Collin's Lab: Schematics

Schematics are the functional diagram of electronic circuits. With so many designs available on the web, understanding how to read schematics can unlock a world of possibilities for the electronics maker. In fact, if you can read a schematic, you can build a circuit before even understanding how it works!

[aGuy]

Hi Collin! I've just started learning electronics, and thanks to you, it's becoming a lot less intimidating. Thank you for all that you do. Your videos are excellent. Cheers!

[popedarren]

It may have been helpful to note that an IC has a dot in the "top-left", or where you would start counting pins on the physical piece.

[SuperTauta]

Gosh that man must be one of the most rated teacher of all times ! God knows how well he explains things !

[well-vychua]

I love this Channel a lot. Its very informative and Collins make sure the viewer understands the subject discussed in the video. Keep it up ☝. Thumbs up. Love watching every videos you make.

[Sizifus]

I do think, when talking about electronic circuits and schematics, people should get comfortable with the conventional current. Even though it is a scientifically incorrect way in looking at the electron flow, most of the, if not all, schematics are drawn having conventional current in mind. I remember first learning about this in school. Pissed the hell out of me. When you're dealing with + and - in the circuit, it really is not a big deal, but once common grounds and power supplies come into play, I just found conventional current to be more useful when reading schematics.

[justusisalreadydead]

Watched in slow motion to take notes, I LOVE YOU MAN

[thatelectrician]

Collin creeps me the fuck out but gives me so much knowledge at the same time.

[TottyRops]

You're awesome, love your simplistic method of explaining complex ideas; if only more lecturers had your flair!

[madbug]

I look forward to your every video, Collin. You certainly have a gift for teaching. If I had a teacher like you back in college, I might have not gone into Accounting.

[EdMuse]

Object lesson in the idea of not knowing how much one does not know. I didn't think I was going to learn anything from this vid. I did. I suspect now that if I were to re-check a 3-watt amp I made, which ended up distorting badly, I will find that they are all backwards.

I very much appreciate your comparing the look of schematic symbols to their real-world components. I've always thought that was the best way to learn them. Well done.

[HobbyBots]

Another thing to note when reading schematics, is generally signal traces run left to right, and power traces run top to bottom.

[Bboy-mqxo]

Thank you so much for this! Finally someone to explain things without his audience falling asleep.

[NyanKittyKawaii]

I think I just found my inner nerd... Throughout the whole video, I felt so excited to learn about all of these. Thanks for this.

[snarkyboojum]

I'm loving these. Stumbled upon them from the electronics intro Maker vids - but this guy is a legend. Lovin' it.

[AJ-luwx]

Learned more in 5 min than I did in high school about diagrams. Maybe because I was interested today :)

[CampKohler]

@rydude998 If you are talking about two-color diodes, these are actually two diodes wired internally in parallel. So, no matter which way you try to pass current, one or the other of the diodes will conduct, getting, say, red light in one direction and green light in the other. (By quickly switching directions, your eye sees two colors at once, giving, in this case, yellow.)

[LydellAaron]

I love your video and your pace/cadence of communication. I was hoping to see the inductor symbol explained before or after the capacitor.

[nfp]

haha dude you are strange and very different but thats why you make learning extremely fun and easy. Just want to say thank you, keep up the good work, and most importantly dont change because if i had teachers like you in school i would actuallly have learned stuff while enjoying it.

[brigbjones]

wow this is the clearest explanation of schematics i have ever heard!

[IndustrialGoblin]

Awesome video for beginners! How much time you spent planning and making this video?