Electronic Circuit Symbols

In electronic circuits, there are many electronic symbols that are used to represent or
identify a basic electronic or electrical device. They are mostly used to draw a circuit
diagram and are standardized internationally by the IEEE standard (IEEE Std 315) and
the British Standard (BS 3939). NO changes can be brought by the user
on any electronic symbol, but the user is free to bring any changes in the architectural
drawings like power source and lighting.

Electronic Symbols

The symbols for different electronic devices are shown below. Click on each link given
below to view the symbols. Apart from the circuit symbols, each device is also
designated a short name. Though these names are not approved as standard notations,
they are commonly used by most people. These designations are also given in the list.

Wires | Power Supplies | Resistor | Capacitor |Diode | Transistor | Logic

Gates | Meters | Sensors | Switches | Audio and Radio Devices | Output Devices

Wire Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

Used to connect one component to another.

Wire
Wire Circuit Symbol

Wires Joined One device may be connected to another

through wires. This is represented by drawing
“blobs― on the point where they are
shorted.
Wires Joined Circuit Symbol

Unjoined When circuits are drawn some wires may not

Wires touch others. This can only be shown by
bridging them or by drawing them without
blobs. But bridging is commonly practised as
there will not arise any confusion.
 Wires Not Joined Circuit Symbol

Power Supply Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

Used to provide a supply for a circuit.

Cell

Cell Circuit Symbol

Battery A battery has more than a cell and is used for

the same purpose. The smaller terminal is
negative and the larger one is positive.
Abbreviated as ‘B’.
Battery Circuit Symbol

DC Supply Used as a DC power supply, that is, the

current will always flow in one direction.

DC Supply Circuit Symbol

AC Supply Used as AC power supply, that is, the current

will keep alternating directions.

AC Supply Circuit Symbol

Fuse Used in circuits where a probability of

excessive current flows. The fuse will break
the circuit if excessive current flows and
Fuse Circuit Symbol
saves the other devices from damage.
Transformer Used as an ac power supply. Consists of two
coils, the primary and secondary that are
linked together through an iron core. There is
no physical connection between the two coils.
The principle of mutual inductance is used to
Transformer Circuit Symbol
obtain power. Abbreviated as ‘T’.

Earth/Ground Used in electronic circuits to represent the 0

volts of the power supply. It can also be
defined as the real earth , when it is applied in
Earth Circuit Symbol
radio circuits and power circuits.

Resistor Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

A resistor is used to restrict the amount of

Resistor
current flow through a device. Abbreviated
as ‘R’.
Resistor Circuit Symbol

Rheostat A rheostat is used to control the current flow

with two contacts. Applicable in controlling
lamp brightness, capacitor charge rate, etc.
Rheostat Circuit Symbol

Potentiometer A potentiometer is used to control the

voltage flow and has three contacts. Have
applications in changing a mechanical angle
Potentiometer Circuit Symbol
change to an electrical parameter.
Abbreviated as ‘POT’.

Preset Presets are low cost variable resistors that

are used to control the charge flow with the
help of a screw driver. Applications where
Preset Circuit Symbol
the resistance is determined only at the end
of the circuit design.
Capacitor Symols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

Capacitor is a device that is used to store

Capacitor
electrical energy. It consists of two metals
plates that are separated by a dielectric. It is
Capacitor Circuit Symbol
applicable as a filter, that is, to block DC
signals and allow AC signals. Abbreviated
with the letter ‘C’.

Capacitor – Capacitor can be used in a timer circuit by

Polarized adding a resistor.
Capacitor-Polarised Circuit Symbol

Variable Used to vary the capacitance by turning the

Capacitor knob. A type of variable capacitor is the
trimmer capacitor that is small in size. The
Variable Capacitor Circuit Symbol
notations are all the same.

Diode Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

A diode is used to allow electric current to

Diode
flow in only one direction. Abbreviated as
‘D’.
Diode Circuit Symbol

Light Emitting LED is used to emit light when a current is

Diode (LED) passed through the device. It is abbreviated
as LED.
LED Circuit Symbol
Zener Diode After a breakdown voltage, the device
allows current to flow in the reverse
direction as well. It is abbreviated as
Zener Diode Circuit Symbol ‘Z’.

Photo Diode Photodiode works as a photo-detector and

converts light into its corresponding voltage
or current.
Photo Diode Circuit Symbol

Tunnel Diode Tunnel Diode is known for its high-speed

operation due to its application in quantum
mechanical effects.
Tunnel Diode Circuit Symbol

Schottky Diode The Schottky Diode is known for its large

forward voltage drop and hence has great
applications in switching circuits.
Schottky Diode Circuit Symbol

Transistor Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

This is a transistor with a layer of P-doped

NPN Transistor
semiconductor fixed between two layers of
N-doped semiconductors that act as the
emitter and collector. Abbreviated as
‘Q’.
Transistor NPN Circuit Symbol

PNP Transistor This is a transistor with a layer of N-doped

semiconductor fixed between two layers of
P-doped semiconductors that act as the
emitter and collector. Abbreviated as
‘Q’.
Transistor PNP Circuit Symbol
Phototransistor The working of a phototransistoris
similar to that of a bipolar transistor with a
difference that it converts light into its
corresponding current. The phototransistor
can also act as a photodiode if the emitter
Phototransistor Circuit Symbol
is not connected.

Field Effect Like a transistor, a FET has three

Transistor terminals, the Gate, Source and Drain. The
device has an electric field that controls
the conductivity of a channel of one type
Field Effect Transistor Circuit Symbol charge carrier in a semiconductor
substance.

N-Channel The Junction Field Effect Transistor

Junction FET
n-channel Junction Field Effect
Transistor (JFET) Circuit Symbol
(JFET) is the simplest type of FET with
applications in Switching and voltage
variable resistor. In an N-channel JFET an
N-type silicon bar has two smaller pieces
of P-type silicon material diffused on each
sides of its middle part, forming P-N
junctions.

P-Channel P-channel JFET is similar in construction

Junction FET
p-channel Junction Field Effect
Transistor (FET) Circuit Symbol
to N-channel JFET except that P-type
semiconductor base is sandwiched
between two N-type junctions. In this case
majority carriers are holes.

Metal Oxide Given Below Abbreviated as MOSFET. MOSFET is a

Semiconductor three terminal device and is controlled by
FET a gate bias. It is known for its low
capacitance and low input impedance.

Enhancement The enhancement MOSFET structure has

MOSFET no channel formed during its construction.
Voltage is applied to the gate, so as to
develop a channel of charge carriers so
that a current results when a voltage is
applied across the drain-source terminals.
Abbreviated as e-MOSFET.
e-MOSFET Circuit Symbol
Depletion In the depletion-mode construction a
MOSFET channel is physically constructed and a
current between drain and source is due to
voltage applied across the drain-source
terminals. Abbreviated as d-MOSFET.

d-MOSFET Circuit Symbol

Logic Gate Symbols

Gate Standard Symbol IEC Symbol Description

If all the inputs of

AND
an AND gate are
Gate
HIGH, then the
output will also be
HIGH. If any one of
AND GATE Symbol AND Gate IEC Symbol
them is LOW, the
output will also be
LOW.

NAND Short form for NOT

Gate AND Gate. Of all
the inputs are
HIGH, the output
will be LOW. If any
NAND Gate Symbol NAND Gate IEC Symbol
one input is LOW,
the output will be
HIGH.

OR If any one of the

Gate input is HIGH, the
output will also be
HIGH. If both
inputs are LOW, the
OR Gate Symbol OR Gate IEC Symbol
output will also be
LOW.
NOR Short form for NOT
Gate OR. If both inputs
are LOW, the
output will also be
LOW. For other
NOR Gate Symbol NOR Gate IEC Symbol
cases, the output
will be HIGH.

EX- Short form for

OR Exclusive NOR. If
Gate both inputs are
either in LOW state
r HIGH state, the
EX-OR Gate Symbol EX-OR Gate IEC Symbol
output will be
LOW. If both inputs
are different, the
output will be
HIGH.

EX- Short form for

NOR Exclusive NOT OR.
Gate If both the inputs
are the same, the
output will be
EX-NOR Gate Symbol EX-NOR Gate IEC Symbol
HIGH. If both are
different, the output
will also be
different.

NOT Also known as the

Gate inverter Gate. There
is only one input for
this gate. If the
input is HIGH, the
NOT Gate Symbol NOT Gate Symbol
output will be
LOW. If the input is
LOW, the output
will be HIGH.

