A circuit is usaully made up of a battery,wires,a switch and a bulb.
Distinct symbols have been used to depict the different types of electronic components in circuits, since the very beginning of electrical and electronic science.
Today, circuit symbols and their usage has been pretty much standardised. This enables anyone to read a circuit diagram and know what it does relatively quickly. Schematic symbols are used to represent different electronic components and devices in circuit diagrams from wires to batteries and passive components to semiconductors, logic circuits and highly complicated integrated circuits.
By using a common set of circuit symbols in schematics, it is possible for electronic engineers around the globe to communicate circuit information concisely and without ambiguity.
t does not take too long to learn what the different circuit symbols mean. Often this comes along when learning about general electronics anyway. The symbols for more complicated integrated circuits and the like tend to be boxes with their type number included, and this means that there is not an infinite variety of different symbols to be learned and understood.
Although there are a number of different standards in use for the different circuit symbols around the globe, the differences are normally small, and because most systems are well known, there is normally little room for ambiguity.
Circuit symbol systems
There various different systems used for schematic symbols around the globe. Although there are some differences between them, the different standards bodies realise the need for common symbols and most are the same. The main circuit symbols systems and standards bodies are:
IEC 60617: This standard is issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and this standard for electronic component symbols is based on the older British Standard, BS 3939 which in turn was developed from the much older British Standard 530. Often reference is made to BS electric component standard, and the IEC standard is now the one that is used. The database includes around 1750 circuit symbols overall.
ANSI standard Y32: This standard for electronic component symbols is the American one and is also known as IEEE Std 315. This IEEE standard for circuit symbols has various release dates.
Australian Standard AS 1102: This is an Australian standard for electronic component symbols.