For beginner electronics engineers, it is important to understand how parts work, how they are drawn on a diagram, and how to understand an electrical circuit diagram. To do this, you must first familiarize yourself with the principle of operation of the elements, and I will tell you how to read electronics circuits in this article using examples of popular devices for beginners.

Scheme table lamp and LED flashlight

A diagram is a drawing on which, with the help of certain characters details of the circuit are depicted, lines - their connections. Moreover, if the lines intersect, then there is no contact between these conductors, and if there is a point at the intersection, this is a connection node for several conductors.

In addition to icons and lines, the diagram shows letters. All designations are standardized, each country has its own standards, for example, in Russia they adhere to the GOST 2.710-81 standard.

Let's start with the simplest - the scheme of a table lamp.

Circuits are not always read from left to right and top to bottom, it is better to go from the power supply. What we can learn from the diagram, look at its right side. ~ means AC power.

“220” is written next to it - with a voltage of 220 V. X1 and X2 - it is supposed to be connected to a power outlet using a plug. SW1 - this is how the key, toggle switch or button is displayed in the open state. L - conditional image of an incandescent bulb.

Brief conclusions:

The diagram shows a device that is connected to a 220 V AC network using a plug into an outlet or other detachable connections. Can be turned off with a switch or button. Needed to power an incandescent lamp.

At first glance, it seems obvious, but a specialist should be able to draw such conclusions looking at the diagram without explanation, this skill will make it possible to diagnose a malfunction and fix it, or assemble devices from scratch.

Let's move on to the next diagram. This is a battery powered flashlight with a .

Take a look at the diagram, perhaps you will see images that are new to you. On the right is a power source, this is how a battery or accumulator looks like, a long lead is plus another name - Cathode, short - minus or Anode. At the LED, a plus is connected to the anode (the triangular part of the designation), and a minus is connected to the cathode (it looks like a strip on the UGO).

It must be remembered that for power sources and consumers, the names of the electrodes are vice versa. The two arrows emanating from the LED let you know that this device IS EMISSIONING light, if the arrows were pointing to it, it would be a photodetector. Diodes have the letter designation VDx, where x is a serial number.

Important:

The numbering of parts in the diagrams goes in columns from top to bottom, from left to right.

If you add a stabilization node built to the circuit, the voltage of the power supply will be stabilized. In this case, only from an increase in the supply voltage, with drawdowns lower than Ustabilization, the voltage will be pulsating in time with the drawdowns. VD1 is a zener diode, they turn on in reverse bias (cathode to a point with a positive potential). They differ in the value of stabilization current (Istab) and stabilization voltage (Ustab).

Brief summary:

What can we understand from this diagram? What . It is connected by the primary side (input) to the AC mains with a voltage of 220 Volts. At its output, it has two detachable connections - “+” and “-” and a voltage of 12 V, unstabilized.

Let's move on to even more complex circuits and get acquainted with other elements of electrical circuits.

When, when going fishing, headlights on a personal car suddenly do not light up in the evening, some drivers clutch their heads. They can't read car wiring diagrams and a breakdown of this kind immediately becomes an insoluble problem. For this reason, learning to read electrical circuits is not just a whim, but a necessity for the normal use of an iron horse.

Types of electrical circuits

Teaching everything unknown usually begins with the basics or initial concepts. To learn how to read electrical circuit diagrams, they learn what they are and why they are needed. Here are the main types:

The type of such images is determined by its purpose. For example, one plan is required for assembly, another for the concept of operation, a third for repairs, and so on.

Conventions

Faced with an electrical circuit for the first time, a beginner may think that he has a Chinese letter in front of him. However, having mastered the basic notation and principles of construction, very soon reading electrical circuits for beginners can become a common thing. To begin with, they are determined with the main parts of any documentation of this kind. These are three groups of constituent elements common in function:

Symbols have been invented for all components of the electrical circuit. The icons are arranged in the order in which they are connected by electrical wiring, and not in a literal location. That is, two light bulbs can be located side by side on the device, and on the diagram - in opposite parts from each other. Elements connected to the same circuit voltage are called a branch. They are connected by nodes. The nodes in the diagram are highlighted with dots. Closed loops can contain multiple branches. The simplest electrical circuits - these are images of single-loop circuits. The most complex are multi-circuit.

