PASSIVE ELECTRICAL DEVICES

Passive Electrical Devices

Resistors
• Resistor is a component used to limit the amount of current
flowing in a circuit and producing voltage drop when current
passes through it.
• A device use to regulate or limit the flow of current in a circuit.
• A resistor works on the principle of Ohm’s Law.
• Resistance –the ability of the resistor to oppose or withstand
the amount of current dissipation in a circuit.
 Types of Resistors

Resistors can be broadly classified based on the following criteria:

the type of material used, the power rating and resistance value.

1. Fixed resistors.
In some cases, an electrical circuit may need a lesser
amount of current to flow through it than the input value.
Fixed resistors are used in these situations to limit the flow of
current.
1.1 Carbon Composition Resistors:
This type of resistor is rarely used nowadays due to their
high cost and are only preferred in power supply and welding
circuits.
These resistors are cylindrical rods which are a mixture
of carbon granules and powdered ceramic. The resistor value
depends on the composition of the ceramic material. A higher
quantity of ceramic content will result in more resistance. Since
the rod is coated with an insulated material, there are chances
of damage due to excessive heat caused by soldering.
 1.2 Carbon film resistors:

This resistor is formed by depositing a carbon film layer

on an insulating substrate. Helical cuts are then made through
the carbon film to trace a long and helical resistive path. The
resistance can be varied by using different resistivity carbon
material and modifying the shape of the resistor. The helical
resistive path make these resistors highly inductive and of little
use for RF applications.
 1.3 Metal Film resistor:

These resistors are made from small rods of ceramic coated

with metal (such as a nickel alloy) or metal oxide (such as tin
oxide). The value of resistance is controlled mainly by the
thickness of the coating layer (the thicker the layer, the lower is
the value of resistance). A fine spiral groove can be cut along
the rod using a laser to split the carbon or metal coating
effectively into a long and spiral strip, which forms the resistor.
 1.4 Wire wound resistor:

Wire wound resistors vary in size and physical

appearance. Their resistive elements are commonly lengths of
wire, usually an alloy such as Nickel/Chromium or Manganin
wrapped around a small ceramic or glass fiber rod and coated in
an insulating flameproof cement film. They are normally
available in low values of resistance but are capable of
dissipating large amounts of power.
 1.5 Thin film and thick film resistors:
The principal difference between thin film and thick film
resistors is how the film is applied to the cylinder (axial
resistors) or the surface (SMD resistors). Thin film resistors are
made by sputtering (a method of vacuum deposition) the
resistive material onto an insulating substrate whereas thick
film are made using screen and stencil printing processes.

Thin film resistors are usually more expensive than thick

film resistors. Thin film resistors are preferred for microwave
 1.6 Surface Mount Resistor (SMD):
This type of resistor helps to achieve very low power
dissipation along with very high component density. Most
modern circuits use tiny SMT resistors. These are made by
depositing a film of resistive material such as tin oxide on a tiny
ceramic chip. The edges of the resistor are then accurately
ground or cut with a laser to give precise resistance across the
device. Tolerances may be as low as 0.02%. Contacts at each end
are provided, which are soldered directly onto the conductive
print on the circuit board, usually by automatic assembly
methods. These are mostly used where space is an important
factor.
 2. Variable Resistors

Presets and potentiometers are commonly used

types of variable resistors. These are mostly used for
voltage division and setting the sensitivity of sensors.
These have a sliding contact or wiper which can be
rotated with the help of a screw driver to change the
resistance value. In the linear type, the change in
resistance is linear as the wiper rotates.
 3. Semi Variable Resistors
These are two terminal variable resistors designed for
handling higher voltages and currents. These are constructed
by resistive wire wrapped to form a toroid coil with the wiper
moving over the upper surface of the toroid, sliding from one
turn of the wire to the next. A rheostat is also made from
resistance wire wound on a heat-resisting cylinder with the
slider made from a number of metal fingers. The fingers can be
moved along the coil of resistance wire by a sliding knob, thus
changing the tapping point.
 4. Special resistors

Thermistors are special resistors whose resistance changes with

the temperature.

