The diagram that shows how the parts are hooked up logically. If your question is about a specific schematic software package, use that tag instead.
Required reading:
Additional reading:
Questions tagged [schematics]
1582 questions
328
votes
8 answers
Rules and guidelines for drawing good schematics
There are a lot of poorly drawn schematics here. A few times people have actually asked for critiques of their schematics. This question is intended as a single repository on schematic drawing rules and guidelines can point people to. The question…
Olin Lathrop
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Good tools for drawing schematics
I was going to add a bit of information to my post on a previous day using schematics and some instructions. What programs are being employed for this purpose?
I mostly want to see what others are using and that I can easily use to give descriptive…
Kortuk
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46
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7 answers
How do you document your hardware design decisions?
How do you document your hardware decisions in the design phase?
How do you avoid having to ask yourself the following questions while reviewing an hardware design that you made in the past:
Why did a choose this component?
Why/how did I choose…
m.Alin
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40
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Why can current only flow in loops?
In the following image:
Why can't current flow across the following wire?
It's a simple question, but I've kind off always wondered.
Thanks!
Physco111
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40
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What's a schematic (compared to other diagrams)?
What's the difference between a schematic, a block diagram, a wiring diagram and a PCB layout?
Why do engineers want a schematic instead of a wiring diagram?
Where does Fritzing fit into this?
JYelton
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37
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2 answers
What is this symbol: semicircles facing each other?
What does this symbol represent?
It was found on the circuit diagram for a TDS973A a board for which this was the only information I was able to find online.
faire
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37
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Weird resistor with dots around it on the schematic
I was looking through the LTC4041 datasheet and saw this:
The 10mOhm resistor with the two nodes really close to it - is that a "special" resistor or something? Why have they drawn it like that?
AlfroJang80
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36
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7 answers
How were schematics drawn before CAD?
I was looking at the schematic of an old HP power supply I bought. It can be found here, around page 60-61.
This schematic was drawn long before CAD was a tool used by engineers. Things were still drawn by hand. I was wondering how drawing large…
Joren Vaes
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34
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What software tool was used to draw these circuit schematics?
I was reading online and found this site: http://www.cppsim.com/
I was very curious how this professor drew all these circuit diagrams in his lecture notes (such as this one: http://www.cppsim.com/CommCircuitLectures/lec9.pdf). They just look very,…
Leo
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What is a "100R" resistor?
Sometimes I see references to "R" resistors. For example:
Obviously the 100 refers to 100 Ohms. What does 100R mean?
Tyler Durden
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30
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4 answers
Eagle - How to attach a pin not shown on schematic symbol?
In Eagle, I would like to include SN74HC595 shift registers in my project. I found a library online a few months ago (can't find source anymore) that has this part.
The symbol looks like this:
However, I noticed the symbol does not have power and…
ryantuck
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29
votes
4 answers
What software was used for drawing this schematic?
I was reading a book on digital electronics and the gates with more than two input are drawn differently. I have seen many books that draw schematic in this style. I was wondering what software did they use. I am specifically talking about the way…
sigsegv
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How do I describe this circuit?
simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
Yes, this circuit diagram is correct. No, I did not design it.
How do I describe this circuit in words? I thought about "a switch and light bulb in parallel, instead of series" but the…
dpdt
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26
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What is the meaning behind "wire loops" in schematics?
Looking at this section of a TI PoE schematic, you can see wires looping onto themselves by MOSFETs, like Q3 and Q5 in the figure below:
What is the purpose of these wire loops near the MOSFETs?
physiii
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26
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How do the tiny AC->USB power supplies work?
The iPhone and Kindle both come with tiny power supplies that take in 120v AC and output around 5V at 0.85 to 1 amp. They seem to be too small and light to have a transformer, and generate very little heat. What is the electrical topology of these…
ObscureRobot
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