Application Environment(1) Ambient air temperature - 5 ℃ to + 40 ℃, 24-houraverage value not more than + 35 ℃(2) The altitude of the installation site shall not exceed 2000m(3) The relative humidity of the atmosphere shall not exceed50% when the ambient air temperature is + 40 ℃(4) A place without violent shaking and impact vibrationIII Differences Between Low&High Voltage Transformer Low Voltage TransformerHigh Voltage Transformerwindingcontinuous windingInterleaved WindingscoolingOil-immersed cooling or air coolingOil-immersed coolingstructureoil tank structurebell jar type oil tankⅣ How to Estimate the Loss of Low Voltage TransformerTransformer loss include copper loss and iron loss. The loss of iron loss is also called no-load loss, and the loss of copper loss is also called load loss. The open circuit of the secondary winding of the transformer applies the no-load current of rated frequency and rated voltage to the primary side, and the active loss caused by the transformer core is called the no-load loss of the transformer. The loss figure can be obtained by the unit loss of the iron core silicon steel sheet multiply the quality of the silicon steel sheet. In general, its loss is very small. For example, the S9-100/10 distribution transformer has a no-load loss of 290W. The larger the transformer capacity, the smaller the no-load loss, generally between 0.3-0.15% of the rated capacity. However, the transformer works continuously for 24 hours, and this loss cannot be ignored. The load loss: The short-circuit of the coil on the secondary side apply the rated current at the rated frequency on the primary side. The transformer loss at this time is the loss of the transformer coil and the iron core. Let's take the S9 series transformer as an example and see its load loss value:The load loss of S9-100/10000 transformer is 1500W.The load loss of S9-1000/10000 transformer is 10300W.The load loss of a transformer is generally between 0.9-1.8%. The larger the transformer, the smaller the load loss.V Guide to What You Maybe Interested in 5.1 How to Install Low Voltage Transformer for Household? First, make sure you have an outlet available. Most family homes will have several outdoor power outlets installed. Second, think about the layout of the lighting. It is important to plan ahead when installing low voltage lighting so that you can avoid any potential problems, especially with the setup.Third, choose a transformer.①Magnetic or Electronic.②Make sure to buy a transformer that can handle the lighting load you need it to.Fourth, install the transformer. Transformers are installed simply by plugging them into your outdoor outlet.5.2 How to Troubleshoot a Low-Voltage Transformer(1) First, check whether there are obvious abnormalities by observing the appearance of the transformer: such as whether the coil lead is broken, whether the insulating material has scorch marks, whether the fastening screw of the iron core is loose, whether the silicon steel sheet is rusted, and whether the winding coil is exposed Wait. (2) Test a transformer with a digital multimeter, open all secondary windings, put the multimeter in the AC block (500mA, in series into the primary winding). When the plug of the primary winding is inserted into the 220V AC mains supply, the multimeter indicates the no-load current value. This value shall not be greater than 10% - 20% of the full load current of the transformer. Generally, the normal no-load current of the power transformer of common electronic equipment should be about 100mA. If too much is exceeded, the transformer has a short-circuit fault. Low Voltage Electronic Transformer Troubleshooting Guide5.3 Repairing a Transformer(1) Understand the reasons for the problem. Generally, a transformer has failed due to some fault in the electrical circuit.(2) Check the replacement transformer. If the short circuit is caused by component failure, the new transformer may still burn out. If you replace the transformer, examine it to make sure that the incident will not occur again.(3) Check the condition of the external fuse. If the transformer has an internal fuse, there may not be a fuse on the power line. On the contrary, the device must be protected by a fuse mounted on the power circuit. Check whether the fuse is intact and replace the faulty fuse.(4) Check the secondary power consumption. Sometimes, this kind of consumption is very high, which leads to equipment failure. If the transformer has multiple ratings and the multimeter shows the value "OL" during the measurement, it may be a short circuit in the secondary winding.5.4 Malfunction of Factory Low Voltage Transformer(1) Abnormal sound in transformerThe abnormal sound inside the transformer may be caused by the following reasons:①Heavy overload causes buzzing sound inside the transformer; ② Due to poor internal contact or breakdown point, the transformer occurs crackle sound③ Some parts of the connection shaft and the core of the transformer are loose, which causes the silicon steel sheet to vibrate④ When there is a grounding or short-circuit fault in the power grid, a large current flows through the winding, which will produce strong noise⑤ The iron core, the winding discharges to the shell, or the core ground wire is disconnected. All these can make the transformer discharge sound. (2) The oil level of the transformer is too high or too lowUnder normal circumstances, the changes in oil temperature can cause a change in oil level. As the oil temperature changes, the oil level also changes accordingly. However, under abnormal conditions, abnormal oil levels can also be caused by faults such as oil seepage and water seepage and other accidents. Second, the change in oil temperature is related to load conditions, ambient temperature and other conditions. When the change of oil level is inconsistent with these elements, it may be a false oil level. (3) Transformer oil quality has deteriorated or oil temperature has suddenly increasedIn working condition, the main function of transformer oil is cooling and insulation. When running overheated for a long time or if water enters the casing and absorbs moisture, the oil quality will deteriorate. Through the oil mark, we can found  that the oil color is abnormally deepened or blackened. Through sampling and analysis, it can be detected that the oil contains carbon particles and moisture, the acid value increases, the flashpoint decreases, and the insulation strength decreases. This situation can easily lead to serious accidents. A sudden rise in oil temperature when the transformer is operating normally is often related to the overheating inside the transformer. The iron core catches fire, the internal screws are loose, the cooling device is faulty, the transformer is heavily overloaded, all may cause the oil temperature to rise suddenly. (4) Transformer on fireWhen the transformer is out of order and it is not handled in time, it may catch fire. When the transformer is on fire, the insulating oil burns and turns into gas, which makes the oil tank burst. The burning insulating oil sprays out of the transformer, which will cause equipment damage and property loss. The short circuit inside or outside the transformer wire, severe overload, a lightning strike may cause the transformer to catch fire.VI One Question Related to Low Voltage Transformer6.1 Question (Multiple choice questions)The winding of wire around a core which is connected to a source of energy is called the ______ coil.primarysecondarytertiary6.2 AnswerA、B  VII FAQ1. What are low voltage transformers?A low voltage transformer is at the heart of every landscape lighting system. It converts 120-volt current to a low voltage current (between 12-15 VAC). ... Magnetic transformers use two coils to reduce the voltage from 120 volts down to 12 volts. 2. What low voltage transformer do I need?Transformers generally range from 150- to 900-watt capacity. Matching the size of the transformer to the lighting design is important for the efficient operation and function of the system. House current, 120 volts, is reduced by a transformer to 12 to 20 volts, the current needed to operate low-voltage landscaping lights. 3. What are low voltage transformers used for?Low Voltage Transformers Low voltage transformers are power transformers that are used to change the voltage capacity of a low-voltage electrical transmission line. Typically, electronic low voltage transformers convert 120 volts into 12 volts or 24 volts. 4. How do you test a low voltage transformer?• Identify the transformer's terminals, using its label as a guide. • Turn a multimeter to its VAC function. • Test the transformer's input voltage with the multimeter, using the transformer's label as a terminal guide. • Test the transformer's output voltage with the multimeter. 5. How long do low voltage transformers last?20 to 25 years.They operate at about 90 to 95 percent efficiency and can run for a very long time, anywhere from 20 to 25 years. They also are much quieter, so you can place them close to the fixtures, rather than having to run wires a long way from the transformer to the fixture itself. 6. Can I plug a low voltage transformer into an extension cord?One warning though to be observed is to never use an extension cord between the transformer and the electrical outlet. Always plug the transformer directly into the power outlet. As you can see, low voltage outdoor lighting is not all that hard to install or maintain. 7. Can you hardwire a low voltage transformer?To hardwire a low voltage transformer, the main power should be turned off at the breaker panel before making any electrical connections. ... The polarity of these wires is not important; either wire on the output side of the transformer may be connected to either wire of the low voltage circuit. 8. Do you need a transformer for low voltage lighting?When operating low voltage lights, you need a transformer to convert your standard line voltage (120V or 277V) into low voltage (12V or 24V). This allows your lights to function properly. If you connect low voltage lights directly to line power, the higher voltage would cause them to burn out immediately. 9. How do you tell if a transformer is going bad?Symptoms of power quality issues include vibration, excessive buzzing or humming and overheating. Technicians should occasionally check the power of transformers that supply nonlinear loads, such as variable frequency drives (VFDs) or switching power supplies. 10. Can you replace a transformer with a light fitting?They will have a transformer either in the ceiling or light fitting. Some LED bulbs, like the Philips Master LED range, have in-built circuitry that can deal with most (but not all) transformers, so you don't have to change them. In other cases, you need to replace the transformer with an LED driver. 