2 Types of Thermistor
1. Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) - the resistance
increases with increasing temperature.
2. Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) - the resistance
decreases with increasing temperature.
4.2 Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

• It is a component wherein the resistance depends upon

the amount of light falling on it.
Resistor Color Coding
EXAMPLE:

RED-GREEN-BROWN-GOLD

First color – ( red ) 2

Second color – ( green ) 5
Multiplier – ( brown ) x 10
Tolerance – ( gold ) ±5 %
 EXAMPLE:
Direction: Compute the value of the following resistors and capacitors according
to its color code value.

No. of Component Computed Color Code Value

Resistors:

R1. Green Blue Yellow Gold

R2. Gray Red Brown Gold

R3. Red Red Yellow Gold

 Testing of a Resistor

Good Resistor
The meter reading should be closed to the rated value
of the resistor depending on the tolerance of the
resistor.

Defective Resistor
The tester pointer does not deflect at all. The resistor is
OPEN.
The resistance reading has a big difference to the
resistor rated value. The resistor has change value.
 Capacitors
A capacitor is a device that consists essentially of two
conducting surfaces separated by a dielectric material like air,
paper, mica, ceramic, glass, or mylar. It makes it possible to store
electric energy. Electrons are detained within a capacitor. This, in
effect, is stored electricity. It is known as electrical potential or an
electrostatic field. Electrostatic field hold electrons. When the
increase of electrons becomes great enough, the electrical
potentials are now ready to be discharged.

• Capacitance is the ability of a capacitor to store current and

voltage without damaging its dielectric material.
• It is measured in Farad (F) micro Farad (uF), nano Farad (nF),
and picoFarad (pF).
 Types of Capacitor and Its Applications

1. Electrolytic - for low-frequency circuits, polarized, leaking.

2. Tantalum - low-leakage electrolytic
3. Polyester (Mylar) - general purpose, temperature
sensitive
4. Ceramic - for high-frequency filtering, temperature
sensitive
Capacitor Application According to Its Function in
the Circuit

1. Blocking
2. Coupling and Decoupling
3. Bypassing
4. Frequency Discrimination
5. Timing
6. Energy Storage
7. Arc Suppression
8. Power Factor Correction
 Testing of Capacitor

Good Capacitor
• The tester pointer deflects and then move back
to its initial position.
 Testing of Capacitor

Open Capacitor

• The tester pointer does not deflect at all.

 Testing of Capacitor

Leaky Capacitor
• The tester pointer deflects toward the right
position but does not return to its initial
position or remains stationary.
 Testing of Capacitor

Shorted Capacitor
• The tester pointer rests on the 0 ohm scale,
reverse and forward bias test.
Note:

Use appropriate range when testing capacitors.

 5.2. Inductors

• An inductor is also a fundamental electronic component,

sometimes referred to as a coil.
• It consists of a spiraled or coiled wire.
• The inductor stores electrical energy in the form of an
electromagnetic field.
Types of Inductors

1. Air Core Inductors

In this type of inductor, core is completely absent.

These inductors offer high reluctance path for the magnetic
flux, hence less inductance. The air core inductors have
larger coils to produce higher flux densities. These are used
in high frequency applications including TV and radio
receivers.
Types of Inductors

2. Ferrite Core Inductors

These are the different types of inductors which offer

advantages of decreased cost and low core losses at high
frequencies. Ferrite is a metal oxide ceramic based around a
mixture of Ferric Oxide Fe2O3. Soft ferrites are used for the
core construction to reduce the hysteresis losses.
Types of Inductors

3. Toroidal Core Inductors

In these inductors, a coil is wounded on a toroid

circular former. Flux leakage is very low in this type of
inductor. However special winding machines are required to
design this type of inductor. Sometimes ferrite core is also
used to decrease the losses in this design.
Types of Inductors

4. Bobbin based Inductors

In this type, coil is wounded on the bobbin. Bobbin

wound inductor designs vary widely in terms of power
rating, voltage and current levels, operating frequency, etc.
These are mostly used in switch mode power supplies and
power conversion applications.
Types of Inductors

5. Thin Film Inductors

These are completely different from the conventional

chip-type inductors wound with copper wire. In this type,
tiny inductors are formed using thin-film processing to create
the chip inductor for high-frequency applications.
 5.3. Transformers

Electrical transformer is a static electrical

machine which transforms electrical power from one
circuit to another circuit, without changing the
frequency. Transformer can increase or decrease the
voltage with corresponding decrease or increase in
current.

