Tag Archives: electronic components

Wired or wireless or both: What is best for small businesses?

Whether you are updating your office's networking component needs or starting from scratch, there are many things to think about when you are considering wired vs wireless. For starters, ask yourself: How many people are on your network? How about in 2 years? How long will this system be in place? (any moves planned within 2 years?) How fast does the network/internet access need to be right now? How about in 2 years? What kind of files have to be moved across your network Read more [...]

What is a MOS-FET?

MOS-FET, which is an abbreviation of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor, is a very important kind of transistor. Many IC's are constructed of arrays of MOS-FETS on a tiny sliver of silicon. They are very small, easy to manufacture and many MOS-FETS consume a small amount of power making them an excellent choice for many applications. It is the most common type of transistor available for either digital or analog circuits, replacing the bipolar transistor which was much more common Read more [...]

Make a 9V headlamp head flashlight

Here's an easy project that simple enough for electronic beginners, plus the supplies required are probably laying around your house or workshop. Could you buy the same thing for just a few dollars more? Sure you could, but you'd miss out on the satisfaction of assembling this project all by yourself. Here's what you need: 2 high intensity white LEDS (you can use other colors if desired) small perf board 2 470 ohm resistors toggle switch or slide switch 9V battery snap 9V battery small Read more [...]

Book for electronics beginners

If you are new to electronics and want a good book to learn about circuits and electronic components, then I recommend that you check out this book: Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M Mims III I've had my copy so long that it is almost time to replace it but even though it is an old, worn out copy, the information is still as good today as it was 15 years ago when I got my book. Of course, there are some things that won't be found in here, but for the beginner, you can't go wrong with Read more [...]

What causes oxidation on surface mount pads?

Solder contacts must meet minimum contact rating specifications to effectively be used. But sometimes you'll begin to solder an electronic component to a board and realize that oxidation has occurred. Why does this happen? Typically, there are two reasons that oxidation occurs on boards. The main reason is improper storage and handling. Boards should be received from your supplier in a vacuum pack, which would render them clean and ready to accept solder. Once the vacuum seal has been broken, Read more [...]

Make an inexpensive & simple UV LED Torch

From our friends at instructables comes an easy project for use with UV LEDS. To make this simple project, here's what you'll need: 2 Ultra Violet LEDS 1 1/4W resistors (the value of the resistor needs to be calculated based on the forward voltage of the LED you use) 1 non-working 9V battery (or a 9V battery clip) 1 new 9V battery Pliers Solder Soldering equipment The full instructions on the Instructables site will show you how to put everything together. Once assembled, the light snaps Read more [...]

More Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors now available!

We've updated our resistor inventory and added many more NOS Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors. Between the 1W values and 2W values, we now have over 150 different 1W and 2W carbon comp resistors on hand! Included in the selection are many Military (MIL-SPEC) Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors. The military resistors typically have a tighter tolerance than the standard resistors. Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors are valued for their consistency and uniformity. The Allen Bradley corporation Read more [...]

RoHS: Will the electronic component industry be shaken again?

The RoHS directives may get a some revisions from the European Union principals that have put the directives into place. Some of the expected changes will come in the form of exclusions that were formerly allowed and additional banned substances. The EU's Environment Committee and the Council of Ministers is expected to decide within the next 12 months what changes are made and the timetable for them to be put into place. What does this mean to end users of electronic components? For now, not Read more [...]

Rubber Feet : features and applications

Rubber feet have many different features and applications for the home, the workshop or in the manufacturing process. Here are some common features of the rubber bumpers that West Florida Components has on hand: low abrasion superb skid resistance easy to apply - just peel and stick does not stain or mar can absorb shocks and vibrations crack resistant is recognized by UL You can use adhesive rubber feet in many different applications. Some of the most common are: Sound dampening Read more [...]

Turn your old PC fans into mini wind generators

Here's a great project that you can do either to experiment with wind turbines or to generate some energy! While the amount of energy produced is not overwhelming, this project can sure get your brain moving in the right direction. The best thing about this project is that you probably already have everything you need lying around: Thick plastic bottle Old PC fan, bigger the better! A few feet of small wire A piece of wood about 1.5" square and around 20cm long Two lengths of Read more [...]