I IntroductionThe ballast has become an important additional device in the gas discharge light source circuit. Because most gas discharge lamps are made using arc discharge characteristics and have negative characteristics (also known as negative resistance characteristics) where the voltage decreases with increasing current, it is impossible to establish a stable operating point. In order to stabilize the discharge and limit the working current of the lamp, ballast must be installed in the gas discharge light source circuit. This article will introduce what is a ballast, how does the ballast work, its function, type, fault symptoms, and how to replace a broken ballast.What is a ballast?CatalogI IntroductionII What is a Ballast?III Types of Ballasts 3.1 Inductive Ballast(Magnetic Ballast) 3.2 Electrical Ballast 3.3 Resistance Ballast 3.4 Magnetic Leakage Ballast 3.5 Capacitive Ballast 3.6 LC BallastIV The Function of the BallastV How to Replace a Ballast? 5.1 How to Tell If the Lamp is Broken or the Ballast is Broken 5.2 Symptoms of Ballast Failure 5.3 Replacement ProcedureVI Several Common Terms for Ballasts 6.1 Ballast Loss 6.2 Ballast Factor 6.3 Ballast Efficacy Factor 6.4 Crest Factor 6.5 Power FactorVII One Quiz about the BallastVIII FAQII What is a Ballast?The ballast is a device that acts as a current limiter and generates an instantaneous high voltage on the fluorescent lamp. It is made by wrapping the enameled wire around an iron core made of silicon steel. Such a coil with an iron core, when instantaneously turned on / off and powered on, will generate a high voltage by self-induction, which is added to the electrodes (filament) at both ends of the fluorescent tube. This action is carried out alternately. When the starter (bubble jump) is closed, the filament of the lamp tube conducts heat through the current limit of the ballast; when the starter is open, the ballast will generate a high voltage on the filament at both ends of the lamp tube. The filament emits electrons to hit the fluorescent powder of the tube wall, and the starter repeatedly turns on and off a few times, thereby turning on the lamp. When the lamp emits light normally, the internal resistance becomes smaller, and the starter will always maintain an open-circuit state so that the current will work stably through the lamp and the ballast to make the lamp emit light normally.Figure1. BallastIII Types of Ballasts3.1 Inductive Ballast(Magnetic Ballast)3.1.1 DefinitionInductive ballast, also known as magnetic ballast, is an iron core inductance coil. The nature of the inductance is that when the current in the coil changes, the magnetic flux will change in the coil, which will generate an induced electromotive force. Thus hindering the current changes. 3.1.2 How Does the Inductive Ballast Work?When the switch is a closed circuit of 220V, 50Hz AC power, the electric current flows through the ballast to the starter, lamp filament, the filament heating (at the beginning of the starter is broken, due to a greater than 180V AC voltage, the starter has jumped the gas inside the bubble glow discharge, jump bimetallic strip is heated inside the bubble expansion deformation, two electrodes together, forming pathways to the filament heating).Figure2. The Circuit of Inductive Ballast When the two electrodes of the starter are close together because there is no arc discharge, the bimetallic sheet cools, and the two electrodes are disconnected. Due to the inductance of the inductive ballast, when the two electrodes are disconnected, the current in the circuit suddenly disappears. Therefore, the ballast generates a high pulse voltage, which is superimposed with the power supply voltage and is added to both ends of the lamp tube to ionize the inert gas in the lamp tube and cause arc discharge. (High pulse voltage-time is about 1ms 600V ~ 1500V, the exact voltage value depends on the type of lamp). During the normal lighting process, the self-inductance of the ballast serves to stabilize the current in the circuit. 3.2 Electrical Ballast3.2.1 DefinitionAn electrical ballast is a type of ballast, which refers to an electronic device that uses electronic technology to drive an electric light source to produce the required lighting. The electronic components convert the energy of the power grid to meet the voltage and current required by the matching lamps with AC or DC power.Figure3. Electrical Ballast 3.2.2 How Does the Electrical Ballast Work?The power frequency power supply becomes a DC power supply after passing through a radio frequency interference (RFI) filter, full-wave rectification, and passive (or active) power factor corrector (PPFC or APFC). Through the DC / AC converter, output high-frequency AC power of 20K-100KHZ, which is added to the LC series resonant circuit connected to the lamp to heat the filament, and at the same time, a resonant high voltage is generated on the capacitor and added to both ends of the lamp tube. However, the "discharge" of the lamp tube is turned into the "on" state and then enters the light-emitting state. At this time, the high-frequency inductance plays a role in limiting the increase of the current and ensuring that the lamp tube obtains the lamp voltage and lamp current required for normal operation.Figure4. How an Electrical Ballast Work 3.3 Resistance BallastIt regulates the lamp current by the voltage on the resistor proportional to the current. In the gas discharge light source circuit equipped with DC power supply, the application of resistance ballast is relatively simple in design and processing, but the power consumption is large and the efficiency is low. Resistance gas ballasts are also used in gas discharge light source circuits equipped with AC power sources. For example, in self-ballasted high-pressure mercury lamp circuits, tungsten wires are used as resistance ballasts. But generally speaking, the application of a resistor ballast in an AC circuit will affect the lamp current waveform, and make the luminous efficiency of the lamp decrease and the stability deteriorate, but it can improve the circuit power factor. 3.4 Magnetic Leakage BallastThe magnetic leakage ballast is a type of LC leading peak type circuit. The fundamental wave is mutated by auto-coupling boost and local magnetic saturation, and then it resonates with the working capacitor to obtain a higher open-circuit voltage and longer-lasting lamp operating current. It is a kind of high power factor lighting circuit, the line power factor reaches 0.90 ~ 0.97, which has its unique advantages for point HID light sources.Figure5. Magnetic Leakage Ballast 3.5 Capacitive BallastA capacitor is used as a ballast in a gas discharge light source circuit equipped with an AC power source. It cannot limit the instantaneous current of the lamp, only the total amount of charge that passes through the circuit in each half-cycle. In the low-frequency AC circuit, the lamp current waveform will be seriously distorted, forming a high pulse peak current (effective value is not large), which has a very harmful effect on the lamp electrode, resulting in a significant reduction in lamp life. Therefore, capacitors are rarely used as ballasts in low-frequency AC circuits. In higher frequency (20 ～ 100kHz) AC circuits, capacitors can be used as ballasts to obtain satisfactory results. The power consumption is small, the current waveform distortion is small, the volume is small, the weight is light, and there is no noise.Figure6. Circuit for Ballast-Ignitor-Capacitor-Lamp 3.6 LC BallastThere are the following two forms. (1) Ballast composed of inductor and capacitor connected in series. The designed capacitive reactance is usually about twice the inductive reactance, and the total impedance is capacitive. It belongs to the advanced ballast, that is, the phase of the lamp current leads to the phase of the power supply voltage. Compared with resistive ballast and inductive ballast, the power consumption is small, especially with good steady current characteristics, and the short-circuit characteristics when the lamp is started are also good. Combined with the use of hysteretic inductance ballast, it can greatly improve the power factor of the circuit. However, the repetitive ionization voltage provided every half cycle when the power supply voltage is commutated is low, and the repetitive ignition ability is poor.Figure7. Circuit of the LC Ballast for T5 28W Lamps (2) Ballast composed of magnetic leakage transformer and capacitor. Generally, it belongs to the advanced ballast. If the parameters are selected properly, the circuit power factor can be better improved. Its main performance is the same as the previous form of LC ballast. If a special leakage magnetic transformer structure is selected in the design to form an LC leading peak ballast, in addition to the above advantages, it can also greatly improve repeated ignition ability. This is an ideal ballast. The disadvantage is that the design and processing are more complicated. To better understand this part, you can see more details about LC circuit. IV The Function of the BallastLimit the Starting Current of the Lamp to A Suitable RangeStarting current refers to the current through the lamp within 30 seconds after the lamp is powered on or during the lamp preheating process. In general (especially in the state of lowest temperature), the starting current is much larger than the operating current of the lamp, so each lamp has a maximum starting current. If the starting current is too large, the service life of the lamp will be shortened; if the current is too small, the lamp cannot be preheated to the normal starting state or the process from glow discharge to arc discharge cannot be completed. The starting current provided by the ballast should not only start the lamp in a short time but also not affect the normal service life of the lamp. The Open Circuit Voltage Provided Is Sufficient for the Lamp to Start SmoothlyWhen the open-circuit peak voltage of the ballast is used as the starting voltage of the lamp, it must be sufficient to ionize the gas in the gas discharge lamp, that is, to generate a peak current that causes a glow-to-arc transition discharge between the electrodes, so that the lamp can start to work. High-pressure mercury lamps and metal halide lamps are more difficult to start at low temperatures, and the open-circuit peak voltage provided by the ballast must be sufficiently high.Figure8. How Electronic Ballast Functions Prevent the Lamp Power from Changing GreatlyAlthough the lamp has a certain range of voltage values during the design and delivery of the lamp, the voltage value of the lamp changes during actual use and throughout its life. This requires the matching ballast to adjust it within a certain range so that the lamp power does not change significantly. The ideal ballast should be such that the lamp power of the newly used lamp and the lamp near the end of its life are not too different. Working Current of Automatic Control LampStable impedance within a certain voltage range is the basic condition that the impedance ballast can control the working current of the lamp. The ballast uses the time change rate of the voltage proportional to the current to adjust the working current of the lamp. When the open-circuit voltage in a certain period causes the lamp operating current to increase, the inductive effect of the ballast will limit the rate of current increase; when the current starts to decrease, the inductive effect will prevent the rate of current decrease. V How to Replace a Ballast?5.1 How to Tell If the Lamp is Broken or the Ballast is Broken(1) The fluorescent lamp requires a ballast to meet the voltage required for the fluorescent lamp to start and work. If the lamp is broken, you can try another lamp to trouble the lamp cover. If it can be lit, the lamp is broken, if it is still not lit, the ballast is broken; (2) Using a universal meter to measure the disconnection of the lamp filament can also be judged: use a universal meter to measure the two ends of the fluorescent lamp separately. If the resistance is not zero, it means that the fluorescent lamp is broken, and the light can be shorted According to the method, if the inspection of the two components of the lamp tube and the light emitter is good, the ballast is broken.Fluorescent Light Troubleshooting and Repair: starter, bulb or ballast?5.2 Symptoms of Ballast Failure(1) The shell of the lamp or ballast appears black.(2) Use an electric pen to detect the ballast. There is no electricity at the incoming and outgoing ends.(3) Use an electric pen to detect that there is electricity at the incoming end, but no electricity at the outgoing end, which means that there is a disconnection inside the ballast.(4) If the shell of the ballast is charged with an electric pen, it means that the ballast has a leakage problem.