Prerequisite checklist
A prerequisite/background checklist to cut down the 'what does this even mean' moments while taking the kickboard embedded course. It gathers everything from basic electronics (Layer 0) to passive/active-component essentials (Layers 1–2), self-assessed by 'can I explain it in one sentence without searching.' The biggest gaps are semiconductor basics, impedance, and AC/frequency — diode, BJT, capacitor, and inductor all rest on them. Skim the relevant block before a lecture and it stops floating.
Prerequisites in three layers
- If Layer 0 (basic electronics) is shaky, everything above floats — it's the top priority.
- Pass a check only if you can explain it to someone in one sentence without searching; leave it blank if it's fuzzy.
- Skim the topic block before the lecture to spot unknowns first — that's the core way to use this.
Gap analysis — prerequisites not yet in the wiki
- Collecting the concepts the lectures glossed over, semiconductor basics surfaced as the top gap and got filled first (✅).
- Now impedance and AC/DC are their own pages and ground is folded into Ohm's law — the Layer 0 gaps are all filled.
| Concept | Why it matters | Status |
|---|---|---|
| semiconductor · PN · doping | root of diode/BJT/MOSFET | ✅ created |
| impedance basics | shared language of C/L, filters, resonance | ✅ created |
| AC/DC · frequency | premise of rectify/filter/switch | ✅ created |
| ground · reference | reference for shunting noise/surge | ✅ folded into Ohm's law |
Self-check — quick diagnostic questions
- 12V across 6Ω — how many amps, and how many watts does the resistor dissipate? (V=IR, P=I²R)
- Can you explain why a diode conducts only one way, in terms of the PN junction?
- As frequency rises, does a capacitor's impedance go up or down? Is the inductor the opposite?
- A question you stall on = exactly your gap.
The checkboxes are a self-assessment tracker filled in on the wiki original (the portfolio only compiles the map). If you check 'can explain in one sentence' but then stall on a real circuit, that's knowing the concept but not the application — flag it separately and your weak spot shows up precisely.