Reference Circuits Book, Volume 0: Electronic Components
$45.00
Reference Circuits is a series of hands-on electronics learning tools disguised as books.
Instead of simply reading about resistors, voltage, current, and semiconductor devices, you actually see them work through pages of fully functional DC circuits. Each circuit is designed to make core electrical concepts intuitive, visual, and immediately understandable—whether you’re learning electronics for the first time, teaching others, or using it as a bench-side reference. There is no paper in this book; it is built entirely from FR-4 printed circuit board material.
Description
Reference Circuits Volume 0: Electronic Components
Reference Circuits Volume 0 is a 12-page introduction to electronic components, designed to help you build understanding through direct interaction—not memorization. Rather than relying on descriptions and diagrams alone, real circuits are built directly into the book to showcase each component in action. You can power it on, press buttons, probe test points, and see exactly how each component behaves in context.
This volume focuses on the fundamentals—resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, and other core building blocks—showing not just what they do, but why they behave the way they do when placed in a circuit.
Heads up: due to an error in the bill of materials, Volume 0 is not USB-C PD compatible. This means it cannot be plugged directly into a phone or laptop charger. You will need a USB-C to USB-A adapter and a standard USB port. Sorry about that!
Volume 0 has two more pages of circuits than Volume 1 and 2 for a total of 6 pages of real, working circuits!
Page-by-Page Breakdown
Page 1 – Resistors
An overview of resistors, including how they work, how to decode color bands, and how to decode numerical codes on surface-mount resistors.
Page 2 – Specialty Resistors and Switches
A look at photoresistors, thermistors, and various switches in action. Covering the photocell turns an LED on; warming it with a finger changes the response and demonstrates resistance variation with temperature and light.
Page 3 – Capacitors and How They Are Used in Circuits
An introduction to capacitors and an example circuit demonstrating their basic behavior.
Page 4 – Capacitors in Action
This page features four types of surface-mount capacitors: ceramic, aluminum electrolytic, tantalum, and variable capacitors. with a surface mounted example of each soldered to the board. Through-hole equivalents are shown as diagrams. Press a button to visualize how a capacitor stores and releases energy as an LED slowly charges and fades.
Page 5 – Fuses and Resettable Fuses
An overview of how fuses protect circuits and how resettable fuses operate.
Page 6 – Inductors, Transformers, Optocouplers, and Relays
A walk through of inductors, transformers, optocouplers, and relays. A live circuit demonstrates an optocoupler driving a relay. Pressing a button activates the optocoupler; when it turns on, the relay coil energizes, switching the output so that the normally open LED changes state accordingly.
Page 7 – PN Junction Diodes and Photodiodes
An overview of PN junction diodes, their silicon structure and how light can generate current in photodiodes.
Page 8 – Diodes and Zener Diodes in Action
An introduction to diode behavior in circuits, including a demonstration of Zener breakdown using a potentiometer controlled circuit.
Page 9 – Light Emitting Diodes and Transistors
A breakdown of LED structure and operation, along with a brief introduction to bipolar junction transistors.
Page 10 – Transistors and Op-Amps
Demonstrations of BJT and MOSFET operation. Also includes an op-amp inverting amplifier, where adjusting a potentiometer changes output and LED brightness to illustrate gain.
Page 11 – DC-DC Converter Theory
An overview of how DC-DC converters operate.
Page 12 – DC-DC Converters in Action and Linear Voltage Regulators
Two DC-DC converter circuits demonstrate step-up and step-down operation (5V to 20V boost and 20V to 5V buck). A linear regulator (L7812) steps 20V down to 12V. LEDs indicate each voltage rail, which can also be measured with a voltmeter.
Back Cover – Index
Reference Circuits Volume 0 was written by Ian Dunn and published in 2026.
Additional information
| Weight | 3.95 oz |
|---|---|
| Volume # | Volume 1, Volume 2 |