(5) Use an electric pen to detect that there is electricity at the incoming and outgoing ends. The housing is not live, but the light is off. The light is still off when the trigger is replaced.(6) Use a multimeter with a resistance level of 200 to measure the resistance of the coil. The resistance is infinite.Figure9. Flurescent Ballast Tear Down5.3 Replacement Procedure(1) Open the lampshade: There are three clips around the lampshade that can be rotated. Use a screwdriver to turn the clip away to remove the lamp cover. Place the removed clip in a fixed place so that it can be reinstalled.(2) Observe the position of each component(3) Check whether the old lamp is broken. In general, a section with a longer ring lamp will appear gray. In this case, we should know that it is caused by the sublimation of a substance inside the lamp tube under a high-temperature environment.(4) Remove the lamp: After the lamp cover is opened, remove it, you can see there is a wire slot on the ring lamp. A wire extending from the lamp holder in the center is inserted into this slot. This wire is plug-in type, just pull it out! The ring tube inside is clamped and fixed by three bent metal pieces. This piece of metal is elastic and breaks apart with a screwdriver. You can remove the ring lamp. Pay attention to the wiring inside.(5) Replace the ballast: the ballast of the ring lamp, the two white wires are 220V power cords, there is no difference between positive and negative. The four small round holes on the box are the sockets for the lamp feet. Remove the chassis, disconnect the power cord, put the ballast down, and replace it with a new one.(6) Ring lamp installation: The steps are exactly the reverse when they are removed. Fix the new lamp, and fix the lamp with the three bent metal cards. Use a screwdriver to tighten. Then connect the wires. Stick it with tape and fix it. At the same time, clamp the wire slot on the ring lamp.(7) Install the lampshade: put back the three clips that were just removed. Fix the lampshade. Turn on the power. You can test whether the light is on. If it's on, it's a good replacement lamp. Precautions:(1) Be sure to cut off the main power switch before operation;(2) When removing the lamp cover, small parts such as cards and screws must be placed. In order to reinstall it finally.Figure10. Ballast KitsVI Several Common Terms for Ballasts6.1 Ballast LossThis value represents that the energy consumed by the electronic ballast itself is converted into heat energy instead of light energy. This value can be calculated by subtracting the power consumed by all lamp tubes from the total output power. Generally speaking, the traditional 40W dual-lamp ballast consumes about 22W, while the electronic ballast consumes about 7W. 6.2 Ballast FactorThis value can show the relative effect of the light output of the electronic ballast. The value is the percentage obtained by dividing the measured light output of the electronic ballast by the light output of the standard ballast light. Generally speaking, the higher the value, the better the light output effect. For electronic ballasts, it must not be less than 0.9, but there are also electronic ballasts designed to emphasize high output values and its light output ratio can be up to 1.18 to 1.28. 6.3 Ballast Efficacy FactorThis value can be obtained by dividing the light output ratio (Ballast Factor) by the ballast input power value (Input Power). In the US market, sellers usually use this value to measure and compare the pros and cons of the efficiency of various electronic ballasts. The higher the value, the better the efficiency of the electronic ballast.Figure11. Impedance Ballast6.4 Crest FactorIt is also called wave height rate. This value has a direct and critical impact on the life of the lamp tube. Most lamp tube manufacturers recommend that this value is preferably less than 1.7. Excessively high values can easily cause blackening of the lamp tube and shorten the service life of the lamp tube. The definition of the crest factor refers to the peak current divided by the average current when an electronic ballast is used to light a fluorescent tube. 6.5 Power FactorThis value can represent the efficiency value of the electronic ballast to convert the external input voltage and current into available power. The higher the power factor value, the better the company that supplies the power system (referred to as the power company). In order to encourage consumers to use electronic ballasts with high power factors, foreign power companies have adopted a subsidy policy, but consumers generally think that the higher the PF value, the more power they save. This is a wrong concept because the amount of power saved is not related to the PF value.Figure12. Inductive BallastVII One Quiz about the BallastQuestion: Which of the following ballasts are required to have thermal protection?A. The ballast of a fluorescent luminaire installed indoors, including a replacement ballast for this type of luminaireB. A simple reactance ballast in a fluorescent luminaire with straight tubular lampsC. A ballast in a fluorescent exit luminaireD. A ballast in a fluorescent luminaire used for egress lighting and energized only during a failure of the normal supplyE. All of the aboveAnswer: A  VIII FAQ1. What does a ballast do?In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw. 2. Do you need a ballast with LED lights?LED technology does not require a ballast to regulate the amount of energy flowing to the lights. LEDs require less energy and can be sensitive to excess energy. A ballast bypass is a common procedure to remove the ballast from the existing fixture. 3. What is ballast and why is it important?Ballast is defined as any solid or liquid that is brought on board a ship to increase stability. Ballasting is essential if a ship is carrying a heavy load in one hold and a lighter load in another, or when the ship is empty or facing rough seas. 4. What happens when a ballast goes bad?If the ballast is bad, then the needle won't move. If you're using a digital multimeter, often the digital readout will possibly list a ‘1’ when it doesn't find a measurable resistance. 5. Is ballast and choke the same?A choke is an inductor designed to have a high reactance to a particular frequency when used in a signal-carrying circuit. An electrical ballast (sometimes called control gear) is a device intended to limit the amount of current flowing in an electric circuit. 6. How long should a ballast last?According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours or 12 to 15 years with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years. 7. How do I know if my ballast is T8 or T12?If no markings are available, the size in diameter of the tube is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch. 8. How often does a ballast need to be replaced?A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes. 9. Can you bypass a ballast on a fluorescent light?If the existing fluorescent tube fixture you want to replace has a non-shunted tombstone, you can proceed with the ballast bypass procedure. Nonetheless, if the existing fixture offers a shunted tombstone, you should replace it with a non-shunted variant. 10. What's in a light ballast?They're usually rectangular black boxes with wires coming out of one or both ends. Lighting ballasts for fluorescent light bulbs and HID lamps made before 1980 may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). When the manufacture of PCBs was banned, existing equipment containing PCBs was allowed to remain in use. 

I IntroductionThe LC circuit is a circuit composed of capacitors, inductors, resistors and other components and electronic devices that can generate oscillating current or have a filtering effect, and is also called a resonant circuit, tank circuit, or tuned circuit. The LC circuit formed by connecting the inductor L and the capacitor C is the simplest type of LC circuit. LC circuits are widely used in radio technology and radio and television technology. The LC circuit is indispensable in various radio devices, equipment, measuring instruments, etc. This article will introduce what is the LC circuit, including its basic concepts, basic principles, working process and application circuit diagram. CatalogI IntroductionII The Concept of LC Circuit and ResonanceIII Introduction of Electromagnetic Principle of LC CircuitIV The Operation of LC CircuitV Comparison of Two Types of LC circuits 5.1 Capacitive Feedback Oscillation Circuit 5.2 Inductive Feedback Oscillation CircuitVI Series LC circuit and parallel LC circuit 6.1 Series LC Circuit 6.2 Parallel LC CircuitVII Application of LC Circuit 7.1 Application Note of LC Circuit 7.2 LC Application Circuit DiagramVIII One Quiz Related to LC Oscillator 8.1 Question 8.2 AnswerⅨ FAQII The Concept of LC Circuit and ResonanceIn an AC circuit with a resistor R, an inductor L, and a capacitor C, the phase of the voltage across the circuit and the current in it are generally different. If you adjust the parameters of the circuit components (L or C) or the power frequency, you can make them in the same phase, and the entire circuit appears purely resistive. When the circuit reaches this state, it is called resonance. In the resonant state, the total impedance of the circuit reaches or reaches the extreme value. According to different circuit connections, there are series LC circuit and parallel LC circuit. The essence of resonance is that the electric field energy in the capacitor and the magnetic field energy in the inductance can be converted into each other. The sum of the electric field energy and the magnetic field energy remains constant at all times. The power supply does not need to convert energy back and forth with the capacitor or inductor, but only supplies the energy consumed by the resistance in the circuit.Figure1. What is ResonanceThe LC circuit is used to generate signals of a specific frequency, or to extract signals of a specific frequency only from more complex signals. It is suitable for important components such as oscillation circuits, filter circuits, tuners, and mixers. LC circuit is an ideal model, it ignores the energy dissipation caused by resistance.Figure2. Energy Stored by a CapacitorThe LC circuit uses the energy storage characteristics of capacitors and inductors to alternately transform the two types of electromagnetic energy, that is to say, electrical energy and magnetic energy will have a maximum and minimum value, and there will be oscillation.  However, this is only an ideal situation. In fact, all electronic components will have losses. Energy will either be lost or leak out of the process of conversion between the capacitor and the inductor. The energy will continue to decrease, so the actual LC circuit needs An amplifying element that is either a triode or an integrated op amp and other electrical LC. Using this amplifying element, the continuously consumed oscillation signal is feedback amplified by various signal feedback methods, so as to finally output a signal with stable amplitude and frequency.The frequency calculation formula is f = 1 / [2π√ (LC)],Where f is the frequency and the unit is Hertz (Hz); L is the inductance and the unit is Henry (H); C is the capacitor and the unit is Farad (F).Figure3. Energy Stored by an InductorIII Introduction of Electromagnetic Principle of LC CircuitThe concept of the electromagnetic field is highly generalized. This is a very rich concept. Although it includes the magnetic field of electrostatic field and electric current, the electromagnetic field is not a simple addition of electric field and magnetic field. (1) Several possible situations about the time-varying electric field generated by the magnetic field①A constant magnetic field does not generate an electric field: for example, the original coil of the transformer is always connected to the current power supply. Because the constant current generates a constant magnetic field, no induced current is generated in the secondary coil loop-no electric field that drives charge. ②The changing magnetic field generates an electric field: According to the knowledge of electromagnetic induction, when the magnetic field changes in the closed-loop, an induced current is generated in the loop. Maxwell has a deep insight that the conductor loop is only a tool to reflect the existence of an induced electric field. In essence, as long as there is a magnetic field that changes in space, an electric field will be generated-it is not an electric field generated by a charge. ③ A uniformly changing magnetic field produces a constant electric field: According to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, ε = Δф / Δt can be the same as above, and the conclusion can be drawn from Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.Figure4. Faraday’s Laws of Electromagnetic Induction(2) Regarding the generation of a magnetic field by an electric field, the following will be described in layers according to several possibilities of the time-varying electric field. ①A constant electric field does not generate a magnetic field, for example, the space around a static charge has only an electrostatic field and no magnetic field-a constant electric field does not generate a magnetic field. ②The changing electric field generates a magnetic field. With his extraordinary genius, Maxwell believes that when the capacitor is charged and discharged, the conduction current is interrupted by the capacitor in another way-continuous, he pointed out that the change in the electric field in the capacitor is equivalent to the current-like the conduction current, it can Generate a magnetic field (but does not generate human Joule heat), that is, a changing electric field generates a magnetic field. Connect the parallel-plate capacitor used for large-scale demonstration to the induction coil, and place a free small magnetic needle between the capacitor plates. The deflection of the free small magnetic needle shows that the changing electric field generates a magnetic field. A uniformly changing electric field produces a constant magnetic field: if the charge on the capacitor changes uniformly, the conduction current I = ΔQ / Δt is a steady current, which generates a constant magnetic field in space. When the charge on the capacitor changes uniformly with time, it is necessary to cause a uniform change in the electric field between the plates. The uniformly changed electric field, like a steady conduction current, must generate a constant magnetic field in space.Unevenly changing electric field produces a changing magnetic field using a similar narrative method to draw conclusions.Figure5. Magnetic Field Produced by Electric Current(3) Electromagnetic field According to the reasoning of the above two aspects, the extension points out: In general, the magnetic field generated by an unevenly changing electric field (such as an oscillating current) also changes unevenly, and this magnetic field must also produce an unevenly changing electric field. It can be seen that the changing electric field and magnetic field are always related to each other, forming an inseparable unity, which is the electromagnetic field. Conditions for generating electromagnetic fields:Generated by static charge.Generated by a uniformly changing magnetic field.Produced by steady current.Generated by a uniformly changing electric field. Interdependent non-uniformly changing electric and magnetic fields.Figure6. Electromagnetic FieldsIV The Operation of LC Circuit（1）Charging completed (discharge start): the electric field can reach the maximum, the magnetic field energy is zero, and the induced current i = 0 in the loop. （2）Discharge completed (charging started): the electric field energy is zero, the magnetic field can reach the maximum, and the induced current in the loop reaches the maximum. （3）Charging process: the electric field energy is increasing, the magnetic field energy is decreasing, the current in the loop is decreasing, and the electric capacity on the capacitor is increasing. From the perspective of energy: the magnetic field can be transformed into the electric field. （4）Discharge process: the electric field energy is decreasing, the magnetic field energy is increasing, the current in the loop is increasing, and the amount of electricity on the capacitor is decreasing. From the energy point of view: the electric field can be transformed into the magnetic field. In the process of generating an oscillating current in an oscillating circuit, the charge on the plate of the capacitor, the current through the coil, and the magnetic field and electric field associated with the current and charge all periodically change. This phenomenon is called electromagnetic oscillation.Figure7. Tuned CircuitV Comparison of Two Types of LC Circuits5.1 Capacitive Feedback Oscillation Circuit5.1.1 Circuit CompositionFigure8. Capacitive Feedback Oscillation CircuitIn order to obtain a better output voltage waveform, if the capacitor in the inductive feedback oscillation circuit is replaced with an inductor, the inductor is replaced with a capacitor, and after the conversion, the common terminal of the two capacitors is grounded, and the collector resistance Rc is increased, The capacitor feedback oscillation circuit is obtained, as shown on the right. Because the three terminals of the two capacitors are respectively connected to the three poles of the transistor, it is also called a capacitor three-point circuit. 5.1.2 Working Principle(1) According to the judgment method of the sine wave oscillation circuit, observe the circuit shown in the above figure, which includes four parts: the amplifier circuit, the frequency selection network, the feedback network and the nonlinear element (transistor);(2) The amplifier circuit can work normally;(3) Disconnect the feedback, add the input voltage with frequency f0, and given its polarity, determine the polarity of the feedback voltage obtained from C2 is the same as the input voltage. The polarity is as shown.(4) As long as the circuit parameters are properly selected, the circuit can meet the amplitude condition and produce a sine wave oscillation. 5.1.3 Oscillation Frequency and Starting ConditionsOscillation frequencyFeedback coefficientVibration conditions 5.1.4 Advantages and DisadvantagesThe output voltage waveform of the capacitive feedback oscillation circuit is good, but if the oscillation frequency is adjusted by changing the capacitance method, it will affect the feedback coefficient and the starting condition of the circuit; and if the oscillation frequency is adjusted by changing the inductance method, it is more difficult; Commonly used in the occasion of fixed oscillation frequency. When the adjustable range of the oscillation frequency is not large, the circuit shown in the figure on the right can be used as the frequency selection network.Figure9. Frequency Selective Network with Adjustable Frequency 5.1.5 Measures to Stabilize the Oscillation FrequencyTo increase the frequency of the capacitive feedback oscillation circuit, the capacitance of C1 and C2 and the inductance of L must be reduced. In fact, when C1 and C2 are reduced to a certain degree, the interelectrode capacitance of the transistor and the stray capacitance in the circuit will be included in C1 and C2, thus affecting the oscillation frequency. These capacitors are equivalent to the input capacitance Ci and output capacitance Co of the amplifier circuit. The improved circuit and equivalent appliances are shown in the figure below. Because the inter-electrode capacitance is affected by temperature, the stray capacitance is difficult to determine. In order to stabilize the oscillation frequency, a small-capacity capacitor C3 is connected in series with the inductor branch, and C3 <Oscillation frequencyAlmost has nothing to do with C1 and C2, so does Ci and Co, so the frequency stability is high.Figure10. Improvement of Capacitive Feedback Oscillation Circuit and Equivalent Circuit5.2 Inductive Feedback Oscillation Circuit5.2.1 Circuit CompositionIn order to overcome the disadvantage that the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer are not tightly coupled in the feedback oscillation circuit of the transformer, N1 and N2 of the transformer feedback oscillation circuit can be combined into one coil. As shown in the figure, in order to strengthen the resonance effect, the capacitor C is connected across the entire coil to obtain an inductive feedback oscillation circuit.Figure11. Inductive Feedback Oscillation Circuit5.2.2 Working PrincipleObserve the circuit, it contains four parts of the amplifier circuit, frequency selection network, feedback network and nonlinear components (transistors), and the amplifier circuit can work normally.Use the instantaneous polarity method to judge whether the circuit meets the sine wave oscillation phase conditions: ① Disconnect the feedback, add the input voltage with frequency f0, and give its polarity②It is judged that the polarity of the feedback voltage obtained from N2 is the same as the input voltage③ Therefore, the circuit satisfies the phase condition of sine wave oscillation, and the instantaneous polarity of each point is as shown in the above figure.As long as the circuit parameters are properly selected, the circuit can satisfy the amplitude condition and produce a sine wave oscillation.The following figure shows the AC path of the inductive feedback oscillation circuit. The three ends of the primary coil are connected to the three poles of the transistor, so the inductive feedback oscillation circuit is called an inductive three-point circuit.Figure12. AC Path of Inductive Feedback Oscillation Circuit 5.2.3 Oscillation Frequency and Starting ConditionsOscillation frequencyFeedback coefficientVibration conditions 5.2.4 Advantages and DisadvantagesIn the inductive feedback oscillation circuit, the coupling between N2 and N1 is tight, the amplitude is large, and it is easy to oscillate; when C uses a variable capacitor, the oscillation frequency with a wide adjustment range can be obtained, and the highest oscillation frequency can reach tens of MHz. Because the feedback voltage is taken from the inductance, it has a large reactance to high-frequency signals. The feedback signal contains more harmonic components, and the output voltage waveform is not good.VI Series LC Circuit and Parallel LC Circuit6.1 Series LC Circuit6.1.1 ConceptIn the LC circuit, the corresponding frequency value when the inductive reactance and capacitive reactance are equal is called the resonance frequency, that is, XC = XL. As shown in the figure below, the voltage u and the current i in the circuit are in the same phase, and the circuit is resistive. This phenomenon is called series resonance. When the circuit has series resonance, the impedance of the circuit Z = √R ^ 2 + (XC-XL) ^ 2 = R, the total impedance in the circuit is the smallest, and the current will reach the maximum value.Figure13. Series Resonance Frequency 6.1.2 Characteristics of Series LC CircuitWhen the input signal passes through the series LC circuit, according to the characteristics of the inductor and the capacitor, the higher the signal frequency, the larger the impedance of the inductor, and the smaller the impedance of the capacitor. The larger the impedance, the greater the attenuation of the signal. The signal with a higher frequency will be greatly attenuated by the inductor, while the DC signal cannot pass through the capacitor. When the frequency of the input signal bow is equal to the frequency of the LC resonance, the impedance of the LC series circuit is minimum. Signals at this frequency easily output through capacitors and inductors. At this time, the LC series resonant circuit plays the role of frequency selection.Figure14. The Frequency Characteristic for LC Series Resonant Circuits 6.1.3 FormulaWhen series resonance occurs:Inductive reactance XL = capacitive reactance XCSource voltage U = resistance voltage URInductor voltage UL = capacitance voltage UCInductive reactive power QL = capacitive reactive power QCThe total impedance of the circuit ∣Z∣ = resistance RApparent power S = resistance power P6.2 Parallel LC Circuit6.2.1 ConceptThe parallel LC resonance circuit is formed by connecting an inductor and a capacitor in parallel. In a parallel resonant circuit, if the current in the coil is equal to the current in the capacitor, the circuit reaches the state of parallel resonance. In this circuit, except for the LC parallel part, the impedance change of other parts has almost no effect on energy consumption. Therefore, the stability of this circuit is good, and it is used more than series resonance circuits. Parallel resonance is a complete compensation. The power supply does not need to provide reactive power, only the active power required by the resistor. At resonance, the total current of the circuit is the smallest, and the current of the branch is often greater than the total current of the circuit. Therefore, parallel resonance is also called current resonance. When parallel resonance occurs, a large current flows in the inductance and capacitance components, which may cause an accident that the circuit fuse blows or burns electrical equipment; but it is often used to select signals and eliminate interference in radio engineering.Figure15. Parallel LC Circuit6.2.2 Characteristics of Parallel LC Circuit(1) The current and voltage phases are the same, and the circuit is resistive. (2) The series impedance is the smallest and the current is the largest: Z = R, then I = U / R. (3) The voltage at the inductor end and the voltage at the capacitor end are equal in magnitude, opposite in phase, and compensate each other. The voltage at the resistor end is equal to the power supply voltage. (4) The ratio of the inductance (capacitance) terminal voltage to the power supply voltage at resonance is called the quality factor Q, which is also equal to the ratio of inductive reactance (or capacitive reactance) and resistance. When Q >> 1, the voltages on L and C are much larger than the power supply voltage (similar to resonance). This is called series resonance and is often used to amplify the signal voltage; however, series resonance should be avoided in the power supply circuit. VII Application of LC Circuit7.1 Application Note of LC CircuitIn amplifier circuits and other forms of signal processing circuits, parallel LC resonance circuits and series LC resonance circuits are used very frequently.