College of Engineering

Familiarization of Electrical Devices

Activity 1

Rufo, Gabriel P.

Physics 2 for Engineers Lab

GEN0110L

Mon 5:00-6:30 pm
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Different Types of Electrical Connectors

II.
Board to Board Connectors

o Board to board connectors are designed to connect printed circuit boards together without a
cable. This connection can be permanent in the case of "hard soldering" (soldering a pin header
to the PCB at both ends). This approach may be used in a "fit and forget" solution where no
mating cycles are required.
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o Wire/Cable-to-Wire/Cable Connectors

i. Wire-to-wire connectors are used to connect two wire-terminated connectors. They are used as
electrical connectors, electronic connectors, and computer connectors. General specifications
for a wire-to-wire connector include mating combination or gender, number of circuits or
positions, and wire size.
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o Wire/Cable-to-Board Connectors

o This type of device connects a wire to a printed circuit board (PCB), enabling connectivity
between circuits. A wire-to-board connector connects a wire to a printed circuit board (PCB),
enabling connectivity between circuits.
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Different Types of Switches

o Single Pole Single Throw Switch (SPST)

o This switch has three terminals: one is input contact and remaining two are output contacts.
o This means it consist two ON positions and one OFF position.
o In most of the circuits, these switches are used as changeover to connect the input between two
choices of outputs.
o The contact which is connected to the input by default is referred as normally closed contact
and contact which will be connected during ON operation is a normally open contact.
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o Double Pole Single Throw Switch (DPST)

 This switch consists of four terminals: two input contacts and two output contacts.
 It behaves like a two separate SPST configurations, operating at the same time.
 It has only one ON position, but it can actuate the two contacts simultaneously, such that each
input contact will be connected to its corresponding output contact.
 In OFF position both switches are at open state.
 This type of switches is used for controlling two different circuits at a time.
 Also, the contacts of this switch may be either normally open or normally closed configurations.
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o Double Pole Double Throw Switch (DPDT)

 This is a dual ON/OFF switch consisting of two ON positions.

 It has six terminals, two are input contacts and remaining four are the output contacts.
 It behaves like a two separate SPDT configuration, operating at the same time.
 Two input contacts are connected to the one set of output contacts in one position and in
another position, input contacts are connected to the other set of output contacts.
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o Push Button Switch

 It is a momentary contact switch that makes or breaks connection as long as pressure is applied
(or when the button is pushed).
 Generally, this pressure is supplied by a button pressed by someone’s finger.
 This button returns its normal position, once the pressure is removed.
 The internal spring mechanism operates these two states (pressed and released) of a push
button.
 It consists of stationary and movable contacts, of which stationary contacts are connected in
series with the circuit to be switched while movable contacts are attached with a push button.
 Push buttons are majorly classified into normally open, normally closed and double acting push
buttons as shown in the above figure.
 Double acting push buttons are generally used for controlling two electrical circuits.
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o Power Supply

o A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. The main
purpose of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to the correct voltage,
current, and frequency to power the load. As a result, power supplies are sometimes referred to
as electric power converters. Some power supplies are separate standalone pieces of
equipment, while others are built into the load appliances that they power. Examples of the
latter include power supplies found in desktop computers and consumer electronics devices.
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o Resistors

o A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance

as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal
levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines, among other
uses. High-power resistors that can dissipate many watts of electrical power as heat may be
used as part of motor controls, in power distribution systems, or as test loads for generators.
Fixed resistors have resistances that only change slightly with temperature, time or operating
voltage.
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o Capacitors

o A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It is a passive electronic
component with two terminals.

The effect of a capacitor is known as capacitance. While some capacitance exists between any
two electrical conductors in proximity in a circuit, a capacitor is a component designed to add
capacitance to a circuit.
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o Inductors

 An inductor, also called a coil, choke, or reactor, is a passive two-terminal electrical component
that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it.[1] An inductor
typically consists of an insulated wire wound into a coil.

 When the current flowing through the coil changes, the time-varying magnetic field induces an
electromotive force (e.m.f.) (voltage) in the conductor, described by Faraday's law of induction.
According to Lenz's law, the induced voltage has a polarity (direction) which opposes the change
in current that created it. As a result, inductors oppose any changes in current through them.
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o Galvanometer

 A galvanometer is an instrument that can detect and measure small amounts of current in an
electrical circuit. The first galvanometer was built just months after Hans Christian Ørsted
demonstrated in 1820 that an electric current can deflect a magnetized needle.
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o Multimeter

 A multimeter is a measuring instrument that can measure multiple electrical properties. A

typical multimeter can measure voltage, resistance, and current, in which case it is also known
as a volt-ohm-milliammeter (VOM), as the unit is equipped with voltmeter, ammeter, and
ohmmeter functionality. Some feature the measurement of additional properties such as
temperature and capacitance.
 Analog multimeters use a microammeter with a moving pointer to display readings. Digital
multimeters (DMM, DVOM) have numeric displays and have made analog multimeters virtually
obsolete as they are cheaper, more precise, and more physically robust than analog
multimeters.
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o Potentiometer

 A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an

adjustable voltage divider.[1] If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a
variable resistor or rheostat.
 The measuring instrument called a potentiometer is essentially a voltage divider used for
measuring electric potential (voltage); the component is an implementation of the same
principle, hence its name.
 Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on
audio equipment. Potentiometers operated by a mechanism can be used as position
transducers, for example, in a joystick. Potentiometers are rarely used to directly control
significant power (more than a watt), since the power dissipated in the potentiometer would be
comparable to the power in the controlled load.
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III. Table of Resistors

Tips for Reading Resistor Codes

 The reading direction might not always be clear. Sometimes the increased space
between bands 3 and 4 provide an indication of the reading direction. Also, the first
band is usually the closest to a lead. A gold or silver band (the tolerance) is always the
last band.
 It is a good practice to check the manufacturer’s documentation to be sure about the
color coding system used.
 When in doubt, measure the resistance with a ohmmeter. In some cases this might even
be the only way to figure out the resistance; for example when the color bands are
burnt off.
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IV. References/ Sources

i. https://gct.co/board-to-board-connector#:~:text=Board%20to%20board%20connectors
%20are,no%20mating%20cycles%20are%20required.
ii. https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/electrical_electronic_components/
connectors/wire_to_wire_connectors#:~:text=Wire%2Dto%2Dwire%20connectors
%20are,or%20positions%2C%20and%20wire%20size.
iii. https://www.te.com/usa-en/products/connectors/pcb-connectors/wire-to-board-
connectors.html#:~:text=This%20type%20of%20device%20connects,)%2C%20enabling
%20connectivity%20between%20circuits.
iv. https://www.electronicshub.org/switches/
v. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply
vi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor
vii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
viii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductor
ix. https://nationalmaglab.org/education/magnet-academy/watch-play/interactive/
galvanometer#:~:text=A%20galvanometer%20is%20an%20instrument,can%20deflect
%20a%20magnetized%20needle.

x. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimeter
xi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer
xii. https://eepower.com/resistor-guide/resistor-standards-and-codes/resistor-color-code/#