To study the decoding of symbols, special reference books are used. In addition to the symbols, explanatory inscriptions and indications of the markings of the electrical equipment and parts used are used on the diagrams.

Reading order

Basically, a wiring diagram is a blueprint. On it, with the help of symbols, the device of electrical equipment is depicted. Knowing the basic principles for constructing such drawings and symbols, you can learn to read electrical circuits. For beginners, this is exactly what you need. Thus, it is easiest to practice on simplified drawings than on those showing all the details.

For the correct reading of the schemes, they learn a simple algorithm of actions that will help not to miss important details. Here is the sequence of studying the electrical circuit:

It is very difficult for a novice electrician to understand such circuits. However, knowing the basics, they can make simple electrical repairs using their car's wiring diagram.

For example, as always, take our beloved Chevrolet Lacetti.

It is especially difficult for beginners to read the schemes of foreign cars, because they immediately throw into a stupor abbreviations in English and incomprehensible symbols.

How to read car wiring diagrams

But do not immediately get scared and give up the goal of understanding the scheme. It is enough to spend a few minutes studying the reference information and slowly everything will fall into place, and the electrical circuit will no longer seem something terrible and incomprehensible.

Each circuit consists of elements, nodes and mechanisms, and all this is connected using wires of different colors and sections.

Contents of the electrical circuit circuit

Here is an example diagram

Is it clear what is on it? If not, then let's sort it out in order.

Circled in red dotted line individual elements schemes and are designated for clarity in Latin letters from A to H:

• A - upper horizontal lines: Power lines: 30, 15, 15A, 15C, 58. That is, these wires power the circuit. Depending on which position the ignition key is turned to, voltage is applied to one wire or another.
  

  Power supply number	Power Supply Status
  	Nutrition from battery(B+) with the ignition switch in the "ON" and "ST" positions (IGN 1)
  	Battery powered (B+) with ignition switch ON (IGN 2)
  	Power supply from the battery (B+) with the ignition switch in the "ON" and "ACC" positions
  	Power supply from the battery (B+) directly, regardless of the position of the ignition switch
  	Ground connected to battery (-)
  	Battery supply (B+) with headlight switch in position 1 and 2 (backlight circuit)

• B - Ef20 or F2: fuse number
  • Ef20 - fuse number 20 in the fuse box in the engine compartment
  • F2 - fuse number 2 in the fuse box in the car
• C - Connector (C101~C902)
  • Connector No. С203 pin No. 1
• D - S201: terminal block (S101~S303), that is, S is the block, and 201 is its number
  

  CONDITIONAL SYMBOL	MEANING
  	Fuse in the fuse box in the engine compartment
  	Fuse in the fuse box in the passenger compartment
  	Terminal block (connector)

• E - Relay and its internal circuit. 85, 86, 87 and 30 are relay contact numbers. Illumination relay - Illumination relay. The entire translation of the English designations can be found in the article
• F - Switch and its internal circuit. Head lamp switch - headlight switch.
• G - Wire color
  

  Reduction	Color	Reduction	Color
  	Brown
  	Violet

More and more modern cars are becoming a real collection electronic devices. Indeed, with an increase in comfort and, a large number of different instruments and control devices are used in cars. All this complicates the maintenance of the electrical part of the car and requires the ability to read electrical circuits. In this article, we will tell you what electrical circuits are, why you need to be able to read them, and tell you about the basic notation.

What is an electrical circuit?

The electrical circuit is a graphic (on paper) image of special symbols and pictograms that have a parallel or serial connection. The diagram never shows the actual image of the totality of objects, but only shows their relationship to each other. Thus, if you know how to read diagrams correctly, you can understand the principle of operation of a particular device or system of devices.

Virtually all electrical diagrams the following items are located:

• Source of power. This is either a generator.
• conductors - wires, with the help of which the transmission of electrical energy through the circuit.
• Control equipment- these are devices designed to close or open an electrical circuit, which may or may not be present in the circuit.
• Consumers of electrical energy and - these are all devices or devices that carry out the conversion electric current into a different kind of energy. For example, a cigarette lighter converts electrical current into heat energy.

