An inductor is an passive electronic component. such as resistors and capacitors, shaped as a coil of wire with several coils of wire, which is responsible for storing the electrical energyof the circuit in the form of a magnetic field.

These oppose sudden changes in the current circulating inside them, so that, when attempting to modify it (for example, connecting and disconnecting it to a DC power supply), it will try to continue maintaining its previous condition.

Now, one thing you should keep in mind is Faraday's law of induction, which states that: V(t)=dl/dt, with V being the voltage across the component, L being the inductance, and dl/dt being the rate of change of transformation.

What is inductance?

Una vez conoces la fórmula recurrente en los inductores eléctricos, es de suma importancia que te familiarices con el término “inductancia”. This is the opposition to the change in current through the interior of the component.

Its value can increase for three specific reasons: having a larger cross-sectional area or shorter coil length, higher number of turns or higher permeability.

Value of an inductor

Thinking about how to calculate the value of your electrical inductor to buy the one that best suits your needs? To do this, you should keep in mind that there are two values to measure: the electrical inductance and the tolerance. 

In order to inspect what the factors are, we must read what each band of the element means:

• First (left to right): Most important digit of the inductor.
• Second: Second most significant digit.
• Third: Third most significant digit.
• The fourth: Power of 10 raised to the corresponding color and multiplied by the 1st, 2ndand 3rd rails.
• Fifth: Component tolerance.

In addition to what has already been mentioned, inductors in electronics have a series of fundamental technical characteristics that allow them to perform their function in the circuit in the most optimal way possible. We are talking about the magnetic permeability and the quality factor.

On the one hand, the magnetic permeability, which has great influence on the core, is the factor that establishes the greater or lesser sensitivity to magnetic fields; therefore, the greater it is, the greater the inductance of the component.

On the other hand, the quality factor is the ratio of the inductance value to the ohmic value of the coil material.

Inductors can be differentiated depending on a number of factors: according to core or support (iron, air or ferrite), according to the frequency of the applied current (high or low), according to the coating (plastic, resin, metal, shielded...), according to their value (fixed or adjustable), and according to the assembly (insert and SMD).

However, there are specific models that we will discuss below:

Solenoids: air and ferrite cores

Solenoids are coils that, due to their design, generate a magnetic field of high intensity. They include general ones, filters or DC/DC converters, and their values range from 1nH to 15mH.

Toroids

The toroidal coil is a conductive wire through which current circulates through coils that wrap a support in the form of a circle or ring. It is used to filter transients, and its values are between 1uH to 30 mH.

Encapsulated or molded

Encapsulated or molded inductors are those whose conductor wire is inside a enclosed mold for greater protection. They are used as oscillators and filters, and their values are between 0.1uH and 1mH.

Chips

These are surface mount passive components that are placed during the process of creating these types of creations. These are available in all chip sizes and styles, and are used for general applications. Their values range from 1uH to 1mH.

Adjustable

They are those used for both oscillators and RF circuits, as well as transmitters and receivers, and their values range from 1nH to 7mH.

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