An Overview of Passive Components
Electronic components encompass any discrete device or part that serves an electronic system for the manipulation of electrons. To make navigating the various types of electronics easier, components are classified into active, passive, or electromechanical component types. With passive components in particular, such electronics are incapable of introducing net energy to a circuit, and they may only rely on power provided to them from the electrical circuit that they are implemented in. As passive components include many of the basic building blocks of modern electronics, being aware of their common types and functionalities can be very beneficial.
While passive devices are unable to generate energy like other power and electrical components, they may still be used for storing and dissipating it. Such operational characteristics can be seen in passive components such as resistor parts, those of which serve as some of the most common assets for electronic assembly. At their most basic, resistor parts can add electrical resistance to a circuit, meaning that they may be used to mitigate current flow, divide voltages, change signal levels, terminate transmission lines, and much more. With the various resistor types available, applications ranging from simple calculators to robust power distribution systems can benefit from their unique capabilities. When there is a need for variable resistance within high power applications or for variable voltage division, rheostat parts and potentiometer parts may be used.
Capacitor parts are another common passive component type that are often found in electronics, and they are capable of storing electrical energy within an electrical field. With this functionality, capacitor parts can add capacitance to a circuit with their two terminals and serve for power conditioning, noise filtering, signal coupling, remote sensing, and more. As such, capacitors can be found in a wide range of industries and are critical components for many common electronic devices.
Transducers are passive devices that are implemented within a circuit in order to convert energy, and they are often used for signal transformation. Coming in the form of sensors, actuators, and other devices, transducers may benefit automation, control, and measurement systems alike. In their most simplistic form, sensors are components that can detect an event within their environment and then relay a corresponding signal to another electronic device. While simplistic in operation, sensors are vital to countless electronics, allowing for such devices to detect touch, heat, pressure, electricity, and more in order to relay information that may be used to enact an action, raise awareness of a condition, and other procedures.
For machines to be able to move and control their various mechanisms and systems, they rely on actuators. As a mover, actuators require both a control signal and a source of energy in order to carry out their functionality. As an example, an actuator can be a component that utilizes a control signal and energy to produce mechanical force in either a rotary or linear motion. Depending on the application and need, common types of actuators parts include those that are hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, thermal, magnetic, or mechanical in operation.
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