Stan Gibilisco - Beginner’s Guide to Reading Schematics, 4th Edition

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Stan Gibilisco, an electronics engineer, mathematician, and radio hobbyist, has authored numerous titles for the McGraw-Hill Demystified and Know-It-All series, along with dozens of other technical books and magazine articles. His work appears in several languages in countries throughout the world. Stan has been an active amateur radio operator since 1966. His currently holds the call sign W1GV.

In Memory of Jack

Have you caught the electronics bug and then balked at the sight of diagrams with arcane symbols when you decided to build, troubleshoot, or repair something? If so, you have the solution in your hands.

Dont give up on electronics when you encounter strange-looking circuit diagrams. You dont quit your favorite sport because you fear the rigors of training, do you? No! You get into condition with practice. Schematic diagrams (or schematics), sensibly drawn and neatly arranged, can help you design, build, maintain, and repair electronic equipment. But you must do some work to gain skill at reading and interpreting schematics.

As you plan a trip by car, road maps show you how to navigate the countryside. As you work with electronic equipment, schematics show you the way through simple circuits, complex devices, and massive systems. Once you know what the symbols represent, youll find schematics no more difficult than road maps.

While you read this book, youll learn the rationale of schematics, how to draw or interpret each symbol, and how the symbols interconnect to form functional circuits. Youll also get a chance to do a few simple experiments. Then you can continue your quest in any field of electronics from amateur radio to space communications, from surround sound to virtual reality.

Youll find my website at www.sciencewriter.net. I also create videos; simply search YouTube for my name. Have fun!

Stan Gibilisco

Youll encounter three types of diagrams in electricity and electronics literature. Each style serves a unique purpose. When you buy an electric or electronic device or system, it should (in the ideal case) come with an operating and maintenance manual that includes all three types of diagrams.

A block diagram gives you an overview of how the individual circuits in a system work together. Youll see each circuit represented as a block (rectangle or other shape, depending on the application). Interconnecting lines, sometimes with arrows on one or both ends, show how the circuits combine to form the whole system, and how currents and signals flow among those circuits. is a simple example.

FIG. 1-1Block diagram of a radio transmitter that can send signals in Morse code.

A schematic diagram (often simply called a schematic) shows every component in a circuit. Each component has its own special symbol. Lines between the components reveal how they connect together, and to a source of power, so they perform a specific function or operation. This book deals mostly with schematics. is a simple example.