The basic principle of operation of a transformer is

the phenomenon of mutual induction between two
windings linked by common magnetic flux.
 5.3. Transformers

Basically a transformer consists of two inductive

coils; primary winding and secondary winding. The coils
are electrically separated but magnetically linked to
each other. When, primary winding is connected to a
source of alternating voltage, alternating magnetic flux
is produced around the winding. The core provides
magnetic path for the flux, to get linked with the
secondary winding. Most of the flux gets linked with
the secondary winding which is called as 'useful flux' or
main 'flux', and the flux which does not get linked with
secondary winding is called as 'leakage flux'.
 5.3. Transformers

As the flux produced is alternating (the direction

of it is continuously changing), EMF gets induced in the
secondary winding according to Faraday's law of
electromagnetic induction. This emf is called 'mutually
induced emf', and the frequency of mutually induced
emf is same as that of supplied emf. If the secondary
winding is closed circuit, then mutually induced current
flows through it, and hence the electrical energy is
transferred from one circuit (primary) to another circuit
(secondary).
Basic Construction of a Transformer
 Types of Transformers
(A) On the basis of construction, transformers can be classified into two types as;

1. Core Type Transformer

In core type transformer, windings are cylindrical former

wound, mounted on the core limbs as shown in the figure
above. The cylindrical coils have different layers and each layer is
insulated from each other. Materials like paper, cloth or mica can
be used for insulation. Low voltage windings are placed nearer
to the core, as they are easier to insulate.
 Types of Transformers

2. Shell Type Transformer

The coils are former wound and mounted in layers

stacked with insulation between them. A shell type transformer
may have simple rectangular form (as shown in above fig), or it
may have a distributed form.
 Types of Transformers

(B) On The Basis Of Their Purpose

1. Step up transformer: Voltage increases (with subsequent
decrease in current) at secondary.
2. Step down transformer: Voltage decreases (with subsequent
increase in current) at secondary.

(C) On the basis of type of supply

3. Single phase transformer
4. Three phase transformer
 Types of Transformers

(D) On the basis of their use

1. Power transformer: Used in transmission network,
high rating
2. Distribution transformer: Used in distribution
network, comparatively lower rating than that of
power transformers.

(E) On the basis of cooling employed

3. Oil-filled self-cooled type
4. Oil-filled water cooled type
5. Air blast type (air cooled)
5. Semiconductor Components

• It is a material which resists between the insulator and the conductor.

The resistance is often changed by light, heat, or magnetic field.

The particular characteristic of the semiconductor materials depend on

its atomic structure, (It is the number and arrangement of electron) which allow
their conductivity to be increased by adding impurity elements (It is the adding of
foreign electrons, ions, or holes), and the process is called doping.

Doping is the intensified number of electron charges, ion charges, or hole

charges that can be moved by an external supply voltage.
5.1 Semiconductor
For example when the amount of free electron (It is a result of a single
loose electron that acquires energy and collides with the other planetary
electrons that causes them to break away from the attraction of the nucleus
and becomes free.) is increased, the doped semiconductor is N-type or
negative; and when it is decreased the amount of free electron forms the
P-type or positive.
 5.2 Semiconductor Diodes

It is a semiconductor device that contains two-electrode

p-n junction. This diode is made of N-material and P-material
(Positive and Negative devices) that are joined in a single
package.
 Principle of Operation of a Diode

By applying DC voltage to the electrodes (the two terminals), negative to

the P-materials and positive to the N-materials, causes the attraction. In this
operation the diode is not conducting because of the polarity applied to it.
This operation is called reverse-biased. The barrier is so large that the
resistance becomes greater. The diode becomes an insulator.
 Principle of Operation of a Diode

By applying DC voltage to the electrodes, negative to the N-materials and

positive to the P-materials, causes the repulsion. By pushing the N-materials and the
P-materials to the junction, causing it to become thin.
 Principle of Operation of a Diode

Because the barrier is so thin, it collapses, releasing the electrons to flow. In

this operation the diode is conducting because of the polarity applied to it. This
operation is called forward-biased. When barrier is thin, so the resistance become lesser.
(The diode becomes a conductor, because we apply the right bias causing it to be in
conduction state.)

