Articles
From radio tubes to microchip — the history of the electronics tradeHistory · 9 minElectronics and low-voltage is about controlling small electrical signals that carry information and control. Follow the journey from the first vacuum tubes through the invention of the transistor and the integrated circuit to the microprocessor and today's electronics found in almost everything we touch.Basic concepts in electronics and weak currentWeekday · 9 minTo troubleshoot and build electronics, you need to understand a few basic concepts that appear everywhere: voltage, current, resistance and the difference between analogue and digital signals. Here we cover them in everyday language and look at the most common components you encounter on a circuit board.Tools, measuring equipment and soldering in electronicsTools and equipment · 9 minThe electronics technician works with precise measuring equipment and fine craftsmanship. Here we cover the main tools — multimeter, oscilloscope, soldering equipment and power supply — what they are used for and basic rules for good soldering and working safely with sensitive components.Electrical safety ESD and quality in electronics.Safety and rules · 9 minEven though low-voltage systems often work with low voltages power can be dangerous components are fragile and errors expensive. Here we cover electrical safety protection against static electricity (ESD) safe handling of soldering equipment and chemistry and what quality assurance means when a small error can upset an entire circuit.Specialties and career in electronics and low-voltageCareer · 8 minElectronics and low-voltage is a broad trade with many directions. Here we look at some of the areas you can specialize in — service and troubleshooting, communications and network technology, control and automation and product development — and what makes you valuable in a trade where technology is constantly evolving.How you don't forget the patient as a personThe education's structure. · 10 minElectronics and low-voltage training is an alternating education where you alternate between school periods and practice at a company. Here you get an overview of the four phases — basic courses 1 and 2 plus the main course — and how level 2 as an electronics technician can be developed into one of three specializations at level 3.What do you earn — and on what terms?PLACEHOLDER_33 · 9 minAs an apprentice you receive wages from the day your training agreement comes into force — and the rate increases the further you are in the course. Here we cover the principles behind apprentice wages collective agreements and skilled conditions so you know what to look for without us guessing at specific amounts.Rules, authorisation and certificates in the subjectRules and legislation · 9 minThe electronics trade works primarily with low voltage but the boundary to high voltage and the rules that come with it is important to understand. Here we look at the difference, when licensing comes into play and the safety and first aid certificates you typically need before working in the main course.Work environment safety and ergonomics — in depthWork environment · 10 minElectronics work looks quiet and clean but has its own risks: electric shock, solder fumes, eye strain and a body bent over small components day after day. Here we cover the main work environment considerations and how good habits from the start protect you in the long run.The industry today — where are the jobs and where is it heading?The industry and the future · 9 minElectronics is everywhere and it makes skilled electronics technicians broad in their job opportunities. Here we look at what types of companies hire them, what demand is rooted in, and how green transition, automation and medical technology pull the trade forward.What can you build on top of the apprenticeship certificate?Further and continuing education · 9 minA journeyman's certificate in electronics is not an endpoint but a springboard. Here we see what you can study further — vocational academy professional bachelor engineering master and engineering path — plus how courses and part-time academy education let you improve while working.Digital technology and microcomputers — basicsTechnique · 8 minDigital electronics work only with two states — high and low 1 and 0 — and it is precisely that simplicity that makes it robust and easy to build on. Here we go through the binary number system the basic logic gates and how a microcomputer on a circuit board ties it all together for control and logic as described by the education's goal of 'digital and microcomputer technology'.Print — from design to finished circuitMaterials and technique · 8 minA printed circuit board is more than a plate with holes — it is a carefully designed construction of copper traces layers and solder pads that must hold a circuit together mechanically and electrically for years. Here we follow the path from diagram to finished print see the difference between through-hole and surface-mount components and look at the international IPC standard that determines when a solder joint is good enough.Sensors actuators and automation in practiceTechnique · 8 minAn automatic system needs three things: something that measures something that decides and something that acts. Here we cover sensors that read the world actuators that carry out the action and control that interprets the signals — plus why the feedback between them is the very heart of modern automation and control.Wireless communication and RF technologyTechnique · 8 minWireless technology sends information through the air as electromagnetic waves — invisible but subject to the same physical rules as light. Here we look at the basic concepts within RF technology (radio frequency), what an antenna really does, which wireless standards you encounter in practice, and why frequency use and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) are regulated.Biomedical engineering, patient safety and standardsSafety and rules · 9 minBiomedical engineering is one of three specialisations at level 3 of the education, and here the regulations place significantly stricter demands than in ordinary consumer electronics. Here we look at why the safety standard IEC 60601-1 and the EU's regulation on medical devices exist, what they require, and why hygiene, documentation and calibration take up so much space in this specialism.Sustainability, RoHS/WEEE, and circular electronicsSustainability and regulations · 8 minElectronics contain substances that are dangerous for both people and environment if they end up wrong. Here we look at the RoHS regulations' limits on hazardous substances, the WEEE regulations' requirements for collecting and recycling electronic waste, and why repair rather than replacement is increasingly part of the electronics technician's professional responsibility — something the education's own goal of sustainable development points directly to.The journeyman's exam — how you prepareThe education's structure. · 8 minThe journeyman's exam is the last, decisive step on the way to the journeyman certificate. Here we go through how the exam is structured into sub-tests according to the education's official notice, who issues your journeyman certificate, and how you best prepare yourself, both professionally and practically, in the time leading up to the exam.