BASIC ELECTRONIC SYMBOLS

An electrical or electronic symbol is a visual symbol that represents a particular type of electrical
component in a wiring diagram or similar schematic. The diagram may also include reference designators,
codes that refer to specific components and may provide some additional context through the documentation
that accompanies the diagram. The person drawing the diagram may use such designations to limit
confusion.
 Using an electrical symbol in a diagram provides an easy way to clearly and visually lay out information.
It can be difficult to describe complex systems verbally, and a simple drawing or photograph might obscure
important information. The diagram, with symbols to represent key components, provides a clear visual
overview and ample information for someone who might need to build, repair, or work on an electrical system.

Below are different kind of symbols we mentioned category wise. Hope this information will help you to
understand clearly.

Wire Switch
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible A switch is a small control for an electrical device
strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear which you use to turn the device on or off. Below
mechanical loads or electricity and are symbols for wires used in electronics.
telecommunications signals. Below are
symbols for wires used in electronics.
Push button (Open) - This switch is
Wire - Represents a conductor that in ON state when the button is
conducts electrical current. Also pressed otherwise it is in OFF state.
called a power line or electric line or
wire.
Push button (Closed) - This switch
is initially in ON state. This goes to
Connected Wire - Represents the
OFF state when it is released.
connection of two conductors. Dot
shows the junction point.
SPST Switch - Single pole single
throw is abbreviated as SPST. This
Unconnected Wire – Represents acts as ON/OFF switch. Poles define
two unconnected wires/conductors. the number of circuits it can be
connected to and throws defines the
number of positions that a pole
connects.
Input Bus Line - Represents a bus
for input or incoming data. SPDT Switch - Single pole double
throw is abbreviated as SPDT. This
switch allows the current to flow in
any one of the two directions by
Output Bus Line - Represents a adjusting its position.
bus for output or outgoing data.
DPST - Double pole single throw is
abbreviated as DPST. This switch
Bus Line - Represents a number of can drive two circuits at a time.
conductors joined together to form
a bus wire. DPDT - Double pole double throw is
the full form of DPDT. This can
connect the four circuits by changing
Terminal - Represents start or end
the position.
point.
 Sources Ground
AC Supply - This represents AC
Ground - It is equivalent to
supply in the circuit.
theoretical 0V and is used as zero
potential reference. It is the
potential of perfectly conducting
DC Supply - This represents the DC earth.
power supply. It applies DC supply
to the circuit.
Signal Ground - It is a reference
point from which the signal is
Constant Current Source - The measured. There may be several
symbol represents an independent signal grounds in a circuit due to the
current source which delivers voltage drops in a circuit.
constant current.
Chassis Ground - It acts as a barrier
between user and the circuit and
Controlled Current Source - It is a prevents electric shock.
dependent current source. Usually
depends on other sources (voltage
or current).
Capacitor
A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy
Controlled Voltage Source - It is a in an electric field. It is a passive electronic
dependent voltage source. Usually component with two terminals. The effect of a
depends on other sources (voltage capacitor is known as capacitance.
or current).
Non Polarized Capacitor - Non-
Single Cell Battery - This provides polarized capacitors are big in size
supply to the circuit. with small capacitance. They can
be used in both AC and DC circuits.

Polarized Capacitor - Polarized

Multi-cell Battery - Combination of capacitors are small in size but
multiple single cell batteries or a have high capacitance. They are
single large cell battery. The used in DC circuits. They can be
voltage is usually higher. used as filters, for bypassing or
passing low frequency signals.
Sinusoidal Generator - Represents
sine wave generator. Electrolytic Capacitor - Almost all
electrolytic capacitors are polarized
and hence used in DC circuits.
Pulse Generator - Represents
pulse or square wave generator.
Feed Through Capacitor - They
provide low impedance path to
ground for high frequency signals
Triangular Wave - Represents
triangular wave generator. Variable Capacitor - They are
widely used to adjust the frequency,
that is for tuning.
 Resistor Diodes
Resistor, electrical component that opposes the Diode, an electrical component that allows the flow
flow of either direct or alternating current, employed of current in only one direction.
to protect, operate, or control the circuit.
PN Junction Diode - Allows the current
Fixed Resistor - It is a device that to flow only in forward bias condition.
opposes the flow of current in a These diodes can be used in clipping
circuit. These two symbols are and clamping circuits , as rectifiers in dc
used to represent fixed resistor. circuits etc.
Zener Diode - In forward bias condition,
Rheostat - It is a two terminal
it acts as normal diode and allows
variable resistor. Generally used in current. It also allows current to flow in
tuning circuits and power control reverse bias condition when the voltage
applications like heaters, ovens etc reaches a certain break-down point.

