Electronic Amplification

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Electronic Amplification
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In the late 1940s, William Shockley led a team at Bell Laboratories to develop a new kind of amplifier for the US telephone system. He, together with John Bardeen and Walter Brattain announced the invention of the bipolar “junction transistor” at a press conference on July 4, in 1951. Shockley once explained transistor-amplifiers to a student saying: “If you take a bale of hay and tie it to the tail of a mule and then strike a match and set the bale of hay on fire, and if you then compare the energy expended shortly thereafter by the mule with the energy expended by yourself in the striking of the match, you will understand the concept of amplification.”

When a small input voltage results in a large output voltage, the effect is amplification. A transistor can serve as an amplifier by raising the strength of a weak signal. If a DC bias voltage is applied to what’s called the emitter base junction, the transistor transitions into a forward biased condition. Let’s unpack that statement.

A wide mouthed bass, a big funnel, and a large diameter telescope have one thing in common. They each allow easy entry. This can help the fish to scoop up food, the funnel can be used to rapidly fill a narrow jar, and a big lens on the front of the telescope has a lot of light gathering power. In all three examples, this can also be stated as low input resistance. In the case of a transistor, the low resistance input is called the collector. It is, by design, a way to gather as many electrons as possible from a relatively weak source.

Electronic Switching

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Electronic Switching
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In railroading a switch diverts a train from one track to another. In plumbing, a valve can redirect the flow of water between pipes. In early electronics, directing electrons along a certain path was controlled by what North American scientists called a tube, while British scientists referred to it as a valve. That device controlled the current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which a difference in electrical potential had been applied.

The simplest vacuum tube was the diode. It acted much like a check valve that prevents water from flowing in the wrong direction. The electronic check valve featured a heated, electron-emitting cathode and an anode. Electrons could only flow in one direction, from the cathode to the anode. Electronic control grids within the bottle could exert more precise control by varying the voltage on the grid.

“Transistor” was a term coined by John Robinson Pierce of Bell Laboratories. He borrowed parts of two relevant words because it selectively transfers an electrical current across a resistor. Its function is still best understood in that transference and resistance context. Most, but not all, of the vacuum tube’s early functions are now performed by transistors. Audiophiles still prefer what they sometimes call “little tone bottles.”

Electronic Ducting

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Electronic Ducting
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An ion is any atom that bears a positive or negative electrical charge. Positively charged ions are called cations; negatively charged ions, anions. The imbalance between quantities of electrons and protons gives rise to electron movement both within and between atoms. Electronics is, therefore, about the flowing motion produced by an electric charge.

A duct is pretty much any channel such as a tube, canal, pipe, or conduit by which a fluid such as water or gas, or a particle may be conveyed. The act of conveying or channeling by means of a duct or ducts gives rise to certain essential terms that we use to understand and make use of electricity. In this treatment we will consider the process by which an electrical charge is inducted and conducted.

An Introduction to Electronics

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An Introduction to Electronics
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The number of individual atoms contained in just one drop of water is estimated to be over one billion trillion. Some scientists hold that such a drop has the energy potential of continuously producing more than one hundred horsepower sustained over a period of two years. Now, whether or not you believe that, most researchers working within the disciplines would agree that we’ve barely tapped into the atom’s full potential. One thing is certain, energy at the the electronic stage is the basis for all materialization within the observable universe.

The hydrogen atom has one electron and one proton. The proton’s weight is about eighteen hundred times that of the electron. If the mass of this seemingly insignificant electron were somehow magnified to the point where it weighed one tenth of an ounce, and if its volume were also proportionately magnified, the volume would be just about equal to the that of the earth.

Microcontrollers & Microprocessors

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Microcontrollers & Microprocessors
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Computers are mathematical processors. And, because information in almost all forms can be reduced to a binary form, computers can handle far more than math. Through the Internet of Things, we’ve come to rely on a variety of small devices to exercise control over our environment. These devices are generally referred to as microcontrollers and microprocessors.

While definitions within an evolving language are in constant flux, there is also the evolution of the devices themselves that insures we are always trying to somehow focus on a moving target. Those of us that have been working within the industry since the advent of desktop computers would, on occasion, lament “Took a short nap; woke up a dinosaur.”

Equal Justice

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Equal Justice
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In this segment we will be discussing the aspirational statement “Equal Justice Under Law”. Our subject matter expert, with respect to the mental health disadvantage, is Ramona Johnson.

Ramona is the President and CEO of Bridgehaven Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1958, Bridgehaven provides quality community based psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery services, education, and support to those living with mental illness. Bridgehaven’s staff of Licensed Professional Art Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Advanced Practice Nurses, Licensed Professional Counselors, Peer Specialists and administrative staff serve over 500 members annually.

21st Century Policing

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21st Century Policing
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In this segment we will be discussing problems with policing and the extent to which mental health practitioners may play a role in producing desirable outcomes. Our subject matter expert is Ramona Johnson.

Ramona is the President and CEO of Bridgehaven Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1958, Bridgehaven provides quality community based psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery services, education, and support to those living with mental illness. Bridgehaven’s staff of Licensed Professional Art Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Advanced Practice Nurses, Licensed Professional Counselors, Peer Specialists and administrative staff serve over 500 members annually.

Mental Health Resources

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Mental Health Resources
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In this segment we will be examine how resources for health care are allocated and specifically Mental Health Resources. Our subject matter expert is Ramona Johnson.

Ramona is the President and CEO of Bridgehaven Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1958, Bridgehaven provides quality community based psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery services, education, and support to those living with mental illness. Bridgehaven’s staff of Licensed Professional Art Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Advanced Practice Nurses, Licensed Professional Counselors, Peer Specialists and administrative staff serve over 500 members annually.

Mental Health Policy

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Mental Health Policy
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In this segment focusing on mental health in light of public policy. Our subject matter expert is Ramona Johnson.

Ramona is the President and CEO of Bridgehaven Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1958, Bridgehaven provides quality community based psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery services, education, and support to those living with mental illness. Bridgehaven’s staff of Licensed Professional Art Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Advanced Practice Nurses, Licensed Professional Counselors, Peer Specialists and administrative staff serve over 500 members annually.

Communicate Communicate Communicate

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Communicate Communicate Communicate
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Communicate Communicate Communicate
In this segment we will be discussing effective communication in times of stress. Our subject matter expert is Ramona Johnson.

Ramona is the President and CEO of Bridgehaven Mental Health Services in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1958, Bridgehaven provides quality community based psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery services, education, and support to those living with mental illness. Bridgehaven’s staff of Licensed Professional Art Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Advanced Practice Nurses, Licensed Professional Counselors, Peer Specialists and administrative staff serve over 500 members annually.