(1) Frequency selection circuit or frequency selection amplifierThe LC circuit can form a frequency selection circuit or a frequency selection amplifier circuit, which is used to select a signal of a desired frequency among a large number of signals for amplification. This circuit is widely used in radio, television and other circuits, as well as in sine wave oscillator circuits.(2) Absorption circuitThe LC circuit can constitute an absorption circuit, which absorbs a signal of a certain frequency among signals of many frequencies, that is, performs attenuation, and removes signals of this frequency from signals of many frequencies.(3) Wave blocking circuitThe LC circuit can form a wave blocking circuit, which prevents signals of a certain frequency from passing through amplifier circuits or other circuits from signals of many frequencies.(4) Phase shift circuitAn LC parallel circuit is used to form a phase shift circuit, and the signal is phase shifted.7.2 LC Application Circuit DiagramLC parallel and series resonant circuits have many changes in application, which is a difficult point in circuit analysis.(1) LC free resonance circuitThe figure below shows the LC free resonance circuit. L in the circuit is an inductor, C is a capacitor, and L and C form a parallel circuit.Figure16. LC Free Resonance Circuit(2) LC parallel resonance phase shift circuitThe following figure shows the phase shift circuit composed of LC parallel resonance circuit. VT1 in the circuit constitutes a primary amplifier; R1 is its base bias resistor; R3 is its emitter resistor; C4 is the emitter bypass capacitor; L1 and C3 constitute an LC parallel resonance circuit, and R2 is the damping resistor of this resonant circuit.Figure17. LC Parallel Resonance Phase Shift CircuitBy adjusting the inductance of L1, the phase of the output signal voltage can be changed to achieve the purpose of phase shift. (3) LC series resonance absorption circuitThe function of the absorption circuit is to remove the signal of a certain frequency in the input signal. The following figure shows the absorption circuit composed of LC series resonant circuit. VT1 in the circuit constitutes a primary amplifier. L1 and C1 form the LC series resonance absorption circuit, and the resonance frequency is connected between the input terminal of VT1 and the ground.Figure18. LC Series Resonance Absorption Circuit (4) Series resonance high-frequency boost circuitThe figure below shows a high-frequency boost circuit composed of LC series circuits. VT1 in the circuit constitutes a first-stage common-emitter amplifier, and L1 and C4 constitute an LC series resonance circuit, which is used to boost high-frequency signals. The resonant frequency of the series resonant circuit of L1 and C4 is higher than the highest frequency of the working signal of this amplifier.Figure19. Series Resonance High Frequency Boost CircuitSince the impedance of the L1 and C4 circuits at resonance is the smallest, and the negative feedback resistance is the smallest after paralleling with the emitter negative feedback resistance R4, the amplification factor at this time is the largest. In this way, the high-frequency signal close to the resonance frequency is improved.For input signals with a frequency much lower than the resonant frequency, the L1 and C4 circuits have no boost effect on them, because the L1 and C4 circuits are in a detuned state and their impedance is very large, and the negative feedback resistance at this time is R4. (5) Input tuning circuitThe radio selects the required radio stations from many radio stations by input tuning circuit. The input tuning circuit is also called antenna tuning circuit, because there is a cash register antenna in this tuning circuit.The following figure shows a typical input tuning circuit. L1 in the circuit is the primary winding of the magnetic rod antenna, L2 is the secondary winding of the magnetic rod antenna; C1-1 is a connection of the double variable capacitor, which is the antenna connection, and C2 is the high-frequency compensation capacitor, which is the trimming capacitor. It is usually attached to a double variable capacitor.Figure20. Input Tuning CircuitThe working principle of input tuned circuit:The primary winding L1 of the magnetic rod antenna, variable capacitor c1-1, and trimmer capacitor C2 constitute LC series resonance circuit. When resonance occurs in the circuit, the energy in L1 is the largest, that is, the voltage amplitude of the signal of the resonant frequency at both ends of L1 is much larger than that of the signal of the non-resonant frequency. In this way, the amplitude of the resonant frequency signal output from the secondary winding L2 through magnetic coupling is the maximum. The following figure shows the practical input tuning circuit.Figure21. Pratical Input Tuning CircuitVIII One Quiz Related to LC Oscillator 8.1 QuestionThe output of a LC oscillator is often fed into a common collector amplifier stage. The reason for this is:a) To provide extra voltage gain.b) To provide negative feedback.c) To reduce loading on the tank circuit.d) To convert the sine wave output to a square wave.8.2 AnswerC Ⅸ FAQ1. What does an LC circuit do?LC circuits are used either for generating signals at a particular frequency, or picking out a signal at a particular frequency from a more complex signal; this function is called a bandpass filter. 2. How do you solve an LC circuit?Begin with Kirchhoff's circuit rule. Take the derivative of each term. The voltage of the battery is constant, so that derivative vanishes. The derivative of charge is current, so that gives us a second-order differential equation. 3. What makes an ideal LC circuit?An LC circuit is an electronic circuit made up of an inductor and a capacitor. ... An ideal LC circuit does not have resistance. At the LC circuit energy saves in the capacitor's electric field. U is energy and q is electric charge. 4. Why do LC circuits resonate?Resonance of a circuit involving capacitors and inductors occurs because the collapsing magnetic field of the inductor generates an electric current in its windings that charges the capacitor, and then the discharging capacitor provides an electric current that builds the magnetic field in the inductor. 5. What is the difference between RC and LC circuits?RC - a resistor and capacitor in series. Exhibits charging behavior with a characteristic time constant with DC voltage source. ... LC (and RLC) - an inductor and capacitor (and resistor) in series. If initially charged, has oscillatory behavior (damped if also has a resistor). 6. What are the different properties of the LC circuit?An LC circuit is a closed loop with just two elements: a capacitor and an inductor. It has a resonance property like mechanical systems such as a pendulum or a mass on a spring: there is a special frequency that it likes to oscillate at, and therefore responds strongly to. 7. Is an LC circuit first order?In electronics, the classic second-order system is the LC circuit. The LC circuit is one of the last two circuits we will solve with the full differential equation treatment. 8. Where is energy stored in the LC circuit?The oscillations of an LC circuit can, thus, be understood as a cyclic interchange between electric energy stored in the capacitor, and magnetic energy stored in the inductor. 9. What is the natural frequency of the LC circuit?The natural frequency of an LC - circuit is 1,25000 cycles per second. 10. What is a parallel LC circuit?Parallel LC Circuit. The Voltage across each terminal of different elements in a parallel circuit is the same. Hence the voltage across the terminals is equal to the voltage across the inductor and the voltage across the capacitor. 

Ⅰ IntroductionAs for operational amplifier applications, in electronic circuit, it is usually combined with a feedback network to form a certain functional module, with a special coupling circuit and feedback. Its output signal can be input signal addition, subtraction or differentiation, integration, etc, which early used in analog computers to do mathematical operations. Now they widely used in the electronics industry, regarded as precision AC and DC amplifiers, active filters, oscillators and voltage comparators.This Video is Introducing Operational Amplifier Applications in the CircuitCatalogⅠ Introduction1.1 Integrated Op AmpⅡ Op-amp ParametersⅢ Application MattersⅣ Classic Amplifier CircuitsⅤ One Question Related Op Amp and Going Further5.1 Question5.2 Answer1.1 Integrated Op Amp1.1.1 Evaluation AnalysisIntegrated operational amplifiers are one of the most widely used devices in analog integrated circuits. In various systems, because of different application requirements, the performance requirements of operational amplifiers are also different.Where there are no special requirements, try to use a universal integrated operational amplifier as much as possible, which can reduce costs and easily replace. When using multiple op amps in a system, use as many op amp integrated circuits as possible. For example, LM324 and LF347 always integrate four op amps together in a circuit.The evaluation of integrated op amps depends on their overall performance. Generally, the merit coefficient K is used to measure the excellent degree of integrated operational amplifiers, which is defined as: where SR is the slew rate and the unit is V / ms. The larger the value, the better the AC characteristics of the operational amplifier; The input bias current of the amplifier is lib, the unit is nA; VOS is the input offset voltage in mV. The smaller the Iib and VOS values, the better the DC characteristics of the op amp. Therefore, for circuits that amplify AC signals such as audio and video, op amps with large SR are better; for circuits that handle weak DC signals, op amps with high accuracy are more suitable (both offset current, offset voltage and temperature drift are relatively small).When selecting an integrated op amp, some factors should be considered in addition to the figure of merit coefficient K. For example, the signal source is a voltage source or a current source; the nature of the load, and whether the output voltage and current of the integrated op amp meet the requirements; operating voltage range, power consumption, and volume of the integrated op amp.Figure 1. Using Operational Amplifier as a Comparator1.1.2 Integrated Op Amp Basics Power supplyThe integrated op amp has two power terminals + VCC and -VEE, with different power supply methods. For different power supply modes, the requirements for input signals are different.1) Dual power supplyOp amps are mostly powered in this way. The positive power (+ E) and negative power (-E) relative to the common terminal (ground) are connected to the + VCC and -VEE pins of the op amp, respectively. In this way, the signal source can be directly connected to the input pin of the op amp, and the amplitude of the output voltage can make the positive and the negative symmetrical.2) Single power supplySingle-supply operation connects the -VEE pin of the op amp to ground. At this time, in order to ensure that the internal unit circuit of the operational amplifier has a suitable static operating point, a DC potential must be added to the input end of the op amp. Zero settingDue to the influence of the input offset voltage and input offset current of the integrated op amp, when the input signal is zero, the output is often not equal to zero. In order to improve the operation accuracy of the circuit, it is required to compensate the error caused by the offset voltage and the offset current. This is the zero setting of the operational amplifier. Commonly used zeroing methods include internal zeroing and external zeroing. For integrated op amps without internal zeroing terminals, external zeroing methods should be used. Self oscillationThe operational amplifier is a high-amplitude multi-stage amplifier. Under the condition of deep negative feedback, it is easy to cause self-excited oscillation. To make the amplifier work stably, a certain frequency compensation network must be added to eliminate the self oscillation. In addition, to prevent low-frequency oscillation or high-frequency oscillation caused by the internal resistance of the power supply, an electrolytic capacitor (10mF) and a high-frequency filter capacitor (0.01 mF ~ 0.1mF) should be connected. Device protectionThere are three aspects to the protection of the integrated op amp safety: power protection, input protection and output protection.1) Power protectionCommon faults of power supply are reverse polarity and voltage jump. For a power supply with poor performance, voltage overshoot often occurs at the moment when the power is turned on and off. Protection measures such as the use of FET current source and voltage regulator clamping protection. The voltage regulator’s voltage value is greater than the normal operating voltage of the integrated op amp and less than the maximum allowable operating voltage of the integrated op amp, and the current of the FET tube should be greater than the normal operating current of integrated op amp.2) Input protectionIf the input differential/common mode voltage of the integrated op amp is too high beyond the limit parameter range of the integrated op amp, it will be damaged.3) Output protectionWhen the integrated op amp is overloaded or the output is shorted, the op amp will be damaged if there is no protection circuit. However, some integrated op amps have internal current limit protection or short circuit protection, and no additional output protection is required to use these devices.Figure 2. An Inverting Op Amp CircuitⅡ Op-amp ParametersTo use the op amp better in the circuit, you must have a certain understanding of its internal parameters. Here are the technical parameters closely related to the op amp: Unity-gain bandwidth Definition: Under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, a constant amplitude sinusoidal small signal is input to the input end of the op amp, and the closed-loop voltage gain measured from the output end of the op amp is reduced by 3dB (or equivalent to 0.707 times of the input signal of the op amp), that is to say, the frequency at which the output signal is reduced by -3dB is unity-gain bandwidth. It is a very important indicator. For a sinusoidal small signal amplification, the unity-gain bandwidth is equal to the product of the input signal frequency and the maximum gain at that frequency. In other words, when you know the frequency and gain of the signal to be processed, the unity-gain bandwidth (gain bandwidth = amplification * signal frequency) can be calculated to select the appropriate op amp. The higher the bandwidth, the higher the frequency of the signal that can be processed, and the better the high frequency characteristics, otherwise the signal will be easily distorted.    For small signals, the unity-gain bandwidth is also called the gain-bandwidth product, which can roughly show the ability of the op amp to process the frequency of the signal. For example, the gain bandwidth of a certain operational amplifier is 1MHz, if the actual closed-loop gain is 100, then the maximum frequency for theoretical processing of small signals is 1MHz / 100 = 10KHz.For the bandwidth of a large signal, that is, the power bandwidth, the influence of the slew rate SR is the major factor, and the unit is V/uS. In this case, the power bandwidth calculated by FPBW = SR / 2πVp-p, that is, the gain bandwidth and power bandwidth must be satisfied at the same time when designing the circuit.For DC signals, bandwidth issues are generally not considered, and accuracy and interference are mainly considered.When the amplification factor of an amplifier is n times, it does not mean that all input signals are amplified n times. When the signal frequency increases, the amplification capability decreases. Open bandwidthThe open-loop bandwidth is defined as: inputting a constant-amplitude sinusoidal small signal to the input of the op amp, the frequency measured at which the open-loop voltage gain decrease 3dB from the output of the op amp to the dc gain of the op amp. This is used for very small signal processing. Slew rate SRWith the op amp connected in a closed loop, a large signal (including a step signal) is input to the input of the op amp, and the output rise rate of the op amp is measured from the output of the op amp called SR. Because the input stage of the op amp is switched during the conversion, the feedback loop of the op amp does not work, that is, the conversion rate is independent of the closed-loop gain. The slew rate is a very important index for large signal processing. For general op amps, the slew rate SR <= 10V / μs, and the slew rate of high speed op amps is SR> 10V / μs. The highest conversion rate SR of current high-speed op amps reaches 6000V / μs. The larger the SR, the better the response of the op amp to the input signal changing at high speed. The larger the signal amplitude, the higher the frequency, and the greater the SR. This is used for op amp selection in large signal processing. Full-power bandwidthAt the rated load, under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, a constant-amplitude sinusoidal large signal is input to the input end of the op amp, so that the output frequency of the op amp reaches the maximum (allowing certain distortion) signal. This frequency is limited by the slew rate SR of the op amp. Approximately, full power bandwidth is calculated by formula SR / 2πVop (Vop is the peak output amplitude of the op amp). It is a very important indicator for op amp selection in large signal processing. Setting timeAt the rated load, under the condition that the closed-loop gain of the op amp is 1 time, the time required to input a step large signal to the input of the op amp to increase the output from 0 to a given value. Because it is a step large signal input, a certain jitter will occur after the output signal reaches a given value. This jitter time is called the stabilization time. At this moment, stabilization time + rise time = settling time. For different output accuracy, there is a big difference in the stabilization time. The higher the accuracy, the longer the stabilization time. Equivalent input noise voltageIt refers to any AC random interference voltage generated at the output of an op amp with good shielding and no signal input. When this noise voltage is converted to the input of the op amp, it is called the input noise voltage of the op amp (sometimes expressed by noise current). For broadband noise, the effective value of the input noise voltage of ordinary op amps is about 10 ~ 20μV. This value often corresponds to a certain frequency band. Output impedanceIt refers to the ratio of the change in voltage to the corresponding change in current when the signal voltage is applied to the output of the op amp working in the linear region. At low frequencies it only refers to the output resistance of the op amp. Common mode input resistenceRefers to the ratio of the change in the input voltage of the common mode to the corresponding change in the input current when the two inputs of the op amp input the same signal. At low frequencies, it behaves as a common mode resistance. Generally, the common mode input impedance of the op amp is much higher than the differential mode input impedance, with a typical value above 108Ω. Common mode rejection ratioSame as the definition in the differential amplifier circuit, it is the ratio of the differential mode voltage gain to the common mode voltage gain, which is usually expressed in decibels. It is a parameter that measures the degree of symmetry of the input stage differential amplifier and the ability of the integrated op amp to suppress common mode interference signals. The larger the value, the better. Power supply rejection ratioThe power supply voltage rejection ratio is defined as the change ratio of the input offset voltage of the op amp with the power supply voltage in the linear region. The power supply voltage rejection ratio reflects the effect of power supply changes on the output of the op amp. At present, the power supply voltage suppression ratio is only about 80dB. Therefore, when used for DC signal or small signal processing for analog amplification, the power supply of the op amp needs to be carefully set. Of course, an op amp with a high common mode rejection ratio can compensate a part of the power supply voltage rejection ratio. In addition, when using dual power supplies, the power supply voltage rejection ratio of the positive and negative power supplies may be different. Differential mode input resistanceRefers to the ratio of the change in voltage at the two input terminals to the corresponding change in current at the input terminals when the op amp is operating in the linear region. The differential mode input impedance includes the input resistance and input capacitance, and refers only to the input resistance at low frequencies. General products specification only give input resistance. The input resistance of the op amp using the bipolar transistor as the input stage is not greater than 10MΩ; the input resistance of the op amp as the input stage of the field effect transistor is generally greater than 109Ω. Input offset voltageWhen the input voltage is zero, the output voltage is divided by the voltage gain, plus the negative sign, which is the offset voltage converted to the input. It is the compensation voltage applied at the input when the output voltage is zero. The input offset voltage actually reflects the circuit symmetry inside the op amp. The better the symmetry, the smaller the input offset voltage. The input offset voltage is a very important indicator of the op amp, especially when it is a precision op amp or used for DC amplification.The input offset voltage has a certain relationship with the manufacturing process. It is between ± 1 and 10 mV when op amps use the bipolar process (that is, the standard silicon process). If the field effect tube is used as the input stage, it will be greater. For precision op amps, it is generally below 1mV. The smaller the input offset voltage, the smaller the intermediate zero offset during DC amplification, and the easier it is to handle. Therefore, it is an extremely important index for precision op amps. Input offset voltage driftWithin the specified operating temperature range, it is the ratio of the change in input offset voltage with temperature to the change in temperature. It is actually a supplement to the input offset voltage, which is convenient for calculating the drift of the amplifier circuit due to temperature changes within a given operating range. It is an important indicator for measuring the temperature effect to the op amp. Under normal circumstances, it is about (10 ~ 30) uV / C (degree Celsius), the high quality can be <0.5uV / C. Input offset currentIt is defined as the difference between the base current of the differential pair of the differential input stage when the output DC voltage of the op amp is zero. Used to characterize the degree of asymmetry of the differential input current. The better the symmetry, the smaller the input offset current. Input offset current is a very important indicator for op amps, especially for precision operational amplifier or DC amplifier. The input offset current is approximately one to one-tenth of the input bias current. It has an important impact on small signal precision amplification or DC amplification, especially when a large resistor is used outside the op amp. The effect of input offset current may exceed the effect of input offset voltage on accuracy. The smaller the input offset current, the smaller the intermediate zero offset during DC amplification, and the easier it is to handle. Therefore, it is an extremely important index for precision op amps. Input offset current temperature driftWithin the specified operating temperature range, the ratio of the amount of change in input offset current with temperature to the amount of temperature change. It refers to the temperature coefficient of within the specified operating range, and is also an important indicator to measure the temperature effect on the op amp. It is usually about (1-50) nA / C, and the high quality is about several pA / C. This value is only given in the precision op amp parameters, and it needs attention when it is used for DC signal processing or small signal processing. Input bias current   It is defined as the average value of the bias currents of the two input terminals when the output DC voltage of the op amp is zero, in other words, it is the average current flowing into the input terminal when the operational amplifier is operating in the linear region. The input bias current has a greater impact on the places where input impedance is required, such as high-impedance signal amplification and integrator circuits. The input bias current has a certain relationship with the manufacturing process. If a field effect tube is used as the input stage, the input bias current generally lower than 1nA. It always used to measure the input current of the differential amplifier pair. Maximum