Preset - It is a mini variable Photodiode - Detects the light energy

resistor. It is also called Trimmer and converts it into current or voltage by
Resistor or Trim Pot. They are a mechanism called photoelectric
used to adjust the sensitivity of the effect.
circuit like temperature or light.
LED - Light emitting diode is similar to
Thermistor - It is a temperature PN junction diode but they emit energy
sensitive resistor. They are used in in the form of light instead of heat.
temperature sensing, current
limiting circuits, over-current Varactor Diode - It is called varicap or
protection circuits etc. variable capacitance diode. This is
used in frequency controlled oscillators,
Varistor - It is a Voltage Dependent frequency multipliers etc.
Resistor. Generally used in circuit
Shockley Diode - This is a four layer
protection from voltage surges and
excessive transient voltages. diode. This had fast switching operation
and hence is used in switching
Magneto Resistor - They are also applications.
called as Magnetic Dependent Shotty Diode - It represents Schottky
Resistors (MDR). They are used in
diode. It has low forward voltage drop
electronic compass, ferrous
and it can switch rapidly. Used in
material detection, position
voltage clamping, rectifiers, reverse
sensors etc.
current and discharge protection.
LDR - They are also called as Tunnel Diode - Also known as Esaki
Photo Resistors. They are diode. This is used in oscillator circuits
generally used in light sensing and micro wave circuits current and
applications. discharge protection.
Tapped Resistor - A wire-wound Thryristor - Act as bi-stable switches
type fixed resistor with one or more and are used in circuits where high
terminals along its length. voltages and currents are involved.
Generally used in voltage divider
Constant Current Diode - Also called as
applications.
Current Limiting Diode or Current
Memristor - Memristors can be Regulating Diode. It limits the current to
a specified maximum value.
used in signal processing,
logic/computation, non-volatile Laser Diode - Similar to light emitting
memory etc. diode. Its applications in laser printing,
laser scanning etc.
 Inductor Logic Gates
Inductors are essentially coils of conducting wire;
they store magnetic energy in the form of a
magnetic field generated by the current in the coil.
AND Gate - This is the basic gate and it
Iron Core Inductor These are used as implements logical conjunction. The
substitutes to ferrite core inductors. output of the AND gate is high, only if
Ferrite core or Ferromagnetic inductors both the inputs are high otherwise both
have high permeability and require air are low.
gap to reduce it. Iron powdered core
inductors have this air gap integrated. OR Gate - It implements logical
disjunction. The output is high if any
one of the inputs is high.
Ferrite Core Inductor - Core material, in
this type of inductors is made of ferrite NAND Gate - It is complement of AND
material. These are mostly used to gate. The output is low only when both
suppress the interference of the inputs are high, otherwise it is high.
electromagnetic waves.
NOR Gate - NOR gate is a not OR
Center Tapped Inductor - These are gate. Output of this gate is high, if both
used in coupling of signals the inputs are Low, otherwise it is High.

