When you open the book, you are met with page after page of clear, black-and-white schematic diagrams. The hallmark of this series is the detailed caption that accompanies each circuit, explaining its operating principle, component values, and how to tweak it for specific performance requirements.
(1979/1982), edited by Ken Sessions, is a classic reference guide designed to provide engineers, students, and hobbyists with a massive collection of proven circuit diagrams and their corresponding descriptions. It serves as a sequel to the original "1001 Practical Electronic Circuits," expanding the library of designs with a focus on then-modern integrated circuits and practical applications.
: It preserves "old school" basic device circuits that are increasingly difficult to find in modern, digital-focused textbooks. Immediate Utility When you open the book, you are met
: Schematic diagrams for transistors and integrated circuits have been breadboarded, tested, and simplified for reliability. Reference Appendices
For electronics hobbyists, engineers, and makers, a reliable circuit library is just as important as a quality soldering iron. While the internet offers endless schematics, it also forces you to wade through unverified forum posts and broken links. It serves as a sequel to the original
In a world dominated by YouTube tutorials and online forums, why bother with a 45-year-old book? Because some things never go out of style, and this handbook offers a few timeless advantages.
The descriptions note that "the transistor and integrated circuit schematic diagrams have been breadboarded, tested, and simplified by their designer". This is a massive timesaver. In an era before simulation software, knowing that a circuit was actually built and worked on a breadboard saved hobbyists weeks of debugging. phase-locked loops (like the NE565)
If you'd like, I can or list similar books that are highly rated for electronics projects. Let me know what you'd prefer.
Modern engineering education focuses on microcontrollers (Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi). That’s great, but what happens when you need to debounce a switch without writing code? Or convert a negative voltage to a positive one? Or drive a high-power relay?
While the 1975 book had some ICs, the 1979 book relies on them. You will find a huge variety of chips included, from simple op-amps (like the 741 and LM324) to digital logic gates (TTL and CMOS), phase-locked loops (like the NE565), and counter/divider circuits (like the 7490).