Meters
Electronic Circuit Symbol Description
Component

Voltmeter is used to measure the voltage at

Voltmeter
a certain point in the circuit.

Voltmeter Circuit Symbol

Ammeter An Ammeter is used to measure the current

that passes through the circuit at a
particular point.

Ammeter Circuit Symbol

Galvanometer A galvanometer is used to measure very

small currents in the order of 1 milli ampere
or less.

Galvanometer Circuit Symbol

Ohmmeter Resistance of the circuit is measured using

an Ohmmeter.

Ohmmeter Circuit Symbol

Oscilloscope An oscilloscope is used to measure the

voltage and time period of signals along
with their shape display.

Oscilloscope Circuit Symbol

Sensor Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

It is abbreviated as LDR. Light Dependent

Light
Resistor is used to convert light into its
Dependent
corresponding resistance. Instead of directly
Resistor (LDR)
measuring the light, it senses the heat content
LDR Circuit Symbol and converts it onto resistance.

Thermistor Instead of directly measuring the light, a

thermistor senses the heat content and
converts it into resistance. Abbreviated as
Thermistor Circuit Symbol
‘TH’.

Switch Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

This is an ordinary switch that passes

Push Switch
current only upon pressing.

Push Switch Circuit Symbol

Push to Break The push to break switch is usually kept in

Switch the ON state (closed). It turns to OFF state
(open) only when the switch is pressed.
Push to Break Switch Circuit Symbol

Singe Pole Also known as the ON/OFF switch. This

Single Throw switch allows the flow of current only when
Switch it is kept ON. Abbreviated as SPST.
On Off Switch (SPST) Circuit Symbol
Single Pole Also known as the 2-way switch. It can be
Double Throw also called as an ON/OFF/ON switch as it
Switch has an OFF position in the center. The
switch causes the flow of current in two
2-Way Switch (SPDT) Circuit Symbol directions, depending on its position. It can
be abbreviated as SPDT.

Double Pole Abbreviated as DPST. Can also be called as

Single Throw a dual ON-OFF switch. This is used to
Switch isolate between the live and neutral
connections in the main electrical line.
Dual On-Off Switch (DPST) Circuit
Symbol

Double Pole Abbreviated as DPDT. The switch uses a

Double Throw central OFF position and is applied as
Switch reversing switch for motors.

DPDT Circuit Symbol

Relay Relay is abbreviated as ‘RY’. This

device can easily switch a 230 Volt AC
mains circuit. It has three switching stages
called Normally Open (NO). Normally
Closed (NC), and Common (COM).
Relay Circuit Symbol

Audio and Radio Device Symbols

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

This device is used for converting sound to

Microphone
its corresponding electrical energy.
Abbreviated as ‘MIC’.
Microphone Circuit Symbol
Earphone Does the reverse process of microphone and
converts electrical energy into sound.

Earphone Circuit Symbol

Loudspeaker Does the same operation as an earphone, but

converts an amplified version of the
electrical energy into its corresponding
sound.
Loudspeaker Circuit Symbol

Piezo- It is a transducer that converts electrical

Transducer energy into sound.

PiezoTransducer Circuit Symbol

Amplifier Used to amplify a signal. It is mainly used to

represent a whole circuit rather than just one
component.
Amplifier Circuit Symbol

Aerial This device is used to transmit/receive

signals. Abbreviated as ‘AE’.

Aerial Circuit Symbol

Output Devices

Electronic Circuit Symbol Description

Component

This is used to provide light for the output.

Lighting
Lamp

Lamp Circuit Symbol

Indicator Used to convert electrical energy into light.
Lamp The best example is the warning light on a car
dashboard.
Lamp Indiator Circuit Symbol

Heater This transducer is used to change electrical

energy into heat.
Heater Circuit Symbol

Inductor Inductor is used to produce a magnetic field

when a certain current is passed through a coil
of wire. The wire is coiled on a soft iron core.
Inductor Circuit Symbol
Have applications in motors, and tank circuits.
Abbreviated as ‘L’.

Motor This device is used to convert electrical

energy into mechanical energy. Can be used
as a generator as well. Abbreviated as
‘M’.
Motor Circuit Symbol

Bell Used to produce a sound as the output,

according to the electrical energy produced as
the input.
Bell Circuit Symbol

Buzzer It is used to produce an output sound

corresponding to the electrical energy in the
input.
Buzzer Circuit Symbol