Variable Inductor - Movable ferrite Inverter - Inverter or NOT gate

magnetic core variable inductors are implements logical negation. This gate
most common. The inductance is inverts the input.
varied by sliding the core in or out of the
coil.
EXOR - This gate implements
exclusive OR logic. The output of this
gate is high, if both the inputs are
Antenna different.
Antenna, also called Aerial, component of radio,
television, and radar systems that directs incoming EXNOR - This gate implements
and outgoing radio waves. negation of EXOR logic. The output of
this gate is high, only if the two inputs
Antenna - This symbol belongs to Aerial are identical.
or Antenna. It converts electrical power
into radio waves. It is used in wireless Buffer - It is an audio signaling device.
communication to transmit or receive Generally used in alarms, timers and
the signals. for confirmation messages.
Loop Antenna - Loop antenna is named
Tristate Buffer - Similar to a normal
after its loop like shape of wire or other
buffer but with a control signal. In case
electrical conductor. They are used as
of active high buffer, it operates
receiving antennas in low frequency
normally only when control signal is 1.
range.
In case of active low buffer, it operates
normally only when control signal is 0.
Dipole Antenna - It is most widely used
antenna. Generally used in set-top TV, Flip Flop - Flip flop is the also
shortwave transmission and FM a memory element but this is a
receivers. synchronous device.
 Transistor Transformer
Transistor, semiconductor device for amplifying, Transformer – It is the basic element
controlling, and generating electrical signals. that transfers energy in one circuit to
the other circuit through
NPN - It is made of combination of P- electromagnetic induction. They are
type semiconductor between two N- generally used in electric power
type semiconductors. It is switched ON applications to increase or decrease
when the base-emitter junction is the voltage of AC current.
forward biased. They are commonly
used for amplifying and switching Iron Core Transformer - Uses a piece of
applications. magnetic material as core. The core
has high permeability and is used to
PNP - It is made of combination of N- confine the magnetic field.
type semiconductor between two P-
type semiconductors. It is switched ON Center Tapped Transformer - has its
when the base-emitter junction is secondary winding divided into two
reverse biased. These are used for parts with same number of turns in each
amplifying and switching applications. part. This results in two individual
output voltages across two line ends.
N-Channel JFET - It is made by n-type Used in rectifier circuits.
silicon bars which form two PN
junctions at the side. Majority charge Step-up Transformer - The no. of turns
carriers here are electrons. in secondary winding is more than that
of primary winding. The output voltage
P-Channel JFET - It is made by p-type is higher than input voltage.
silicon bar which forms two PN Significantly used in inverters.
junctions at the side. Majority charge
carriers here are holes. Step-down Transformer - The no. of
turns in secondary winding is less than
Enhancement MOSFET - It has positive that of primary winding. The output
gate operation. It induces negative voltage is lesser than input voltage. It is
charges into the n-channel and thus widely used in low power applications.
number of negative charges increases,
enhancing the channel conductivity.
Amplifiers
Depletion MOSFET – It has negative
Amplifier, in electronics, device that responds to a
gate operation. This decreases the
small input signal (voltage, current, or power) and
width of the depletion layer.
delivers a larger output signal that contains the
essential waveform features of the input signal.
Photo Transistor - It converts the light
energy falling on it to its corresponding
electrical energy. This can be used in Basic Amplifier - It is a device that
light sensing applications. amplifies a relatively small input signal
i.e. it increases the power of the signal.
They are used in communication
Photo Darlington - It is similar to
systems, audio devices etc.
phototransistor with very high gain and
sensitivity
Operational Amplifier – It is a voltage
Darlington Transistor - This amplifier with very high gain. The input
is differential. They are used in
configuration produces high current
instrumentation devices, signal
gain. They are used in power
processing, control systems etc.
regulators, output stages of audio
amplifiers, display drivers etc.
 Miscellaneous

Buzzer - This is sound producing

device. This produces buzz sound
when the voltage is applied.

Loud Speaker - This is also an audio

device. The electrical signal is
converted into sound signal here.

Light bulb - The symbol represents the

light bulb. The bulb glows when
required voltage is applied.

Motor - This converts the electric

energy to mechanical energy.

Fuse - Symbol represents the fuse that

protects the circuit from over current.

ADC - Analog to Digital converter is

used convert analog signals (usually
voltage) to digital values.

DAC - Digital to Analog converter is

used to convert digital code to analog
signals.

Thermocouple - It is used to measure

temperature.