Why do you need to be able to read electrical schematics?

Such knowledge was not needed by the owners of the first cars. The fact is that their electrical equipment was limited, which made it easy to remember the connection of the circuit elements and learn all the wires by heart. Another thing is modern cars, where a large number of electrical devices and appliances are mounted. This is where the wiring diagram comes in handy.

You may need the ability to read a diagram when operating any car. This will help you easily find and fix minor faults associated with the failure of an electrical device. After all, the diagnosis of malfunctions and then subsequent repairs can cost quite a considerable amount. Why not do it yourself?

Otherwise, knowing the circuit will help you when connecting new electrical appliances. For many drivers, the scheme helps to install alarms, autostart and many other devices where connection to the car's on-board network is mandatory.

Many drivers find it difficult to connect the trailer circuit to the car's electrical network. Knowing the elements of the circuit will help you quickly find the problem and make it promptly eliminated.

Video - How to read a car wiring diagram

Symbols on the wiring diagrams of the car

Symbols for electrical circuits are not difficult. To understand them, it is necessary to have a minimal understanding of the action of electric current.

As you know, current is the ordered movement of charged particles along the conductors of electric current. Multi-colored wires act as conductors, which are indicated in the diagram as straight lines. The color of the lines must necessarily match the color of the wires in reality. This is what helps the driver to deal with thick wiring harnesses and not get confused.

Various contact connections are indicated by special numbers, which are both on the diagram and at the junctions. As a rule, relays with many contact outputs must have such numbers. The elements of the electrical circuit on the diagram are signed using numbers. At the bottom of the diagram or in the form of a separate table, a special interpretation of these numbers is displayed, which displays the name of the circuit element.

Let's summarize. Reading electrical schematics is easy enough. The main thing is to correctly interact with the symbols and be able to understand the symptoms of a malfunction in order to timely and correctly determine the type and location of the malfunction on the diagram.

To connect or repair electrical equipment, a novice electrician or auto electrician needs a graphic design of the device. To understand the symbols in electrical circuits, you need to rely on the regulatory framework.

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Normative base

To facilitate reading and reference, GOST documents are used.

Types and types of circuits in electrics

There are hundreds of symbols in electrical diagrams and drawings, which are divided into:

• fundamental;
• fundamental and assembly;
• mounting.

In electrics and auto electrics, electrical circuits are widely used for various purposes:

• scheduled maintenance;
• re-equipment of a car (installation of additional equipment, for example, gas);
• elimination of defects in the operation of the lighting network, alarm systems, security systems.

Wiring diagrams are classified as follows:

1. Structural. Gives an idea of ​​​​the principle of operation of the electrical installation of an automobile unit. The direction of the arrows determines the sequence of operation of the node as a whole.
2. Functional. It shows not only the principle of the device, but also indicates which elements are installed.
3. Fundamental. Explains the principle of operation of distribution networks, automotive network, security systems.
4. Mounting. Shows the schematic installation and placement of equipment (sockets, switches, lamps, car lighting systems, etc.).
5. United (principally and assembly). This diagram describes the installation location and the principle of operation of the equipment.

circuit diagram United scheme

Graphic symbols in electrical circuits

Graphic designations are used more often than alphabetic ones. They are used in everyday life, based on GOST 2.702-2011. All symbols are depicted as simple geometric figures, which are presented in the form of circles, as well as lines and triangles.

Due to the large number of elements, any specialist in the field of engineering can create circuits for various purposes. When depicting symbols, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the elements, the thickness of the lines. Unlike alphabetic ones, graphic ones can be found both on the principle and on the assembly, structural, and also combined diagram.

Vehicle on-board network control

The wiring diagram can also be improved. fog lights, which is quite simple for a novice auto electrician:

1. First of all, you need to install the headlights themselves.
2. Install the power button on the control panel, as well as relay equipment.
3. Carry out the installation according to the diagram, observing the polarity of the connection, which should be done with the battery terminal disconnected. Be sure to install the fuse according to the indicated scheme.