Nooby question

[Giddsy]

Hi all,

Just starting out on my building adventure, very excited to get started. I have been avidly reading this and other sites and feel I'm getting on top of it all.

One question though. In the schematics of cross overs, what do the numerals indicate? For example C3. I realise this is a capacitor measured in micro-farads but what is the 3 for and why are the numbers not sequential? For example, a design might have C1, C2 and then jump to C11.?

I have searched around, and I am sure it's here somewhere, and for that I apologise!

Hopefully someone can help.

Oh and just to confirm, generator 1 (1v) would presumably be the +ve speaker input and earth the negative... Silly question I'm sure but don't want to make any silly mistakes!

Cheers,

James

[JonMarsh]

It is a long established convention to use component identifiers (such as C1, C2, C3, etc) to keep track of components and identify parts in a net list or BOM (bill of materials). It would be hard to discuss a crossover with someone in text, without being able to identify the part you were talking about, besides the nominal value- the value, after all, might change, whereas the position in the circuit likely won't.

[Giddsy]

Thanks Jon.

Makes total sense. Was just a bit confused that gaps of numbers often missing.

[JonMarsh]

That most likely is because sometimes people start with more parts in a circuit than may be really needed, and then try to figure out how to pare it down, reducing the cost and size. And they don't go back and renumber everything from scratch again, because that would be confusing to them. Instead, they leave it as is, to be confusing to you! :W