differential mode input voltageIt is a voltage that the two input ends of the op amp can withstand. When it is exceeded, the reverse breakdown of the differential tube will occur. The NPN tube made by the plane process has a value of about 5V, and the Vidmax of the horizontal PNP tube can reach more than 30V. Maximum common mode input voltageIt an allowable range of common mode input voltage under normal operating conditions of the op amp. When the input differential pair saturates, the amplifier loses common mode rejection ability. In the case of interference, it is necessary to pay attention to this problem in the use of the circuit. Output peak to peak voltageWorking in the linear region, under the specified load, when the op amp is powered by the large power supply, it is the maximum voltage amplitude that the op amp can output. Except for low voltage op amps, the output peak-to-peak voltage of general op amps is greater than ± 10V, but less than the power supply voltage. This is due to the design of the output stage. The output stage of modern low-voltage op amps has been specially treated. The output peak-to-peak voltage is close to within 50mV of the power supply voltage, so it is called a full-scale output op amp, also known as a rail-to-raid op amp. It should be noted that the output peak-to-peak voltage of the op amp is related to the load, and the value is different for different loads; the positive and negative output voltage swings of the op amp are not necessarily the same. For practical applications, the closer the output peak-to-peak voltage is to the supply voltage, the easier the power supply design.Figure 3. Input Offset Voltage of an Op-ampⅢ Application Matters1) A single-supply op amp must be DC biased, otherwise it will not work properly. For the virtual ground design, in addition to the DC potential, it is necessary to pay attention to the voltage stabilization (it is best to use the reference voltage chip), and also to ensure low impedance AC decoupling, that is, low-frequency decoupling parallel to at least 10uF and high frequency decoupling under 0.1uF.2) The input of the non-inverting amplifier must be biased to ground as a DC path.3) Ordinary op amps cannot directly drive capacitive loads. If there is need, you must use capacitors for phase compensation or output series resistors and then connect the load.4) For the op amp input of the external interface, a TVS tube must be connected in parallel to the positive and negative input pins to prevent the op amp from reversing the polarity due to the too large input voltage signal, forming a parasitic false signal output.5) For amplifier circuits with a gain of more than 10 times, pay attention to controlling the bandwidth gain of the op amp to prevent the device from self oscillation.6) The output of the power amplifier needs to be protected by switching diodes to the power supply and ground, especially when inductive loads are connected.7) When using multiple op amps to process multiple signals, care must be taken to prevent the instantaneous changes in one of the signals from causing crosstalk to the other signal. Therefore, it is recommended not to use one op amp to process multiple signals.8) Most op amp chips are ESD sensitive devices, so pay more attention when using them.9) The pins of unused op amps (excess channels in multiple op amps) should not be left floating, and  grounded or connected to positive and negative power supplies. It is recommended to connect it as a follower (the output is connected to the reverse input) and the non-inverting input is connected to a potential between the power rails (the ground of the dual power system or any suitable point in the circuit). They can also used as buffer amplifiers and add them to a small impact location in the system.Figure 4. Op Amp 741Ⅳ Classic Amplifier CircuitsFigure 5. Inverting AmplifierFigure 5: The grounded non-inverting terminal of op amp is 0V. The inverting and non-inverting terminals are short-circuit, so the inverting end is also 0V. The input resistance of the inverting input terminal is very high, and it is virtual open. In other words, there is almost no current pass through. Therefore, the current flowing through each component in a series circuit is the same, that is, the current flowing through R1 and R2 are the same.Current flowing through R1: I1 = (Vi-V-)/R1Current flowing through R2: I2 = (V--Vout)/R2V- = V+ = 0, I1 = I2Solve the above algebraic equation to get Vout = (-R2/R1)*Vi, it is the input-output relationship of the inverting amplifier. Figure 6. Non-inverting AmplifierIn Figure 6, Vi and V- are virtual short, where Vi = V-. Because of the virtual open, there is no current flow through at the reverse input terminal, then R1=R2. If the current is I, which is obtained by Ohm's law: I = Vout/(R1+R2);Vi is equal to the partial voltage on R2, that is: Vi = I*R2.Virtual short: Vi = V-, R1=R2Ohm's law: I = Vout/(R1+R2), Vi = I*R2Where Vout=Vi*(R1+R2)/R2, represents the non-inverting amplifier. Figure 7. AdderFigure 7: Knowing from the Kirchhoff's law and virtual open theory, the sum of the current through R2 and R1 is equal to the R3, V- = V+ = 0 (short circuit), so (V1 – V-)/R1 + (V2 – V-)/R2 = (Vout – V-) /R3 can be transferred as V1/R1 + V2/R2= Vout/R3. If R1=R2=R3, then the formula becomes Vout=V1+V2, which is an adder. Figure 8. AdderIn Figure 8, because of the virtual open, no current flows through the non-inverting terminal, where V+ = V-, R1=R2, R4=R3, therefore, (V1 – V+)/R1 = (V+-V2)/R2, (Vout – V-)/R3 = V-/R4 can be simplified as V+ = (V1 + V2)/2 V- = Vout/2. So Vout = V1 + V2 is also an adder. Figure 9. SubtractorFigure 9 shows that the current through R1 is equal to the R2, and R4=R3, therefore, (V2– V+)/R1 = V+/R2, (V1 – V-)/R4 = (V--Vout)/R3. If R1=R2, then V+ = V2/2; if R3=R4, then V- = (Vout + V1)/2, because of V+ = V-, so Vout =V2-V1 is a subtractor. Figure 10. Integrator CircuitIn Figure 10, the input voltage at the inverting terminal is equal to the non-inverting terminal because of short circuit; the current through R1 is equal to the C1 because of virtual open. The current flowing through R1 and C1 are Ri=V1/R1, Ci=C*dUc/dt=-C*dVout/dt, respectively. So Vout=((-1/(R1*C1))∫V1dt, which is a integrator circuit. If V1 is a constant voltage U, then the above formula is transformed to Vout = -U*t/(R1*C1)t, then the Vout is a straight line that changes with time. Figure 11. Differential CircuitIn Figure 11, the current through capacitor C1 and resistor R2 is equal because of virtual open; V+ = V- because of short circuit, where Vout = -i * R2 = -(R2*C1)dV1/dt, which is a differential circuit. If V1 is a DC voltage, the output Vout corresponds to a pulse in the opposite direction to V1. Figure 12. Differential Amplifier CircuitFigure 12:Vx = V1……a, Vy = V2……bthen R1, R2, R3 can be regarded as a series, R1=R2=R3, the current I=(Vx-Vy)/R2……cwhere Vo1-Vo2=I*(R1+R2+R3) = (Vx-Vy)(R1+R2+R3)/R2 ……dIf R6=R7, then Vw = Vo2/2 ......e, similarly, if R4=R5, then Vout – Vu = Vu – Vo1, so Vu = (Vout+Vo1)/2 ……fdue to short circuit, Vu = Vw ……g, based on efg formulas, Vout = Vo2 – Vo1 ……hGet from dh, Vout = (Vy – Vx) (R1+R2+R3)/R2, where (R1+R2+R3)/R2 is a fixed value. This value determines the amplifier multiple of the difference (Vy-Vx), thus it is a differential amplifier circuit. Figure 13. Amplifier CircuitIt is a relatively common amplifier circuit. Many controllers accept 0~20mA or 4~20mA current from various measuring instruments. The circuit converts the current into voltage signal to become a digital signal by ADC. Figure 13 is such a typical circuit. As shown in Figure, 4~20mA current flows through the sampling 100Ω resistor R1, there will be a voltage difference of 0.4~2V on R1. Due to virtual open circuit, R3= R5 and R2=R4.Therefore: (V2-Vy)/R3 = Vy/R5 ……a  (V1-Vx)/R2= (Vx-Vout)/R4 ……bShort circuit: Vx = Vy ……cCurrent changes from 0~20mA, then V1 = V2 + (0.4~2) ……dPut cd formulas into b formula: (V2 +(0.4~2)-Vy)/R2 = (Vy-Vout)/R4 ……eIf R3=R2 , R4=R5, then e-a gets Vout =-(0.4~2)R4/R2 ……fIn Figure 13, R4/R2=22k/10k=2.2, then f formula Vout = -(0.88~4.4)V, that is to say, the current of 4~20mA is converted into a voltage range of -0.88~-4.4V. Current can be converted into voltage, and voltage can also be converted into current. Figure 14 is such a circuit. The negative feedback in the above figure does not directly feedback through the resistor, but the emitter junction of the transistor Q1 is connected in series. But it isn't a comparator. As long as it is an amplifying circuit, the law of short circuit and virtual open still conforms.Figure 14. Amplifier CircuitDue to virtual open, no current flows through the input of the op amp,Then (Vi – V1)/R2 = (V1 – V4)/R6 ……aSimilarly (V3 – V2)/R5 = V2/R4 ……bsince short circuit, V1 = V2 ……cIf R2=R6, R4=R5, then V3-V4=Vi can be obtained from abc.The above formula shows that the voltage across R7 is equal to the input voltage Vi, then the current through R7 is I=Vi/R7. If the load RL<100KΩ, the current through R1 and R7 are basically the same. Ⅴ One Question Related to Op Amp and Going Further5.1 QuestionWhat the Application of an Op Amp as a Phase Shifter?5.2 AnswerIn electronic circuit, op amp is used for direct coupling procedure and so DC voltage level at the emitter terminal increases from phase to phase. This rapidly increasing DC level is likely to shift the operating point of the upcoming stages. Thus to move down the increasing voltage swing, this phase shifter is applied.The phase shifter performs by adding a DC voltage level to the output of fall stage to pass the output to a ground level. Frequently Asked Questions about Operational Amplifier Applications1. Why is it called operational amplifier?It's called an “operational” amplifier because it performs a mathematical operation. The most obvious one is multiplication - it amplifies an input signal by a constant. ... But many different 'operations' can be performed by different circuit topologies. 2. What is inside an operational amplifier?Operations amplifiers — op-amps for short, are integrated circuits, constructed mostly out of transistors and resistors. These integrated circuits multiply an input signal to a larger output. You can use these components with voltage and current in both DC and AC circuits. 3. What are operational amplifiers used for?Op amps are used in a wide variety of applications in electronics. Some of the more common applications are: as a voltage follower, selective inversion circuit, a current-to-voltage converter, active rectifier, integrator, a whole wide variety of filters, and a voltage comparator. 4. What are linear applications of op amp?A linear amplifier like an op amp has many different applications. It has a high open loop gain, high input impedance and low output impedance. It has high common mode rejection ratio. Due to these favourable characteristics, it is used for different application. 5. How does an operational amplifier work?An operational amplifier, or op amp, generally comprises a differential-input stage with high input impedance, an intermediate-gain stage, and a push-pull output stage with a low output impedance (no greater than 100 Ω). ... That is, the output gets fed back to the inverting input through some impedance. 6. What do you mean by differential amplifier?A differential amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that amplifies the difference between two input voltages but suppresses any voltage common to the two inputs. It is an analog circuit with two inputs and and one output in which the output is ideally proportional to the difference between the two voltages. 7. What are the non linear applications of op amp?Non-Linear Applications of Op AmpVoltage comparator.Two applications of comparator as window detector and zero crossing detector.Schmitt trigger circuit with the extension of regenerative comparator.Multivibrator circuits.Precision rectifier or super diode with the combination of op amp as voltage follower and a diode. 8. Why do we use differential amplifier?Differential amplifiers are used mainly to suppress noise. ... Noise is generated in the wires and cables, due to electromagnetic induction, etc., and it causes a difference in potential (i.e., noise) between the signal source ground and the circuit ground. 9. What does an operational amplifier do?An operational amplifier is an integrated circuit that can amplify weak electric signals. An operational amplifier has two input pins and one output pin. Its basic role is to amplify and output the voltage difference between the two input pins. 10. What is an ideal operational amplifier?Operational amplifier: The ideal op amp is an amplifier with infinite input impedance, infinite open-loop gain, zero output impedance, infinite bandwidth, and zero noise. It has positive and negative inputs which allow circuits that use feedback to achieve a wide range of functions.

