Hacks of Electronics
The Light Emitting Diode (LED) is one of the most widely used electronic components today, found in everything from indicator lights to full-scale lighting systems. It is a type of diode that converts electrical energy into light energy, offering a highly efficient alternative to traditional bulbs. Unlike incandescent lamps that rely on heating a filament, […]
A Solid-State Relay (SSR) is an electronic switching device that performs the same function as an electromechanical relay (EMR) but without any moving parts. Instead of mechanical contacts, it uses semiconductor devices such as thyristors, Triacs, MOSFETs, or transistors to switch electrical loads ON or OFF. Because there are no moving parts, SSRs offer longer […]
A laser diode is a semiconductor device that emits coherent light through the process of stimulated emission. It operates similarly to a light-emitting diode (LED) but produces a focused, monochromatic, and coherent beam of light. The emitted light waves have the same wavelength, frequency, and phase. The laser diode was invented by Theodore H. Maiman, […]
A surge protector is an electronic protection device designed to safeguard electrical and electronic equipment from voltage surges (transient overvoltage). A voltage surge is a sudden and short-duration spike in voltage that exceeds the normal operating voltage of a system. These surges may last from a few nanoseconds to milliseconds but can reach several kilovolts […]
Understanding the difference between Surge Protection and Over Voltage Protection is essential for designing robust electronic systems, selecting the right protective components, and complying with safety and EMC standards. Modern electronic and electrical systems are increasingly sensitive to abnormal voltage conditions. With the widespread use of microcontrollers, SMPS power supplies, communication modules, and semiconductor devices, […]
Walk into almost any attic, basement, or storage closet and you will find a small museum of forgotten technology. There is usually a clock radio that once woke someone up for work every morning, a cassette player that fueled road trips, or a VCR that still holds a half-finished movie inside. Many of these devices […]
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly is the heart of modern electronic product manufacturing. Two primary methodologies dominate PCB assembly: Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Through-Hole Technology (THT). Each technology has unique characteristics, advantages, limitations, and ideal use cases. This article presents a detailed, side-by-side examination of SMT and THT, covering fundamentals, process steps, component types, […]
While a BCD adder performs decimal addition using binary hardware with correction logic, a BCD subtractor performs the subtraction of one BCD number from another and produces a valid BCD result. This requires additional logic because simple binary subtraction does not automatically produce valid BCD outputs. Digital systems frequently need to perform arithmetic operations such […]
When the temperature drops, the first thing most of us do is reach for that thermostat and crank it up. It feels so good at first until the power bill comes and you start wondering if hibernating in a bear cave might be cheaper. The truth is, running your electric heater smartly is totally doable, […]