Conduction State – It is the triggering voltage supply of all semiconductors.

1. 0.7V for silicon diode
2. 0.3V for germanium diode (crystal)
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses

1. Rectifier Diode. It is used for low frequency range mostly for power supply.

Schematic Symbol of Rectifier Diode

2. Zener Diode. It is used for reference voltage mostly for regulator’s reference.

Schematic Symbol of Zener Diode

 Types of Diodes and Their Uses
3. Light Emitting Diode (LED). It is used for light indictor mostly for running light effects.
Types of Diodes and Their Uses
Special Types of Diode

1. Schottky Diode
This diode is designed to have a very fast switching time which makes it a
great diode for digital circuit applications. It is very common in computers because of
its ability to be switched on and off so quickly.

Schematic Symbol
2. Shockley Diode
The Shockley diode is a four-layer diode while other diodes are normally
made with only two layers. These types of diodes are generally used to control the
average power delivered to a load.

Schematic Symbol
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses
Special Types of Diode

3. Photodiodes
While LEDs emit light, Photodiodes are sensitive to received light. They are
constructed so their PN junction can be exposed to the outside through a clear window
or lens.

In Photoconductive mode the saturation current increases in proportion to the

intensity of the received light. This type of diode is used in CD players.

In Photovoltaic mode, when the PN junction is exposed to a certain

wavelength of light, the diode generates voltage and can be used as an energy source.
This type of diode is used in the production of solar power.
 Types of Diodes and Their Uses
Special Types of Diode

3. Tunnel Diode

The tunnel diode has a region in its voltage current characteristic where the
current decreases with increased forward voltage, known as its negative resistance
region. This characteristic makes the tunnel diode useful in oscillators and as a
microwave amplifier.
Testing of a Diode Using Analog Multitester

Note: If the results are the same, the diode might be defective.
5.3. Bipolar Transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify

and switch electronic signals and electrical power. It is composed
of semiconductor material with at least three terminals for
connection to an external circuit.

A transistor consists of two PN junctions. Thus a transistor

is like two PN – junction diodes connected back to back.
5.3. Bipolar Transistor

A Bipolar Junction Transistor is a three terminal device containing 3 regions:

Emitter , Base and Collector.
5.3. Bipolar Transistor

Principle of Operation

Biasing Rules of a Transistor

1. Base should always be in forward bias.
2. Emitter should always be in forward bias.
3. Collector should always be in reverse bias.

Applications of Transistor
1. As an amplifier, it takes in a tiny electric current at one end (an input current)
and produces a much bigger electric current (an output current) at the other.
In other words, it's a kind of current booster.

2. As a switches. A tiny electric current flowing through one part of a transistor

can make a much bigger current flow through another part of it. In other
words, the small current switches on the larger one.
Transistor Checking Using Analog Multimeter
For NPN Transistors
1. Set your Analog Multimeter to Ohmmeter X1 or X10 Ohm Scale.

2. Connect the Negative Probe (Black) to the Base and the Positive Probe (Red) to
Emitter. The needle should deflect to the right side, reading less than 100 ohms but
not lower than 5 ohms.
Transistor Checking Using Analog Multimeter

3. Now invert the probe connections to the Base for the Red Probe and to the
Emitter for Black. The Needle should not deflect.

If the results are the same as above, your Emitter-Base junction is OK.
Transistor Checking Using Analog Multimeter

4. Now we will be testing the Base-Collector junction. Connect the Black

probe to the Base and the Red probe to the Collector. The Needle should
deflect to the right; resistance usually is not less than 100 ohms but not
lower than 5 ohms.
Transistor Checking Using Analog Multimeter

5. Invert the probes again, Red to the Base and the Black probe
to the Collector. The Needle should not move.

If results are the same as above, your Base-Collector junction is Ok.

Transistor Checking Using Analog Multimeter

6. Connect the probes to the Emitter and Collector (forward and

reverse), The Needle should not move.
IC (Integrated Circuit)
• Small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material.
• Many active and passive components combine in on silicon chip to perform one or
more function is called integrated circuit (IC).
Types of IC According to Number of Components.
Video Presentation