Ⅰ Working Principle1.1 TerminologyA diode is a two-terminal electronic device characterized by unidirectional conductivity—it allows current to flow easily in one direction but severely restricts current from flowing in the opposite direction. Historically, diodes are divided into vacuum tube diodes (formerly called electron diodes) and semiconductor diodes (crystalline diodes). Due to the high heat loss, large size, and lower efficiency of vacuum tubes, semiconductor diodes are the standard in modern electronics.The fundamental principle of a modern diode relies on the PN junction. Adding leads and a protective package to this PN junction creates the discrete component we know as a diode.A semiconductor diode consists of a PN junction formed by joining a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor. A depletion region (space charge layer) forms at the interface, creating a self-built electric field. In the absence of applied voltage, the diffusion current (caused by the difference in carrier concentration) and the drift current (caused by the internal electric field) balance each other out, resulting in a state of electrical equilibrium.Forward Bias: When a forward voltage is applied, the external electric field opposes the self-built field. This lowers the barrier, causing the diffusion current of carriers to increase significantly, resulting in a forward current (conduction).Reverse Bias: When a reverse voltage is applied, the external field reinforces the self-built field. This widens the depletion region and prevents majority carriers from crossing. Only a tiny "reverse saturation current" flows (leakage), which remains roughly constant over a specific voltage range.Breakdown: When the reverse voltage exceeds a critical threshold, the electric field strength in the depletion layer becomes high enough to trigger a multiplication of carriers. This generates a large number of electron-hole pairs, causing a sharp increase in reverse current. This is known as the breakdown phenomenon. It is worth noting that reverse breakdown is categorized into two types: Zener breakdown (in highly doped junctions at lower voltages) and Avalanche breakdown (at higher voltages). Figure 1. P-type Semiconductor and N-type Semiconductor 1.2 PN JunctionA PN junction is the boundary interface between two types of semiconductor materials: P-type and N-type. The "P" (Positive) region contains an excess of holes, while the "N" (Negative) region contains an excess of free electrons. Due to the concentration gradient, free electrons from the N region diffuse into the P region, and holes from the P region diffuse into the N region. This movement creates the depletion region at the junction.Metal leads are connected to these regions to form terminals: the lead connected to the P-region is the Anode (positive pole), and the lead connected to the N-region is the Cathode (negative pole).1.2.1 Doping PrincipleP-type formation: Intrinsic semiconductors (pure silicon) are doped with trivalent impurities (Group III elements), such as Boron. A Boron atom has only three valence electrons. When it forms covalent bonds with surrounding silicon atoms (which have four electrons), a "hole" (a lack of an electron) is created in the lattice. This hole can accept an electron, effectively making the Boron atom a static negative ion. In P-type material, holes are the majority carriers.N-type formation: Similarly, when intrinsic silicon is doped with pentavalent impurities (Group V elements), such as Phosphorus, the impurity atoms form covalent bonds with silicon. Since Phosphorus has five valence electrons, one excess electron is left free to move. In N-type material, free electrons are the majority carriers. Figure 2. PN Junction StructureWhen these two regions meet, the diffusion of electrons and holes across the boundary disrupts the electrical neutrality near the junction, creating an electric field that eventually stops further diffusion, establishing equilibrium.1.2.2 Feature: Unidirectional ConductivityWhen forward voltage is applied (Anode positive, Cathode negative), the external field pushes holes and electrons toward the junction. This narrows the depletion region and neutralizes the internal electric field. Once the voltage exceeds the threshold voltage (typically ~0.7V for Silicon, ~0.3V for Germanium), the diode conducts current with very low resistance.1.2.3 Supplementary NoteForward Bias: Current flows easily; the diode acts like a closed switch (low impedance).Reverse Bias: Current is blocked; the diode acts like an open switch (high impedance). Ⅱ Diode ApplicationsDiodes are ubiquitous in electronics. From simple power conversion to complex signal processing, they protect circuits, regulate voltage, and enable logic functions. Understanding the diode is the first step to mastering electronics.Function of a Diode in Circuit Design2.1 Main FunctionsDiodes serve four primary roles in modern circuitry:(1) Switching Circuit (Current Steering)In digital logic and computing, diodes utilize their unidirectional conductivity to act as automatic switches. They ensure current flows only when specific conditions are met (like in AND/OR logic gates). Switching diodes (like the 1N4148) are optimized for speed, offering much faster response times than mechanical switches and preventing damage from reverse currents.(2) Limiter/Clipper Circuit (Signal Control)Limiter circuits (or clippers) use diodes to restrict the voltage amplitude of a signal. By placing diodes in parallel with the signal path, any voltage exceeding the diode's forward drop (plus any series reference voltage) is shunted to ground. This is essential for protecting sensitive inputs on microcontrollers or audio equipment from signal spikes.(3) Regulator Circuit (Voltage Stabilization)Zener diodes are the key component here. Unlike standard diodes, Zeners are designed to operate in the reverse breakdown region reliably. If the voltage across a Zener exceeds its "Zener Voltage" (Vz), it conducts heavily, clamping the voltage at that level. This makes them perfect for creating simple voltage references or low-power regulators.(4) Varactor Circuit (Tuning and Frequency Control)Varactor diodes (or Varicaps) act as voltage-controlled capacitors. When reverse-biased, the width of the depletion layer changes with voltage, which changes the junction capacitance. These are widely used in Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) for tuning radios, TVs, and mobile phones, as well as in frequency modulation (FM) circuits. 2.2 Typical Diode ApplicationsLight-emitting diode (LED)Figure 3. Light-emitting DiodeLEDs emit light when electrons recombine with holes at the PN junction, releasing energy in the form of photons. They have revolutionized lighting due to their safety, high efficiency, durability, and fast response time.Key Applications:1. Consumer Electronics: Backlights for LCD TVs, computer monitors, and smartphone screens.2. Automotive: Used in headlights, brake lights, and turn signals. Their fast switching speed improves safety (brake lights trigger faster than incandescent bulbs), and their longevity reduces maintenance.3. Industrial & Mining: Due to their robustness and efficiency, LEDs are replacing traditional lamps in harsh environments like underground mining.4. Urban Lighting: Replacing high-voltage, fragile neon tubes with LED strips for signage and architectural lighting reduces energy costs and fire risks.Zener diodeZener diodes maintain a constant voltage across their terminals when reverse-biased, even as current fluctuates. They are categorized by their breakdown voltage (e.g., 3.3V, 5.1V, 12V). They can be connected in series to achieve higher regulated voltages. Figure 4. Zener Diode CircuitRectifier diodeRectifier diodes allow current to flow only in one direction, converting Alternating Current (AC) into pulsating Direct Current (DC). This is the fundamental component of power supplies. Figure 5. Full Wave Rectifier CircuitLow Frequency (Mains): For standard 50Hz/60Hz rectification, the 1N400x or 1N540x series are standard. Key parameters are Maximum Rectified Current (Io) and Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV).High Frequency: In Switching Mode Power Supplies (SMPS), standard rectifiers are too slow. Fast Recovery Diodes (FRD) or Schottky diodes are required to handle high switching frequencies efficiently.Detector diodeDetector diodes (often Germanium or Schottky point-contact diodes) possess high detection efficiency and low junction capacitance. They are used to demodulate Amplitude Modulated (AM) signals in radios, extracting the audio signal from the carrier wave.  Figure 6. Detector Diode CircuitSchottky diodeA Schottky diode uses a metal-semiconductor junction rather than a P-N junction. This gives it two distinct advantages: 1. Low Forward Voltage Drop: Typically 0.15V to 0.45V (compared to 0.7V for Silicon), which reduces power loss and heat. 2. High Speed: Zero reverse recovery time makes them ideal for high-frequency switching power supplies, inverters, and motor drivers.Switching diodeDesigned specifically for rapid on/off operations. In the circuit below, VD1 acts as a switch to control the charging path of capacitor C2. Figure 7. Switching Diode CircuitFast recovery diode (FRD)FRDs are PN junction diodes doped to have a significantly reduced Reverse Recovery Time (trr). While a standard rectifier might take microseconds to stop conducting when voltage reverses, an FRD stops in nanoseconds. This is critical in modern power electronics like inverters and PWM controllers to prevent short-circuit currents. Update for 2025: In high-power applications, Silicon Carbide (SiC) diodes are increasingly replacing traditional silicon FRDs due to their ability to handle higher voltages and temperatures with almost zero switching loss.Transient voltage suppressor (TVS)Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS) are specialized avalanche diodes designed to absorb high-energy spikes. They are the primary defense against ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) and voltage surges in sensitive electronics. Figure 8. Diode Circuit Symbols Ⅲ One Question Related to Diode Functions and Going Further3.1 QuestionWhy do we use diodes in a circuit?3.2 AnswerThe primary function is to serve as an electronic "check valve" or "one-way street" for electricity. This enables: 1. Rectification: Converting AC power (wall outlet) to DC power (batteries/electronics). 2. Protection: Blocking reverse polarity (if you put a battery in backward) or clamping high-voltage spikes (TVS). 3. Signal Manipulation: Demodulating radio signals or creating logic gates. 4. Reference: Providing a stable voltage reference (Zener). Ⅳ Diode Distributors RecommendationWhether you are sourcing standard rectifiers or advanced SiC power diodes, reliability is key. Here are some recommended sources for diode components:Mouser Electronics (Global Distributor)onsemi (Leading Manufacturer)KYNIX Semiconductor (Electronic Component Distributor)Digi-Key Electronics (Global Distributor) Frequently Asked Questions about Diode Function1. What is a diode used for?Its most common function is to allow electric current to pass in one direction (forward direction) while blocking it in the opposite direction (reverse direction). This is used for rectification, protection, and signal isolation. 2. What is the main function of a PN junction diode?It controls the flow of electrons. By manipulating the PN junction bias, it acts as a switch that is either ON (conducting) or OFF (insulating), depending on the direction of voltage applied. 3. What is the function of a rectifier diode?Rectifier diodes are specifically built to handle the conversion of AC (Alternating Current) to DC (Direct Current). They are robust enough to handle the high currents found in power supply units. 4. Do diodes output AC or DC?Diodes do not generate power. However, when an AC source is fed into a diode, the output is pulsating DC. The diode blocks the negative half of the AC cycle, leaving only the positive flow. 5. What is the function of a Zener diode?Zener diodes are used for voltage regulation. Unlike standard diodes, they are designed to conduct in reverse at a specific breakdown voltage (Vz). They are used to stabilize voltage rails and protect circuits from over-voltage surges. 6. What is the difference between a diode and a rectifier?"Diode" is the broad name for the component type (a two-terminal device). "Rectifier" is a function or a specific type of diode designed for power conversion. All rectifiers are diodes, but not all diodes are rectifiers (e.g., LEDs, Zener, and Varactors are diodes but are not used as rectifiers).