12 Tips to Make Your Beginner Designs Stand Out

Graphic design is an exciting field. It may seem daunting as you begin to create your own images, but becoming a graphic designer is just like learning a new language - you start with simple words and phrases and gradually build your way up to more complex topics.

Studying graphic design can be a lot of work, especially if you haven’t had any prior experience in it before. It can be pretty overwhelming at times to handle, but don’t worry - we can ease your load a little bit! With this website, you can hire a professional paper writer to help you! You can get professional 24/7 help with any paper topic at an affordable price - and a free plagiarism report, too! Make sure to check them out and save your precious time for more important tasks!

1. Experiment with fonts

Fonts can make your titles look more prominent, your body text looks bolder, and better still, they can make your images look more immersive! They're tools in a designer's arsenal and should be used creatively rather than strictly for aesthetics.

Fonts are powerful tools in the hands of an effective artist! They can help communicate your ideas constructively and suggest alternatives. A particularly useful typeface can help you make your points clearer and more persuasive, as well as give off an emotion you desire.

2. Go big or go home

When starting out, many beginners make a mistake by getting too focused on the details. This usually leads to something less than stellar. It is easier to create a simple but effective art than a complex but ineffective one.

If you want to become a top visual artist, you need to handle large objects and elements in your art effectively. Sometimes, the most important thing is that you use your eyes and not your brain. Tools like Instagram story viewer can also provide a fresh perspective by helping you analyze how your visuals are received in real-time, offering inspiration for refining your designs.

3. Use contrasting colors

Colors can be used in many ways when it comes to creating. Since color can affect the mood of an image or presence, it’s essential to use colors that will stand out against the background.

A Black and white palette is also an excellent way to communicate a message or emphasize a certain point. Although there are many ways to use colors in art, one very effective way is by contrasting them using different hues. As an example, two different hues can be used in one design to convey entirely different messages!

4. Sketch your ideas

When starting out as a graphic artist, it can be helpful to think that the most powerful tools are pencil and paper. Make a fresh start by drawing with markers and practicing drawing in perspective before moving on to larger, more complex pieces.

Playing around with perspective and shape reminds you that whatever you draw will ultimately be a manifestation of your creative process.

5. Use consistent images

When you’re a beginner, it is easy to get carried away by the many choices available. It is tempting to look through each image type and decide which is the best option. You can do that, of course, but keep one thing in mind - consistency is key in choosing images!

While there are many different types of images available, follow a few simple guidelines when selecting them. Make sure they’re of the similar:

• Color palette
• Size
• Feel
• Motif
• Style

6. Be consistent in general

When starting your graphic design, you will need a lot of visual tools. But choosing the best is not so simple. You should try to understand how colors, lines, and shapes work together and try new techniques to get more varied and exciting patterns. Playing around and experimenting is always a way to go!

But keep one thing in mind - try to be as consistent as possible. That doesn’t mean not having variety; it means giving structure to your work.

Summary? Be consistent with your fonts, images, paragraphs, and overall style!

7. Use symmetry and balance

For a graphic artist, the difference between good art and great art can often be found in the subtlety of a line or the balance between colors and letters. Symmetry refers to how similar two elements are in shape, size, and color, and balance indicates that different parts of an object or image are in harmony with each other.

Implementing both in your artistry is essential - they give off a professional vibe. And not to mention, humans are wired to love symmetry; use it to your advantage!

8. Get inspired by the best designers out there

Graphic design is an ever-changing field that offers endless opportunities for those willing to put in the hard work. Each new designer presents their own style, method, and inspiration!

Learning from them will allow you to follow their lead as they break new ground in their own unique way. As you become more experienced and gain knowledge about the industry, you’ll become an artist others will look up to!

9. Implement shadows

Shade and light are an essential part of any art. They help direct the viewers’ attention where you need it to be. They also play an important role in gradients, color palettes, and texture.

Shadows are one of those magic features of light that can make your pictures look much more vivid. They help draw your eye from one part of the picture to another and create a sense of depth and atmosphere. They add dimension and clarity without adding much bulk or distracting from the main composition. Learn how to use them effectively and see the difference for yourself.

10. Start with a flat design

It may not be what you wanted initially, but once you get used to it, you'll find its strength is in its simplicity. It's always been easier for artists to get started with flat design because there are fewer rules to follow. You can still create beautiful things, but you need to think more logically and strategically to do them well!

Before choosing your first program, it’s a good idea to learn about flat design. Flat is easy to follow and understand - since there are no complicated rules or guidelines to follow, it can be a great way to gain confidence in your artistic abilities!

11. Keep it simple

The most powerful graphic design beginner tips are all about keeping things simple. Ensure that the colors you use are complementary, that the shapes are consistent, and that all the elements in your art fit together seamlessly.

The more complicated an artwork becomes, the harder it is to make and relate to it. With too many options, it's easy to get distracted - so choose one basic graphic design technique in a project and try to stick with it! Keep adding details only when they’re more than necessary, and make sure those details really do make a difference.

12. Practice, practice, practice!

Learn by doing. When you practice a skill, you become better at it. Even if you don’t have formal art training, you can go and practice on your own! See how many resources are available to help you learn more about graphic design and keep growing!

Becoming a master designer takes time and practice. Arm yourself with patience and persistence - they’ll lead you to places you’ve never been before!

The wrap-up

Graphic design is the art and science of visual communication. Always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible, graphic designers create visuals to engage with their audience. Their work expresses their ideas through form and color, and their goal is to communicate something through their work that has not been said before.

If you’re a beginner designer, realize that the world is patiently waiting for you! By implementing some of these steps, you’ll be recognized as a successful, brilliant artist, others will look up to with admiration!

Create Webserver with ESP8266 using SPIFFS

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today's tutorial, we will have a look at How to Create Web Server with ESP8266 using SPIFFS.

We've already seen how to create a web server and how to provide an HTML page on our ESP8266. We use the PROGMEM command to store an HTML code in FLASH memory. For a simple page, this works fine, but what if we have a more complex webpage? With a better style? What if we want to include images?

Today we will learn how to use SPIFFS with ESP8266 to store files (regardless of type) in FLASH memory.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	ESP8266	Amazon	Buy Now

What is SPIFFS?

• SPIFFS (SPI Flash File System) is a system designed for managing SPI flash memory in embedded devices. Its main goal is to use minimal RAM to access files. It's very useful when using pen drives, memory cards, and the ESP8266's flash memory.
• SPIFFS allows you to access files (create, read, write, delete) just like on a computer. But with a much simpler folder structure.
• To show how the tool works, we will create a web server with a styled page and an image. Then when accessing the webserver, the browser will receive the HTML file, the CSS file, and the images.

Create Webserver with ESP8266 using SPIFFS

• For that, we will need two things:
  • Library to manage SPIFFS.
  • Tool to load the files in FLASH.
• The upload tool is a plugin called ESP8266fs that integrates python into the Arduino IDE.
• Download the ESP8266FS-0,5.0.zip file from Github and unzip the files into Arduino's tools folder ( Possibly C:\program files x86\arduino \tools).
• Restart Arduino IDE and the tool should appear available as shown in the image.

• Now let's take a look at how it works.
• Your sketch will always be saved inside a folder. The Arduino IDE cannot open an .INO file if it is not inside a folder with the same name.
• Our upload tool will look inside that folder and look for another folder called “data”. Everything inside that folder will be transferred to the ESP8266's FLASH memory.

Our page will have 3 main objects:

• An image that will change depending on the status of the LED.
• A text with the status of the LED.
• A button to change the status of the LED.

Files on Webserver

And to build this page we will use 4 files:

• html, which will contain the page itself.
• css, containing the styling to make the page more beautiful.
• Image of the lamp
• Image of the lamp

• The two images were chosen from the pixabay repository. You can use another one. But I recommend not using very large files as it takes a little longer to load. I also recommend using some service to resize the image, such as tinypng.
• In our index.html file, we will have:

• In our style.css file, we will have:

Understanding ESP8266 Webserver Code

• Created and saved, we used ESP8266 Sketch Data Upload to load the file into FLASH memory.
• Before we look at the code, it's important to understand how the browser behaves when accessing a page.
• When accessing the web server address, the browser sends an HTTP GET command in the path “/” and waits for an index file in response.
• Inside index file it can be informed that it needs other files. What happens in our code.
• In line 7 of the index.html file, it is informed that the style.css file will also be needed and that it is of type text/css.
• Then the browser sends another HTTP GET command with the path “/style.css” and expects to receive a file with that name.
• In line 13, the <img> tag informs the path to an image, and the browser sends another HTTP GET command to the address “/bulb-off.png”, this time the browser expects an image file.
• The browser will send GET commands each time we click the Toggle button (“/toggle” path) and every 1 second to receive an updated status (“/state” path).
• Doing yet another GET to the lit lamp image (path: “/bulb-on.png”).

So we will need to handle it in our .INO code the GET requests in the paths:

• “/”
• “/style.css”
• “/bulb-off.png”
• “/bulb-on.png”
• “/toggle”
• “/state”

Our style.css file sets sizes, alignments, and colors for components. We start our .INO file by importing four libraries:

• h – That will take care of our WiFi connection.
• h and ESPAsyncWebServer.h – Which will manage the webserver (including HTTP GET commands).
• h – File System Library that will take care of our SPIFFS.

We define the pin for our LED. We create variables with SSID and password of the wifi network where we will connect. We created our server on port 80 and a variable to monitor the LED status.

• The wifiConnect() function will connect the ESP8266 to the chosen wifi network by printing the IP address on the serial monitor.
• Pay attention to this number. You will need to access the webserver from the browser.

• The processor() function is responsible for updating the variable with the status of the LED.
• We will use it in handling our GETs.

• The toggleLed() function toggles the LED state. We will use it in the GET “/toggle”.

• And finally, our setup() function. We start by setting our LED to OUTPUT (otherwise, our toggle won't work.
• Next, we start Serial with a baud rate of 115200 to view the IP address on the Serial Monitor.
• With SPIFFS.begin(), we initialize our filesystem in flash memory.
• If an error occurs, our code stops here and reports on Serial Monitor. In that case, upload the files again.
• And finally, we've included our GETs.

The “server.on” structure is an event manager provided by the ESPAsyncWebServer.h library. In short, we inform a route, a method (HTTP-GET, for our case), and action when receiving the request. But we need to take a closer look at some variations of the function.

• The server receives a request for the “/” route with the HTTP GET method.
• In request->send, we inform that the response is a SPIFFS file with the name index.html and that it will be sent in string format.
• The last two fields (“false” and “processor”) inform that the index.html file is a template that depends on more information. This information will be provided by the processor() function.

It is necessary to send the index file with the updated LED state value.

For style files and images, we use a similar principle, but these files are not being changed before they are uploaded. So we only inform the origin, name, and type (if you want to know a little more about file types in HTTP, I recommend a study on MIME TYPES. Any type of file can be sent, but MIME standardizes what browsers can understand).

Lastly, we have the “/state” returning the stateValue variable on each update and the “/toggle” which changes the state before sending the same variable. The response format has a small change. As we are sending only one variable, we inform the MIME TYPE “text/plain”, the response code 200 (default for success over HTTP), and the variable converted to a string.

Results

• With the code compiled and recorded, check the IP of the webserver in the Serial Monitor and access it in the browser.
• Example: for IP: 10.10.10.11 access: http://10.10.10.11.
• Attention: As we use port 80 on the web server, we use HTTP and not HTTPS. The result on the screen should look like the images below:

So that was all for today. I hope you have enjoyed today's lecture because it will improve the presentation of your project. If you got any queries, ask in the comments. Thanks for reading!!!

Create Web Server with ESP8266

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. Today, we will create a web server with ESP8266 microcontroller to control the activation of an LED. The goal is to understand how the ESP8266 connects to a WiFi network, how it sets up a web server, and how it is possible to exchange information between the browser and the esp8266.

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	ESP8266	Amazon	Buy Now

Components Required

• 1x Computer/notebook with Arduino
• 1x Mini-USB cable.
• 1x NodeMCU (ESP8266 Breakout Board)
• Internet Browser (Chrome, Firefox, IE…)

ESP8266 Libraries for Arduino IDE

For this project, we will use two libraries:

• ESP8266WiFi: This library carries all the functions necessary for the ESP8266 to connect to a wifi network.
• ESPAsyncWebServer: This library carries the functions needed to create and manage an EB server.

Creating the code

• We can divide the code into three main functionalities:
  1. Control the LED.
  2. Connect to Wifi
  3. Create the webserver.

And we'll treat this building in blocks.

Importing Libraries

• The Libraries must be included at the beginning of the sketch so that their functions are already available elsewhere in the code.

LED Control with ESP8266

• Our first step is to define the pin to be used. For our example, we will use the LED of the NodeMCU module.

• And set this pin as output in the setup function.

• We will also create a variable to monitor LED status. This variable is not used to control the LED, but it will be important for the webserver so, we will include it here.

• So, we'll create a function that, whenever triggered, will change the state of the LED (and the variable).

• The toggleLed() function makes a function nesting in its first line:
• The digitalWrite() function receives as a value for writing, the inverse of the reading of the pin itself. So each time the function is called, it reads the current value of the pin and toggles its value.
• The following conditional is only used to update the stateValue variable. To test the function, you can include it in the loop as follows:
• With these inclusions, we will have this code:

• With this code, the NodeMCU module LED, we expect to change state every 3 seconds. Remember to remove the data inside the loop function when you finish the test. We will not use them in the next steps.

Connect ESP8266 to WIFI

• Now let's connect the ESP8266 to your WIFI network. We'll start by creating a variable to store the network name and another one for the password.

• The connection could be executed directly in the setup function, but we will create a standalone function to make the code more organized and so that it can be reused if you want to create a reconnect function.

The wifiConnect() function will send a connection request and wait for it to be approved.

With Wifi.begin(), ESP8266 will search the network informed in the ssid variable and send a connection request, informing the password (just like what a cell phone would do).

The WiFi.status() function can return the following values:

• WL_CONNECTED: assigned when connected to a WiFi network;
• WL_NO_SHIELD: assigned when no WiFi shield is present;
• WL_IDLE_STATUS: it is a temporary status assigned when WiFi.begin() is called and remains active until the number of attempts expires (resulting in WL_CONNECT_FAILED) or a connection is established (resulting in WL_CONNECTED);
• WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL: assigned when no SSID are available;
• WL_SCAN_COMPLETED: assigned when the scan networks is completed;
• WL_CONNECT_FAILED: assigned when the connection fails for all the attempts;
• WL_CONNECTION_LOST: assigned when the connection is lost;
• WL_DISCONNECTED: assigned when disconnected from a network;

In this project, we are not handling connection failures, so we are only interested in the WL_CONNECTED return. The function will wait while this is not the connection status and, when identifying it, it will look for the IP address it received on the network.

Here is a point of attention. The WIFI network must allow the connection and provide an IP by DHCP. If any device can connect to your network just by offering the password, don't worry. This configuration must already exist.

We've added some information to be viewed on the Serial monitor, so the serial needs to be initialized before we call the wifiConnect() function.

• This should be our code so far:

• The expected result on the Serial Monitor is as follows:

• From this point on, the ESP8266 can be found by network tools like the Advanced IP Scanner or a simple PING at the command prompt.

Creating the Webserver with ESP8266

• Spoiler Alert: At the end of this step, you can view our webserver at the address
• HTTP://”IP address”, for our case http://192.168.18.76.
• We will start by creating an instance of AsyncWebServer operating on port 80.

• In short, a webserver operates as a file manager that delivers on-demand. Then the browser makes a request, the web server responds and continues to wait for new requests.
• All this happens following communication protocols (HTTP, FTTP, or both), rigorous error handling, and high-security logic.
• The library takes care of preparing the backstage of the webserver, which saves us a lot of time and lines of code. But we still need to configure what happens on each request.

We will handle two requests:

• When the page starts or refreshes
• When we press the LED state change

The first will occur when we send a GET request to the root “/”. What the browser does automatically when we go to http://192.168.18.76.

• The server will respond with status 200 (default success response), the information on the type of file sent ("text/html"), the HTML file (which we will create next and save in the variable index_html), and the return of the processor( ) (which we will also create now).
• The processor function simply returns the value of the updated stateValue variable.

• The HTML file the browser expects tends to be large for a variable, and even with the good SRAM memory space the ESP8266 has, it could cause problems.
• That's why we'll use the PROGMEM utility so that the variable is written to FLASH memory.

 

• Don't worry if you don't know HTML or javascript. We won't go into details, but we'll explain the most important ones for now.
• On line 23, the page displays the value returned by the processor() function.
• In line 24, the button calls the “toggleLED()” function when activated.
• The toggleLED() function makes a GET request at address “/state” passing the toggle valceue.

• After 1 second it refreshes the page to receive the updated value. We need to handle this request:
• When the server receives the request at the address “/state” it calls the toggleLed() function
• and just replies to the server that everything went fine. And last but not least: We started the server:

• This will be our final code:

• In our browser:

Conclusion

In this project, we saw a very simple application of the power that the ESP8266 WiFi has. In the HTML file, page styling could also be included to make the page prettier.

And with that base, it's possible to expand into several cool projects. A temperature monitor via Wifi? Security systems? Home automation systems? These are just a few examples. The limit is up to your creativity.

How to Become a Licensed Residential Architect?

Designing homes and landscapes is a dream job for many individuals, but the challenges of becoming a licensed architect often stand in the way of this dream. To become a licensed architect, you’ll need to be willing to put in a lot of hard work throughout the education and apprenticeship stages of certification and study extensively for the ARE accreditation exam. Once certified, many individuals choose to work for a residential architectural firm to design custom homes and assist with planning remodeling projects.

There are many education and experience requirements involved with qualifying for the ARE exam and becoming a residential architect. In this article, we’ll go over the details for each of these requirements and answer some of your questions regarding this profession. To successfully complete these requirements and receive accreditation, prospective architects will need dedication, attention to detail, and advanced problem-solving skills.

What Does a Residential Architect Do?

A residential architect plans and designs buildings that will serve as residences. The assistance of a residential architect is a necessity for building new homes, condominiums, and apartment buildings. Individuals interested in custom homes will often consult with a residential architect directly, to discuss how their new space will accommodate their needs and lifestyle.  However, the property owner or construction company will reach out to or directly hire a residential architect for many projects. Most residential architects work with a team in a firm or dedicated office within a construction company.

What Level of Salary is Available as an Architect?

Becoming a licensed architect requires many years of experience and education, which means architects are generally in frequent demand. According to learn.org, the median salary for residential architects is approximately $80,000 a year. This salary varies based on the hiring company and the type of consultation for which the architect is available. Many architects are self-employed therefore will have a fluctuating yearly income.

What Skills Do I Need To Work as an Architect?

Drawing and CADD (Computer-Aided Drawing and Drafting) are essential technical skills for working as an architect. However, a considerable portion of this career lies away from the drafting table. Meeting with clients and project managers is essential throughout the lifespan of a project and so requires strong interpersonal and communication skills. Many architects also spend a great deal of time traveling to project sites and overseeing construction or meeting with vendors.

Education Requirements

Beginning a career in architecture requires completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture accredited by the NAAB (National Architectural Accrediting Board). There are many degree programs available through liberal arts and design schools that are notably not accredited- it’s important to check in with the university or school to ask about their accreditation beforehand. The educational institution hosting the degree must maintain its NAAB certification throughout the duration of your studies.

Accredited bachelor’s degree programs typically span five years and cover all aspects of project management, environmental planning, and design technology. Throughout these programs, students will assemble portfolios and present projects for professional review to showcase their work. Architecture master’s degree programs cover many of the same topics as the bachelor’s degree and work well for students who picked a different undergraduate major. However, many architecture bachelor’s degree students will choose to take on the master’s degree in addition to their prior education.

Students wishing to proceed with a career in architecture will ultimately need to complete either the accredited bachelor’s degree program or the accredited master’s degree program. Doctorate-level studies are available but focus more on the academic field associated with architecture rather than the licensing process.

Experience Requirements

After completing the educational requirements associated with becoming a licensed architect, you’ll need to gather architectural experience through NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). The NCARB organizes a program called the AXP, which stands for Architectural Experience Program.

The AXP targets a number of specific proficiencies (96, to be exact) and requires a total of 3,740 hours across all disciplines. The experience component of earning your architectural license will take, at a minimum, around two years. Previously, this hours requirement was much higher- 5,600 hours were required through the IDP (Intern Development Program), which typically needed an extra year or two of work to complete.

Architects will need to log their hours for the experience component according to specific AXP guidelines. Non-licensed architects can bypass part of this component with a portfolio displaying architectural competencies across the 96 AXP task areas. You can read more about AXP guidelines here. The experience required for an architectural license is essentially an apprenticeship or internship that will give candidates a look into how architectural firms and offices operate.

Exam Requirements

Once a licensed architect candidate has completed an accredited education program and the AXP experience requirements, they will be eligible to take the ARE (Architect Registration Examination). The exam is divided into six parts, each of which focuses on a specific architectural discipline. These exam portions are as follows: Practice Management, Project Management, Programming and Analysis, Project Planning and Design, Project Development and Documentation, and Construction and Evaluation.

Prospective candidates for licensure will need to study extensively for several months before the exam, which typically occurs in the fall. Many architects will need to take the exam several times, though it is important to know that each full exam attempt currently costs around $1500. Examination is the final step in becoming an officially licensed architect. You will need to renew your license every few years, though you won’t need to take the ARE again once you’ve passed.

Conclusion

Becoming a licensed architect requires many years of hard work and determination but can lead to a fulfilling career with many opportunities to build residential and commercial spaces. The residential architecture field is growing steadily as many cities and urban areas expand to accommodate a growing population. To learn more about this field of work, speak with an experienced residential architect today and ask about their journey towards designing homes and commercial spaces.

Do You Need a Dedicated Server? 

If you’re hosting a website, eCommerce business, or even just the latest online game with your friends, you know that performance, reliability, and security matter. To take your web hosting to the next level, consider what a dedicated server could do for you. With full access to your own web server, you’ll have more control and better performance from your hosting service. What’s not to love about that?

But how do you know when you really need a dedicated server? Many smaller websites can perform just fine without one, but for larger sites and businesses, the benefits quickly become apparent. Here, we’re taking a closer look at dedicated servers and what they can offer for your online experience. We provide some key information about dedicated servers to help you determine if you need one for your hosting.

What is a Dedicated Server?

If you’ve just started a website or an eCommerce company, you probably went with a cheaper web hosting option. This just makes sense. For smaller websites and online businesses, you most likely don’t need the power and capabilities of a dedicated server or the more costly hosting options out there. However, as your site grows in terms of traffic, bandwidth, and storage requirements, you may find that your previous hosting methods simply aren’t cutting it anymore for what you need.

This is when you should look into a dedicated server. When you’re hosted from a dedicated server, this essentially means that you have an entire server to yourself, enabling you to take advantage of the server’s full capacities and power. At this point, some might opt for a virtual private server (VPS). A VPS is still an upgrade from a shared server, but it doesn’t give you your own server. Rather, a VPS provides you exclusive space on a server that may still be shared with other web owners. While this option may come at a cheaper cost, it simply can’t match the benefits, security, and full capability of having your own dedicated server.

Benefits of a Dedicated Server

In comparison to traditional hosting options, there are quite a few benefits to hosting your site, eCommerce business, or online gaming experience from a dedicated server. Here’s a look at some of the top benefits that might convince you that you need to make the upgrade to a dedicated server.

1. Exclusive server usage: when you really break it down, do any of us want to share our server capabilities? Exclusive server access is one of the primary benefits of using a dedicated server for your hosting needs. You’ll receive all the disk space, bandwidth, RAM, and storage for your website and hosting needs. A dedicated server also offers root access. This can be incredibly important because it allows you to configure specific settings and add or remove access for other users. If you want complete control over your web hosting, a dedicated server is a way to achieve this.
2. Better security: especially true for those hosting an eCommerce site, web security is critical to ensure customers will shop with you again. With web hacking on the rise, the security of your site needs to be a top priority to protect yourself and the personal information of your customers. The infrastructure of a dedicated server incorporates 24/7 web monitoring and firewalls so that you can rest easy knowing your data and information are secure. Dedicated servers also offer an unmatched level of customization so that you can find the security measures you need.
3. Better performance: when it comes to web hosting, you shouldn’t ever have to sacrifice performance. Even if you’re just online gaming with friends, slow load times and lag can quickly ruin your favorite game and your entire online experience. For eCommerce companies, poor performance translates to fewer sales. Dedicated servers provide access to the best performance in the industry with unmatched RAM, memory, and faster page loading speeds. Take your web hosting to the next level with the power of a dedicated server.
4. Reliable web hosting: whether you’re hosting a website or an online game, there’s nothing worse than a sudden server crash. A server crash can keep your site down for an extended period of time, and if this becomes a frequent occurrence, hurt the overall reputation of your site and your business. Reliability is one of the most important benefits of using a dedicated server. With a dedicated server at your disposal, crashes become far less likely, and with additional resources available for your hosting needs, the server will perform even during times of high traffic. More bandwidth also gives you more capabilities to expand the potential of your online gameplay and your site.

Do you need a Dedicated Server?

While the benefits of a dedicated server are quite clear by now, this doesn’t mean this technology is necessary for everyone. A dedicated server, as expected, comes with higher costs, which means that you may not want to make this upgrade unless you actually need it. But as your website or eCommerce business grows, you should also factor in the risks of having a website that fails to perform. In the long run, this could hurt more than the upfront costs of having your own dedicated server.

Conclusion

The right web hosting is essential for the success of any website or eCommerce company. Web hosting is essentially the engine behind your site, providing RAM, memory, speed, and performance for all your users. While shared hosting may work fine for smaller sites, as you grow you may find that you simply need more. If this sounds like your situation, a dedicated server could be the answer for you.

Dedicated servers provide exclusive access to a server for your site or online gaming experience. With better performance, faster loading speed, enhanced security, and customizable options, a dedicated server can transform your hosting experience and take your website to the next level. To make the jump, check out a dedicated server provider today.

Top Reasons to Leave Technical Tasks Like House Painting to the Professionals 

When the time comes to commence house renovations, one of the first things you might ask yourself is whether you should undertake some of the tasks on your own. While you might save money on some jobs, it can sometimes be at the detriment of a high-quality finish. This holds true when it comes to interior and exterior painting and decorating. When your property is in need of a fresh lick of paint, here are just a few of the many reasons why calling in the experts can be the best option for you.

They Boast Years of Experience

When you entrust painting and decorating experts like Dublin Painters with the task of refreshing your home’s interior and exterior, you can rest assured that they have the necessary experience to do the job to a high standard.

Even though it might seem like anyone can decorate if they have a tin of paint and a paintbrush, it can be quite a complex process that requires a certain level of skill. Decorators with years of experience can be relied upon to understand the intricacies of their trade and make the right decisions regarding your property.

You Can Save Time

Picture: Lukas Blazek

Between watching hours of tutorial videos, learning the technical details of different decorating products, and going on a shopping spree to purchase all the tools you need, you can spend a great deal of time preparing to decorate.

A painting job that may take professionals a few days to complete could take you much longer, especially if you have a household to run and a job to go to. Save time, effort, and stress by paying someone to give their complete focus to the task and have it completed to a professional standard.

They Have the Right Tools for the Job

If you have never undertaken any home renovation projects before, there is likely no need for you to own tools for those very jobs. Painting and decorating projects can require a large number of tools and equipment, which can come at a high cost if you were to purchase them brand new for your refurbishment project.

The amount you spend to make sure you’re as well-equipped as a professional painter could be what you spend on hiring one in the first place. Save your money and time by outsourcing this project instead.

They Are Insured

Picture: Oli2020

As unlikely as it is for anything to go wrong during a painting and decorating project, things can happen. When they do, you’ll want peace of mind that any financial implications will be limited.

That can often be the case when you hire professionals. Most, if not all, high-quality painting and decorating businesses carry insurance. If anything goes wrong, they will be able to correct the problem and do their best to ensure you’re not impacted by the problem. If you were to undertake to decorate yourself with what little knowledge you have, you might be spending more money than you planned if anything goes wrong.

A Focus On Perfection

When an experienced painter decorator is being paid to provide a service, they will go above and beyond to make sure it’s one you can be satisfied with. They understand that a core part of successful advertising and engagement is word of mouth. Any business owner can expect to enjoy more business when they boast an excellent reputation.

They Take Care of Cleaning for You

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If you have ever had the displeasure of cleaning a paintbrush or roller after dabbling in a DIY paint job, you are likely familiar with how frustrating and time-consuming this task can be. Cleaning tools and a work area after a decorating project can be arduous, and it can save you both time and frustration to let professionals handle this process.

You can also enjoy much-needed peace of mind knowing that some of the best painters go above and beyond to ensure their workspace is clean at all times, both before and after the job is done. They lay ground sheets and put protection measures in place to ensure no other parts of your home are affected by their tools of the trade.

For Expert Advice

Even though you may have a renovation project more than once in your lifetime of homeownership, that doesn’t mean you’ll always know the best ways to embark on specific projects. You may not even understand if some colors will work better than others, or if you should be choosing one product type over another.

Even though a painter decorator’s primary task is to decorate to your specifications, they will be more than happy to offer their advice if they believe there are better options available for your unique needs.

Task Efficiency

Painters have all parts of the painting and decorating process down to fine art. They understand the importance of productivity and want to keep as much profit in each job as possible. Their years of experience also equate to a high level of speed and efficiency in everything from masking skirting boards to rolling paint on walls. Without those years of experiencing yourself, you may not understand the most efficient way to complete each task.

Product Knowledge

If there’s one thing you will learn when researching your renovation options, it’s that there are many products to help you along the way. Unfortunately, you may not always know whether some products are better than others for your home’s construction materials and whether some have a better reputation.

Professional painters have a wealth of industry knowledge to make informed decisions. Rather than relying on guesswork or the help of a sales assistant, they rely on their own knowledge and past experiences. As a result, you can enjoy knowing that the products they use are going to be highly regarded in the industry and suitable for your home or business.

It’s only natural to want to save money when undertaking home renovations. However, there can certainly be value in relying on experts, as well. Their product knowledge, task efficiency, and overall project experience can give you complete confidence that their services are money well spent. 

Why Should You Back Up Your Business Files and Data?

Almost everyone has experienced losing data that is very important to them. Have you experienced this too? Some people have lost personal data. For example, there may be some videos and images of a special event that can never be retrieved again.

People who have started their businesses may have created data that will help them improve their business. Then, they can lose it just like that. Without backup data, they need to start from scratch. This will take a lot of time, money, and effort to do.

You have important data, and you need to make an effort to ensure that you will get to keep them. You can look into people who can do business process outsourcing to help you gather and keep your data safe. You need your data to help your business grow and flourish.

Advantages of Having Backup Data

Data backup is having a backup copy of your data on another device. This means that you have created your information. You will be storing the information in a safe place aside from the main place where you may store it. Just remember that you should not forget where you have stored your data. Better yet, the help of the business process master can make a lot of difference with how well you will store your backup data.

These are some of the advantages that you should know:

1. Data backup is affordable. This is a misconception of a lot of people. They assume that backing up their data will require a lot of money. You can store your backup data in the cloud. It can be accessed and improved by a business specialist. You can find a business specialist soon.
2. You can access the data anytime. It doesn't matter where you are or what time it is. The moment that you have to access data, you will be able to do it. Just make sure that you are connected to the internet. It will make a lot of difference that way.
3. Keep the data backup off-site. There are always going to be people who will try to get your data. Having data backup can be very helpful, especially when it needs to be accessed outside the office.
4. There are many places where data can be stored that do not require people to be very techy. They are usually simple and easy to understand. A few clicks of your mouse will allow you to access your data immediately.
5. Automatic backups are available. It can be problematic for some people to manually backup the data all the time. You can just set the data to update automatically, and you will not have this problem.

Tips to Backup Data Properly

You need to figure out some things that you cannot do on your own. You can outsource your business. Let other people do what needs to be done correctly. You can focus on your expertise, and the people you hire can focus on what they need to do.

There are some simple tips to remember so that data backup can be done properly:

• Regularly update the data. Nothing can be more frustrating than realizing that your data backup is outdated. This means that you still have to do some work when you access it to be up-to-date.
• The backups should be done in reliable media. Some companies would prefer placing their data in the cloud. This will be up to you. You can also ask people who do IT outsourcing for more details.
• If you need to place the data on a device, make sure to keep it out of the office. There are so many things that can happen in an actual office. The device can get wet. It can also be ravaged in a fire. There are so many things that can happen. Remember to always keep the gadget in a place where it will not get affected.
• Always identify the data that needs to be backed up. There is some data that you may not need now, while others are crucial. If backing up needs to be done fast, figure out which data you would need more.
• You can set up automatic data backing. This will lessen the chances of manually thinking about when you will be backing up the needed data. Remember that you need to backup everything from the many files you have up to the emails you may keep.

Apps or Services Where You Can Keep Data

Image from: Mobilunity

You do not want to waste valuable space on your PC or your device anymore. You want to make sure that you will have a safe place where you can keep your data. Some of these apps and services are the following:

IDrive

If you want an online backup service that will provide all of the features you want, this is your best bet. This is easy to use with an interface to help you understand what you have to do next. There may be some minor drawbacks, but the pros will outweigh the cons.

Microsoft One Drive

Many people are familiar with this, and for a good reason: this will offer many powerful features that are better than the competitors. People are familiar with this because of Windows 10 and Office 365. This may be one of the best ones that you can check.

Dropbox

This is one of the simplest apps you can use to keep your data safe and secure. It comes with a simple interface so you know that using it will not be hard. Some collaboration features too will make it ideal if you need to share data with other officemates. Remember that this will be more expensive than the other apps and services included in this list.

Google Drive

Most people think of Google Drive as an online version of Microsoft Office. They may have some similarities, but with Google Drive, you know that your data will be stored in the cloud rather than your device. This is slick, and it comes with a lot of fun and creative features that will help you work better. You do not have to worry about accessing your data as well.

CertainSafe Digital Safety Deposit Box

Not many people are familiar with this, but it can be one of the top ones you should check now. Security is its top priority, so if you are anxious about your data getting lost or stolen, this can be the best choice. It can be used easily, too, unlike other apps wherein it would take time before figuring out how to use it.

Take note that there are still a lot of other apps and services that you can check out. Always be open to trying out the different available choices. Just make sure that customers have given these apps and services great reviews.

Conclusion

Editing and viewing your files will feel more natural when you have to access your backup data from the cloud. If you are checking it from a device, make sure that your device will handle the data and be able to keep it safe. Business outsourcing can help you make some sound decisions that will make a lot of difference.

Challenges Every HR Manager Is Likely To Face

Irrespective of the size and nature of your business, managing human resources is a herculean task. Enforcing your company policies and handling grievances while keeping the workforce motivated and engaged demands a lot of communication and cooperation. In addition to this, your human resources department also needs to identify the skill gaps that exist in the workforce and hire the right candidates to fill them. Thus, HR managers can be considered as both the heart and brain of your organisation. They ensure a smooth workflow by keeping a check on company standards and needs.

However, in the last few years, the role of an HR manager has extended beyond the traditional hiring and firing activities. It has now become more focused on areas like employee engagement, training and development, etc. While this has offered HR professionals an opportunity to develop new skills, it has also posed new challenges for them.

Therefore, if you are planning to develop a career in this field, you must prepare yourself to overcome all of these challenges. And to help you in doing so, we have listed the top 5 challenges that every HR manager is likely to face. Read and develop your skills accordingly!

1. Employee training and development

One of the biggest challenges for an HR manager is to train and develop his workforce. While everybody wants to learn new skills, nobody wants to put in the hard work that it demands. Employees hate sitting in classrooms for long hours and going through the lengthy course material. Such negative feelings make learning a stressful experience for them and they fail to retain the information that they received during the session. This defies the whole motive of organising the employee training programme. In addition to this, shortage of money, time and other resources can also make it difficult for small businesses to train their employees.

Fortunately, technology has the solution for all these problems. Big or small, every business can implement learning management systems, to integrate the benefits of eLearning into their training programmes. These systems are not only cost-effective but also make learning an interactive and engaging activity by gamifying the courses.

2. Recruiting new talent

With the ever-increasing size of businesses and new operational areas surfacing every day, attracting and hiring new talent has become one of the biggest challenges of human resource managers. They need to analyse the existing skills inventory to identify the gaps. Then, they are required to choose the right tool to attract potential candidates. It is after this point that the real struggle begins. The main task is to dig through all the applications and conduct n number of interviews to find out the right man for the job. This demands a lot of time as well as great attention to detail. After all, their decision defines the future of the organisation.

3. Ensuring mental and emotional wellbeing of the employees

Gone are the days where all employees needed was their organisations to pay them correctly and on time. Today, ensuring the mental and emotional wellbeing of the employees has become crucial for every organisation around the world. This means that HR managers are now required to motivate employees not only to perform better but also to share their feelings freely. This is a tough feat to achieve as it involves understanding the attitude of every employee and then devising an approach that meets their emotional needs in the best way possible.

4. Managing remote workforce

The COVID 19 pandemic has given birth to a fairly new and tough challenge for HR professionals. With employees working remotely, keeping them engaged and motivated is a different task altogether. While they could previously use tools like office parties, gaming nights, etc to give employees some space to relax, the online mode of working has forced them to develop innovative ways to achieve this goal.

Conclusion

Managing human resources is never easy. From ensuring compliance with statutory laws to developing and implementing training, recruitment and wellbeing programmes for employees, it requires you to address many issues. Thus, if you wish to create a successful career in this field, you should be ready to face unique challenges every day.

BJT: Definition, Symbol, Working, Characteristics, Types & Applications

Hello friends, I hope this article finds you happy, healthy, and content. Today, we are about to discuss one of the most commonly known types of transistors which you might have heard of many times when reading about transistors, the transistor under study is none other than the “Bipolar Junction Transistor’’, also known as BJT . In this article, we will go through the basics of the bipolar junction transistor including its meaning ,definition, types, characteristics, and applications. So, let's get started.

Definition of BJT

A BJT in its full form is written as bipolar junction transistor and we can define it as, "A bipolar junction transistor is a three-terminal semiconductor device which is made up of two PN junctions within its structure and is mainly used to amplify current"

History of the bipolar junction transistor_ BJT

• Prior to the bipolar junction transistors, vacuum tubes were used in electronic circuits which were highly expensive, those too were available in the form of a triode which was a three terminal device like a transistor back then.
• The vacuum tube triodes remained a hyped-up thing for almost half of a century, but they occupied large space and were less reliable in terms of usage, the other major drawback was the increase in complications related to current, voltage and whatnot just by increasing the number of vacuum triodes in the circuit.
• So when scientists were done with controlling electrons inside a vacuum tube and its unruly behavior, they started devising other ways to run and control circuits.
• Finally, in 1947 the efforts of john Walter and Bardeen a rough two-point contact device was made which was nowhere near to the modern of a bipolar junction transistor but it laid the foundation for the construction of a solid-state transistor when previously everything was vacuum!
• After this not-so-recognized venture, William Shockley made a successful attempt of making a bipolar junction transistor by pressing together the wafers of semiconductor materials.
• And guess what? William Shockley, John Walter, and Bardeen were awarded with the Noble Prize for their achievements in 1956.
• The invention of bipolar junction transistors revolutionized the world of electronics beyond imagination.
• Until the last decades of the 19th century, bipolar junction transistors were manufactured individually as separate components and individual devices but later on, with the invention of integrated circuits, the world saw another electronic revolution.

Features of BJT

Here are some of the peculiar features of bipolar junction transistors;

• BJT by which we mean bipolar junction transistor is a current-controlled device, you will, later on, get to know how it works. Keep reading!
• As the name indicates BJT is a bipolar device, which means it uses both the electrons and holes as charge carriers to perform its function.

Symbol of BJT

Bipolar junction Transistor shortly known as BJT has the following three components;

• Base
• Emitter
• Collector
• All of the three components are represented in the symbol given below as B, E, and E.

Refer to the diagram given below showing the symbol of NPN and PNP Bipolar Junction Transistors;

• The direction of flow of current is indicated by the direction of Arrowhead.
• Symbols for different types of BJTs differ accordingly, do not confuse yourself when you see two or more slightly different ones!

Working Principle of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• The working principle of both the NPN and PNP transistor is almost the same, both of them differ in the conduction of current through charge carriers based on the majority and minority of charge carriers.
• The NPN Bipolar junction Transistor has the majority of charge carriers as electrons.
• The PNP Bipolar junction Transistor has the majority of charge carriers as holes.
• The current flow is not the result of majority charge carriers despite their quantity, the current flow is due to minority charge carriers in a bipolar junction transistor that is why they are also named as minority carrier devices.
• The emitter-base junction is always forward biased.
• The collector-base junction represented by CB is always reverse biased.
• The Emitter current is written as IE=IB + IC
• If we consider base current to be very small in actual measurement then we can say that; IE~IC

Types of Bipolar Junction Transistor

As we already know the basic components of the bipolar junction transistor, we would now discuss its type. Bipolar junction Transistor has the following two types;

• NPN bipolar junction transistor
• PNP bipolar junction transistor

The image given below shows the types of BJT along with their usage for different purposes; Now we will discuss both of these types in detail.

1. NPN Bipolar Junction Transistor

As the name indicates, in an NPN Bipolar junction Transistor a p-type semiconductor is sandwiched between the two n-type semiconductors just as a cheese slice between two sides of a bun. Refer to the diagram given below for a better understanding; According to the conventional rules when the current moves into a certain component of the transistor it is labeled as positive meanwhile when it leaves the component it is labeled as negative. As we already know, the NPN transistor consists of two PN junctions, made by fusing the two n semiconductors with one p-type semiconductor. The n-type emitter region is heavily doped because it has to pass on charge carriers to the base. The base is not heavily doped and is very thin as compared to the emitter and collector, imagine the size of the cheese slice as compared to the buns! It transfers charge carriers to the corresponding collector. The collector of the NPN transistor is moderately doped and as the name indicates, it collects the charge carriers from the base. Working of NPN Bipolar Junction Transistor

• Consider the following circuit diagram to understand how an NPN Bipolar junction Transistor works.

• As already told, the NPN Bipolar Junction Transistor has two PN junctions, so for forward biasing we connect the base-emitter junction with the power supply VBE.
• The collector-base junction represented by the CE Junction is reverse biased by applying the voltage VCB.
• The depletion region of the two PN junctions varies in size, do you remember what a depletion region is? In simple words depletion region opposes the flow of current, it acts like a barrier or a block to current flow and is the area where mobile electrons are not present. Have a look at the diagram given below,

• You must be thinking about why the emitter-base region has a smaller depletion region, meanwhile, the collector-emitter junction has a wider one? Let me solve it for you, It is due to the reason that the base-emitter region is forward-biased!
• NPN-type Bipolar junction Transistor has a majority of electrons, when the emitter-base junction is forward biased, the electrons start flowing towards the base which is lightly doped, only a few of the electrons would combine with the base holes and the rest of them would then travel to the collector. The current is due to minority charge carriers as we discussed earlier.
• The current flowing through the emitter-base junction is the emitter current IB, meanwhile, the current flowing through the base is called base current and is represented by IB.
• Base current IB is very limited as compared to the other types of current present in the circuit.
• The remaining electrons that missed the recombination pass through the collector-base region to the collector which produces the collector current IC.
• The emitter current is written as; IE = IB+ IC

PNP bipolar junction transistor

• PNP bipolar junction transistor is made up of two layers of p-type semiconductor which sandwich the n-type semiconductor layer in between.
• The entrance for the current is the emitter terminal in the PNP Bipolar Junction Transistor.
• The emitter-base junction represented by EB is forward-biased in this case.
• On the parallel lines collector base junction represented by CB is reverse-biased.
• The emitter current IE is positive meanwhile base current IB and collector current IC are negative.
• When we talk about the voltage, VEB the emitter-base voltage is positive meanwhile VCB and VCE are negative.
• NPN and PNP bipolar junction transistors work on the same principle, the only difference they have is of the majority and minority charge carriers. Can you figure out the current flow in a PNP transistor from the image given below?

I-V Characteristics of Bipolar Junction Transistor

To study the input characteristics, output characteristics, and common current characteristics we need to understand the different configurations of bipolar junction transistors. There are three types of configurations for bipolar junction transistors, let's list all three:

• Common Base configuration
• Common emitter configuration
• Common collector configuration
• First things first, do you have any idea about the characteristics of a Bipolar Junction Transistor, or what are they? And how we determine them? Putting it straight, The I-V characteristics of Bipolar Junction Transistor is simply the graphical manifestation of the current and voltage of a transistor.
• To study the characteristics cover of the bipolar junction transistor, we will go through the different modes of a Bipolar Junction Transistor which you would be seeing in the curves.

Working Modes of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

There are three dominant regions in which a bipolar junction transistor works;

• Active region
• Saturated region
• Cut off region

Active Region of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• In The active region of a bipolar junction transistor in which the collector base region is forward biased meanwhile the emitter base junction is reverse biased.
• In the active region of a bipolar junction transistor, the transistor works as an amplifier.

Saturated Region of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

In the saturated region the Bipolar Junction Transistor passes a saturated current after reaching a maximal value of threshold voltage. In the saturated region, our bipolar junction transistor works as a switch, an ON switch, and the collector current is fairly equal to the emitter current.

Cut Off Region of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

As the name indicates there is no collector current in the circuit in this region. The transistor is off and the collector is in a reverse-biased state. The image given below reflects the overall voltage story of BJT in different regions; As we are done with the regions and modes in which our Bipolar Junction Transistor works, let us discuss different configurations and their input and output characteristics

Common Base Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

In the common-base configuration, the base terminal of Bipolar Junction Transistor is connected within the input and output terminals of the transistor.

Input characteristics Common Base Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• The input characteristics are plotted between the emitter current IE and the emitter-base voltage VEB for the varying values of collector-base voltage VCB.

• We can clearly observe the trend from the graph that, The Emitter base junction is forward biased so the emitter current IE increases with the increasing values of VEB as the collector base Voltage VCB increases.

Output characteristics Common Base Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• The output characteristics of Common Base Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor are plotted between the output voltage VCB and output current IC, follow the graph given below for better understanding;

• Change in the emitter current IE results in the changing values of collector current IC.
• The Emitter current IE and Emitter Base Voltage VEB are positive because the region is forward biased.
• You can observe the active region in the graph, the phase in which the transistor operates at its maximal potential.

Common emitter configuration of a bipolar junction transistor

In the common-emitter configuration of a bipolar junction transistor, the emitter terminal is connected between both the input and output terminals, the thing you already know! Don’t you?

Input characteristics Common emitter configuration of a bipolar junction transistor

• The graph for the Common emitter configuration of a bipolar junction transistor is plotted between the base current IB and the Base emitter voltage of VBE, for the increasing values of Collector-Emitter voltage, as you can see in the graph plotted below;

• We can clearly observe from the plotted graph, that the value of base current increases with the increasing value of base-emitter voltage.

Output characteristics Common emitter configuration of a bipolar junction transistor

• For the common emitter configuration, the output characteristics are plotted between the collector current IC with the varying values of collector-emitter voltage VCE.
• The graph represents the working of the bipolar junction transistor in three regions namely saturated region, active region, cut off region.
• The active region is the region in which the current increases with the voltage but it has not reached its maximal value.
• The saturated region represents the saturated current when the voltage has reached its maximal value. Can you spot all the mentioned regions in the graph given above?

• In the cut-off region, the emitter region is reverse biased with a minimal amount of current.

Early effect in Bipolar Junction Transistor

• Here is another important term to be discussed when we are discussing the output characteristics of the bipolar junction transistor which is known as The Early Effect of a bipolar junction transistor, this phenomenon holds an important place when we talk about the I-V characteristics of a bipolar junction transistor. So, without any further delay let's see what is Early Effect in a BJT?
• As some of you might have presumed Early effect is one of the earlier manifestations of the collector current or anything like this, let me burst your bubble, it is definitely not true! Early effect in the Bipolar Junction Transistor is named after the scientist James M Early.
• Early effect in the bipolar junction transistor is the change in the effective width of the base region by applying the collector-base voltage VCB.
• The circuit diagram given below represents the early effect in a bipolar junction transistor;

• It causes the increase in reverse bias condition of the collector-base junction or in simple words it amplifies the reverse biasing of the collector-base junction causing a considerable decrease in the width of the Base region of the Bipolar junction Transistor.
• The early effect is fairly important in the output characteristics of common emitter and common collector configuration.
• Due to the Early Effect in bipolar junction transistor, the Collector Current represented by IC increases by the increasing the Collector-Emitter Voltage VCE.
• Consider the following graph for better understanding;

Common Collector Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

You might go through the following names of common collector configuration, we all have nick names and alternate names, and same goes for this configuration;

• Grounded collector configuration
• Voltage follower circuit
• Emitter follower circuit

• In Common Collector Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor, The collector terminal is kept common within the input and output terminal of the circuit, as we are at the end of our discussion, can you tell which is the input terminal and which one is the output terminal?
• The input terminal is the place where the input signal for the base is given meanwhile the output terminal is the point where the Output signal is obtained between the collector and the emitter.
• An important thing to note is that the common collector configuration has very high input impedance.

Input characteristics Common Collector Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• The input characteristics for Common Collector Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor are plotted between the base current IB and Base collector voltage VBC. Refer to the following graph for better understanding,

• The base current IB is presented on the y axis meanwhile the collector-base voltage VCB is presented on the x-axis.
• The output voltage VBC increases with the increasing value of IB, you can follow the graph for better understanding.

Output characteristics of Common Collector Configuration of a Bipolar Junction Transistor

• The output characteristics of the common collector configuration are plotted between the emitter current IE and emitter-collector voltage VCE. Follow the graph for better understanding;

• The output for the voltage VCE is plotted for different values from zero to the maximal range.
• You can observe different regions for the output values, such as the Saturation region, Active region, and cut-off region of the graph, I hope by now you have a clear idea what these regions represent. These are the same corresponding values as we studied earlier in the emitter-collector configuration.

Comparison of bipolar junction transistor with other transistors

As we have been discussing the transistors lately, Let us compare bipolar junction transistors with other types of available transistors such as Field-effect transistor FET and MOSFET, metal oxide semiconductor Field-effect transistor. The following section would help you find clear difference between the BJT and FET.

 BJT vs FET/JFET

• First things first, both of these transistors belong to two different families of the transistor.
• The bipolar junction transistor as the name clearly indicates is bipolar and JFET/FET is unipolar. If you don't have any idea about the unipolar and bipolar transistors, let me tell you, they are named after the conduction process which involves only one type of charge carriers taking the name of unipolar transistors and the one requiring both types of the charge carriers electrons as well as holes, they are named bipolar transistors.
• Bipolar Junction Transistor is a current-controlled device meanwhile FET is a voltage-controlled device.
• Bipolar junction transistors are a bit noisy than FETs.
• Bipolar junction transistors have higher input impedance than the Field-Effect Transistors.
• Bipolar junction transistors have lesser thermal stability than the FETs
• There are three functional components of a bipolar junction transistor named as base, emitter, and collector, meanwhile, FET has different components named as the base, source and drain.
• Bipolar junction transistors are larger in size than the JFETs.
•  Bipolar junction transistors is less expensive than the Field effect transistor.

As you might already know that Junction Field Effect Transistors are a type of Field Effect Transistors so I haven’t made a separate heading for the comparison of BJT first with FETs overall and then individually with JFET and MOSFET. Comparison is the thief of joy so this upcoming section about the comparisons of BJTs would be the last one for the Bipolar Junction Transistors, Let’s begin;

 BJT vs MOSFET

Let us now compare bipolar junction transistors with MOSFET;

• BJT stands for bipolar junction Transistor meanwhile MOSFET stands for Metal Oxide Field-Effect Transistors.
• A bipolar junction Transistor is a current controlled device meanwhile MOSFET is a Voltage Controlled Device.
• A bipolar junction Transistor has three components named as emitter-collector and a base, meanwhile, a MOSFET has four components being the body, source, drain, and gate.
• The output of a Bipolar junction Transistor can be controlled by controlling Base current meanwhile output of a MOSFET can be controlled by controlling Gate voltage.
• Bipolar junction Transistor has a negative temperature coefficient meanwhile MOSFET has a positive temperature coefficient.
• Both Bipolar junction transistors and MOSFET are used for switching but the bipolar junction Transistor has a low switching frequency meanwhile MOSFET high switching frequency.
• Bipolar junction transistor is a bipolar device meanwhile MOSFET is a unipolar device.
• Bipolar junction Transistor has a high input impedance meanwhile MOSFET has a low input impedance.
• Bipolar junction Transistors are a bit noisy than MOSFETs.
• Bipolar junction Transistors are used in low current applications meanwhile MOSFETs are used in high power applications.
• MOSFETs are preferred for industrial use as compared to bipolar junction transistors because of their higher efficiency.

In case you want a detailed overview on the MOSFET, you can read our detailed article on this topic including definition, types, working and applications.

Applications of the Bipolar Junction Transistor

As we are done with our discussion on the basics and types of bipolar junction transistors let us discuss some of their applications. We already know the bipolar junction transistors are simple and cheaper to manufacture with lesser efficiency than other modern transistors such as MOSFET, there are still some areas where only BJTs are used because as they say old is gold! Let's move to the last segment of our discussion BJTs have countless uses, but here is a brief list for you to go through before we study the detailed applications of Bipolar Junction Transistors through and through;

• BJT can be used in clipping circuits, for a detailed outlook on this you can read our article on transistors.
• Bipolar Junction Transistors are used for signal demodulation.
• We use BJT for amplifying current due to its current gain characteristics.
• High-frequency applications such as radio frequency also involve Bipolar Junction Transistors.
• Bipolar Junction Transistors are used for discrete circuit designs because of their easy availability and low-cost manufacturing.
• Bipolar Junction Transistors are frequently used in analog circuits.

Now it's time to have a detailed discussion on the applications of a bipolar junction transistor;

1. BJT as a Switch

• You can easily guess how a BJT can work as a switch as we have already discussed its working in detail. Let us go through a brief breakdown of the process;
• When we have to use a Bipolar Junction Transistor as a switch, we need to keep our circuit on the toes, i.e. we have to constantly alter the current between the saturation phase and the cut off phase of a bipolar junction transistor. Can you recall both the phases? In case you can’t scroll up and read it again.
• In the cut off phase there is reverse biasing of collector base junction and we do not get any current.
• Meanwhile in the saturation phase of the Bipolar Junction Transistor it is working on its maximal potential.
• When the Bipolar Junction Transistor is operational in its Saturation region, there is no voltage drop across the circuit and it is carrying maximal current according to its definite capacity, in this condition we take it as a closed switch.
• On the parallel lines, in the cut off region, there is no conduction of current due to reverse biasing so we can say that our Bipolar Junction Transistor is working as an open switch.
• Now you know, how our Bipolar Junction Transistor also known as BJT works as a switch.

2. Bipolar Junction Transistor as Amplifiers

• If you can recall the characteristics of the bipolar junction transistor you might remember that a BJT acts as an amplifier when it is operated in its saturated region.
• The current gain of the bipolar junction transistors depends upon the alpha and beta characteristics of the transistor.
• Due to a huge current gain, the bipolar junction transistor is used in amplifiers in different configurations we have already discussed in detail, can you recall any of them? No worries, I'm listing the three of them again;
• Common-base configuration
• Common-emitter configuration
• Common-collector configuration

3. Bipolar Junction Transistors in Logic Gates

• Who has not been through the world of logic gates if he or she is somehow related to the world of electronics! I was always in a love-hate relationship with the logic gates.

Emitter Coupled Logic

• Bipolar junction transistors are a significant part of ECL, emitter-coupled logic.
• The ECLs are never ever operated in saturated mode, they have a high input impedance and low output impedance.
• The current keeps on rolling between the ECL pair hence each gate constantly keeps on drawing current, can you think of any of the disadvantages it may cause? Let me solve it for you, The ECL dissipates more energy than the other families of transistors.
• The Emitter Coupled logic is also named as;

• Current mode logic CML
• Current switch emitter follower logic CSEMFL
• Current Mode logic CML

Fusion of MOSFET and BJT

• The other new hyped-up thing is the fusion of MOSFET and BJT making a BiCMOS, a bipolar CMOS which reaps the benefits of both, the bipolar junction transistor and MOSFET.
• In case you are trying to figure out the meaning of that C in BiCMOS, please don't open a new tab, I'll let you know, it stands for Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, thank me later!

4. Bipolar junction transistors as logarithmic converter

• The changes in the junctions of the BJT are logarithmic as we already know that the voltage of our base-emitter changes with the change in the algorithm of our current in the collector-emitter and base-emitter current during different biasing modes.
• So due to this specialty and predictability in the nature of bipolar junction transistors, we can easily make a BJT to calculate logarithms and anti-logarithms in any circuit.
• You must be thinking that we can render a diode for this purpose as well, why are we not using a diode instead? The answer lies in the high circuit flexibility and stability of a Bipolar Junction transistor, which a diode can’t provide.

5. Bipolar junction transistors in Temperature Sensors

• In our previous section, we discussed that the temperature coefficient for the Bipolar Junction transistors is small, so due to this property they can be used as temperature sensors.
• Now you must be thinking how we can do that practically, there is a simple method to measure the temperature.
• The base-emitter junction of a BJT has a very stable and predictable current transfer function which depends on temperature, which is why Bipolar Junction transistors are used in Temperature sensors.
• Following relationships exists between the current and voltage of the two junctions at different temperatures;

In the above-mentioned equation;

• K is the Boltzmann constant
• T is the temperature in Calvin
• VBE is the Base emitter current
• IC1 and IC2 are the output current at the same temperature on two different junctions.

So friends, this last segment on the applications of BJT concludes our discussion on Bipolar Junction Transistor. I presume you have learned something new from the article, I know some of the portions are a bit difficult to grasp as well especially if you are reading it for the very first time, but don't worry it is not humanly possible to understand everything at once, give it another chance even if it is the bipolar junction transistor or anything else in your life, a second turn never hurts anyone! I'll see you soon with another discussion, Have a good day ahead!

7 Things Companies Get Wrong When Choosing a Cloud Storage Provider

Cloud storage providers are important for companies to keep their files organized, share files with others, and back up their information in case of an attack or disaster. But there are many ways to approach this decision incorrectly or inefficiently, especially considering the hundreds of providers you have to choose from.

What are the most common mistakes companies make when choosing a cloud storage provider, and how can you avoid them?

The Importance of Cloud Storage

The importance of cloud storage software is hard to overstate. Your decision will have an effect on:

• File storage. How can you be sure that your files are stored fully and reliably? With an unreliable or untested provider, you’ll never feel 100 percent confident that your materials are being properly held.
• File security. You’ll also need to consider the security of your files. If something happens to the storage provider’s main data center, is there a backup that will keep your files safe? Will your content be defended against would-be cybercriminals? Can you share your files safely and reliably?
• Collaboration, sharing, and productivity. Most companies use their cloud storage provider’s services as a way to conveniently collaborate, share, and work together within the organization. Accordingly, your choice will have a significant impact on your bottom-line productivity – and therefore your profitability.
• Organization and management. Cloud storage providers also dictate the tools available to help you organize and manage your files. With the wrong software or an unreliable system, it’s going to be hard to keep all your individual files (and versions) straight, leading to bureaucratic messes and massive time delays – not to mention potentially lost files.

What Most Companies Get Wrong

So where do companies go wrong with this decision?

1. Going with the first available option. There are hundreds of cloud storage apps and solutions to choose from, so it’s not always the best idea to go with the first name that comes to mind. You might be familiar with a specific brand because it’s mentioned frequently or because you’ve seen an ad from them in the past, but this is no indication of quality or reliability. Most of the time, it’s better to research and try many different cloud storage solutions to see which one will work best for your organization.
2. Underestimating storage needs. How much data will you need to store? Depending on your needs, you may require a higher service tier or a different product altogether. Fortunately, many cloud storage providers offer “unlimited” data storage at certain subscription levels, allowing you infinite flexibility. But if you’re going with a finite cap, make sure you give yourself plenty of room to grow.
3. Neglecting security. While most cloud storage providers take security very seriously, you can’t take it as a given. The security of your files is your responsibility, so it’s on you to research the security standards of your chosen supplier and adequately prepare your own measures. How is this company backing up and protecting your information? What measures will you need to take to ensure your accounts remain secure? Even simple measures, like choosing a strong password, can help you boost your security here.
4. Opting for the cheapest app. Most businesses operate with tight budgets in mind – especially if they’re new or are working with limited revenue. It’s certainly acceptable to search for a cloud storage solution with your budget in mind, but it’s inadvisable to go with the cheapest possible solution. You’ll be missing out on a number of features – and you might not get the best service or the best fit for your organization.
5. Choosing something totally out-of-the-box. Your organization likely needs at least some flexibility and customizability when it comes to a cloud storage solution. It’s not always the best choice to go with something out-of-the-box. Consider building your own solution from scratch or going with a solution that can be tailored to your exact needs.
6. Assuming good software will fix every issue. Your cloud storage solution should solve a number of problems in your organization – but even the best software won’t solve all those issues. You’ll still need to practice good habits and polish your workflows if you want to remain productive, cost-efficient, and secure in your file management.
7. Planning for today instead of the future. When buying a cloud storage platform, it’s important to think about the short-term and long-term future. Buying a platform that serves you today, but may not serve you in a year or two, is a bad move.

As long as you’re making this decision seriously and keeping all your top priorities in mind, you’ll be in a good position to avoid most of these pitfalls. With a better cloud storage provider, your organization will be well poised to succeed.