Chapter 29. microphone

What It Does

The sensation of sound is created by rapid waves of air pressure impinging upon the eardrum. A microphone can convert these pressure waves into an alternating electrical signal that can be amplified, recorded, broadcast, transmitted through wires, and reproduced as sound by a headphone or speaker. The principle is illustrated in Figure 29-1. (For more information about sound reproduction, see the entries on headphone and speaker in Vol. 2.)

Schematic Symbol

Various schematic symbols for a microphone have been used during the decades since its invention. A selection is shown in Figure 29-2. Each symbol ...

Get Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 3 now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.