Fundamentals of Resistors, Capacitors and Inductors

Learn the basics of resistors as passive two-terminal components, apply Ohm's law, and explore their role in signal processing, sensing, damping, and power dissipation in series and parallel configurations.

Explore decibels and their use in magnitude representation. Learn to convert between magnitude and dB and see benefits in semi-log plots for filters and transfer functions.

Explore resistor impedance in dB ohm and analyze it with LTSpice AC analysis, linking magnitude to resistance and exploring high-frequency parasitics.

Learn to select the best resistor for an application by evaluating resistance, tolerance, size, power, temperature coefficient (ppm), and standard values; apply thermal modeling and derating for reliability.

Learn about through-hole resistors in through-hole technology (THT), with long leads soldered by hand or wave methods, and used in breadboarding, prototyping, and high-power circuits.

Explain a through-hole resistor: a 1 kiloohm, 5% 5 watt part from djk; review TE datasheet, -55 to 155 C operating temperature, 300 ppm temp coefficient, and derating curves.

Explore surface mount resistors (SMD) in sizes like 0402–1206, enabling higher density, lighter weight, and efficient prototyping with stencil, reflow, and Gerber and NCGIO files.

Examine a surface-mount thick-film resistor in size OA0510 kΩ 1%, with an aluminum substrate and protective coating, and review its datasheet, including tolerances and AEC-Q200 qualification.

Explore current shunt resistors, precision low-resistance devices that convert current into a measurable voltage, with Kelvin four-wire sensing and high-side or low-side configurations for power electronics and battery management systems.

Explore chassis-mount current shunt resistors for high-power, four-wire Kelvin measurements, with Kelvin sense terminals and 2.5 mΩ, 1 W example, used to assess dc-dc converter efficiency.

Learn to measure resistance with a digital multimeter and an ILCR meter, comparing a 49.9 kiloohm resistor reading of 49.62 kiloohm with 49.67 kiloohm at 1 kHz.

Learn how to measure milliohm resistance using three methods: two-wire methods are inaccurate, Kelvin four-wire with a DC current and a precise voltmeter, and dedicated milliohm meters for high accuracy.

Discover capacitor basics, including energy storage between two plates with a dielectric. Learn the key relation C = εA/d, plus polarized and non-polarized types.

Compare mlcc and polymer capacitor structures, including dielectric layers and the ice cream-like polymer core, and note ESR, ESL, voltage ratings, and dc bias effects.

Analyze capacitor impedance in the AC frequency domain using Laplace transforms and s-domain analysis, revealing 1/(sC) impedance, a constant -90 degree phase, and 0 dB crossover frequency around 1.59 MHz.

Explore capacitor charge balance with LTspice simulations, showing how current changes capacitor voltage via dV/dt = I/C and how balanced versus unbalanced charge affects steady-state voltage.

Explore the first-order rc low-pass filter, a resistor-capacitor series circuit, with output across the capacitor, and observe frequency-dependent attenuation from 1 kHz to 10 MHz in LTspice.

Derive the RC first-order filter transfer function in the frequency domain and visualize magnitude and phase with body plots, using Octave and LTspice for asymptotes.

Test the first-order RC filter on the bench to observe the input to output transfer and ESR/ESL effects on high-frequency behavior near 31.83 kHz.

Explore the realistic capacitor model, detailing ESR, ESL, leakage, and the corner frequency F0. Identify capacitive behavior below F0 and inductive behavior above, and compare ESR/ESL with LTSpice models.

Explore a ceramic 1uF 100 V capacitor, its datasheet, and impedance, ESR, ESL, and temperature coefficient curves to understand performance across frequency and DC bias.

Explore how MLCC temperature coefficients affect capacitance across temperature, comparing COG/NP0 stability with X7R and X5R for bypass and control applications. Recognize operating ranges and tolerances for these dielectrics.

Explore aluminum electrolytic capacitors through a practical datasheet example, covering 100uF, 50V, 2000 hours at 105°C, ESR and impedance behavior, and derating at lower frequencies.

Explore how parallel capacitors share voltage and sum capacitance to lower impedance across frequencies, with AC impedance and ESR/ESL analysis on a TI LM5036 buck example.

Identify parasitic capacitance as unintended capacitance between conductors separated by an insulator, and evaluate PCB, transformer, and MOSFET parasitics. Learn how dv/dt drives common-mode noise in switch-mode power supplies.

Measure capacitance with a digital multimeter by charging a capacitor with a known current and reading the resulting voltage, using in-circuit or removal methods for input and output capacitance.

Learn to measure capacitance with an LCR meter across 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 100 kHz, and analyze capacitance, ESR, DF, and Q factor, with datasheet comparison.

Explore inductors as dynamic energy storage devices, learn inductance, current-source behavior, volt-second concepts, and energy storage in magnetic fields, while understanding datasheets and practical measurement.

Explore diverse inductor types, from air core and magnetic core to toroidal designs, and learn how shielding, EMI, and mounting options affect performance in power and RF circuits.

derive the impedance of an ideal inductor as z_L = sL, explore series and parallel configurations, and verify with ac analysis showing 90° phase and plus 20 dB per decade.

Explore volt-second balance in an inductor, showing how positive and negative volt-seconds drive and reset current, with balanced cycles yielding zero change. LTspice simulations illustrate current slope and energy storage.

Demonstrate an inductor experiment revealing an IOC resonant circuit with parasitic winding capacitance, 6 MHz oscillations, and a -300 V spike when current is interrupted.

Explore a four-element realistic inductor model with L, RDC, Cp, and Rp. See how SRF and interwinding parasitics shape impedance across frequency, revealing inductive, resonant, and capacitive behavior and Q.

Learn the right-hand grip rule to relate current to magnetic fields, explore straight wires and solenoids, and see how relays and electromagnets use these fields in dc and ac applications.

Build essential magnetic theory and derive the inductor differential equation from Faraday's and Ampere's laws, yielding the inductance formula L = μ N^2 A_c / L_m.

Learn how magnetomotive force drives magnetic flux through an ungapped ferrocore, and how reluctance RM = LM/(mu AC) controls the flux, linking this magnetic circuit to its electric analogy.

Learn how adding an air gap to a ferrocore increases saturation current and energy storage while reducing inductance, with most energy stored in the gap and the AL factor decreases.

Apply the inductance design equation to determine the required turns to avoid core saturation. Add an air gap to reach the target inductance using the AL inductance factor.

Learn how inductor copper loss comes from winding DC resistance and high-frequency skin and proximity effects. High-frequency ripple at switching frequency increases AC resistance, causing more heat and reduced efficiency.

Examine the MSS1038-683MLB shielded power inductor datasheet to select suitable inductors, understand dc bias and self-resonant frequency, and simulate impedance with ltspice using the provided 3d model and SPICE library.

Analyze power losses of a 68 μH inductor in a switching mode power supply using Coilcraft design tools to estimate DCR loss, core and AC winding loss, and temperature rise.

Learn to measure inductance with an LCR meter, including DC bias; compare with frequency response analyzer and network analyzer methods to assess SRF and nominal inductance.

Examine power inductor saturation, showing inductance stays constant below saturation current and collapses as flux approaches the B set due to reduced effective permeability; include DC bias and temperature effects.

Learn to test inductor saturation on a bench using a pulse tester, estimate inductance from the current slope, and observe saturation current with a shunt resistor and oscilloscope.

Celebrate gaining working knowledge of passive components, including resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and explore practical, engaging applications of these fundamentals.