What is an inductor/Transformer

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
Inductors are part of the triad of "passive" electronic parts with the other two being capacitors and resistors. Best way to understand them is to think of their equiv. in mechanical world which is a coil spring. Here is a good video though that in simplest terms shows what it is and how it works:


As a designer, I hate using coils. They are usually custom parts as opposed to resistors and caps which come in all values. They are also more expensive and difficult to mount in circuits in high volume production (although there are some parts available that ease that in special cases). So if folks can afford to eliminate them, they will. Still, you will surely find some of them in any electronic device you have as it is (almost) impossible to build a power supply without them.
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
3,734
318
565
BiggestLittleCity

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing