Basic Circuit Symbol

An electronic symbol is a pictogram used to represent various electrical and electronic devices (such as wires, batteries, resistors, and transistors) in a schematic diagram of an electrical or electronic circuit. These symbols can (because of remaining traditions) vary from country to country, but are today to a large extent internationally standardized.



Standards for symbols

There are several national and international standards for graphical symbols in circuit diagrams, in particular:

IEC 60617 (also known as British Standard BS 3939)

ANSI standard Y32 (also known as IEEE Std 315)

Australian Standard AS 1102

Different symbols may be used depending on the discipline using the drawing. For example, lighting and power symbols used as part of architectural drawings may be different from symbols for devices used in electronics. National and local variations to international standards also exist.