Designing Electronics That Work

by Hunter Scott

July 2025, 360 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718503366

Download Chapter 4: Selecting Active Components

Look Inside!

With hundreds of tips, tricks, and techniques learned through the author’s hard-won experience, this book is a concise, practical guide to designing and manufacturing electronics for practitioners of every level.

The book walks you through the entire process of developing a device, from conceiving an idea, to refining it through prototyping, to the final schematic and layout design, and on to fabrication and assembly. Readers will learn how to select components and work with suppliers, cost-engineer designs, navigate regulatory testing, and efficiently troubleshoot when things go wrong.

Whether they’re a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or a hobbyist tinkering in their basement, readers will find this title to be a valuable resource that saves them time and money.

Author Bio

Hunter Scott is the Director of Hardware Engineering at Reach Labs, a silicon valley startup working on long range wireless power. He has been designing hardware for over a decade for all kinds of products: from communications to healthcare to art installations. He has an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, and has founded and taken two startups through Y Combinator. He has worked for Motorola Solutions and several other startups. He has spoken at conferences like DEFCON, Hackaday Supercon, and Altium Live. His projects have been seen by millions of people and have been featured in publications like NPR, The Guardian, and The Chicago Tribune.

Table of contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

PART I: PLANNING
Chapter 1: What to Build and How to Plan for It
Chapter 2: Component Specifications and Purchasing
Chapter 3: Selecting Passive Components
Chapter 4: Selecting Active Components

PART II: DESIGNING
Chapter 5: Schematic Design
Chapter 6: Layout Design
Chapter 7: Design For Excellence
Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Compatibility and Immunity
Chapter 9: Cost Engineering

PART III: BUILDING
Chapter 10: Prototyping
Chapter 11: Building a Lab
Chapter 12: Fabrication and Assembly
Chapter 13: Testing
Chapter 14: Troubleshooting

Appendix A: How to Give a Demo
Appendix B: Recommended Resources
Appendix C: Example Fabrication Notes

The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF.