Short circuits occur when a wire connects two different voltage levels together, allowing a lot of current to flow through.
All circuit components have a rated maximum amount of voltage, current, and power for safe operation. If exceeded, you will significantly reduce the part’s lifetime if not burn it out entirely.
The Mercer X Lab requires that you notify staff and wait for approval if you plan on working with voltages above 24V and currents over 10A.
Nearly all cases when you are rewiring your circuit you should already have all your power sources turned off. If working with a live circuit is necessary you should have already set up your circuit to make changes safe and easy.
Extra precautions and approval are required if you plan on working with these:
Component datasheets provides information on how the part works, the pin structure, and what it’s limits are. While these manuals look complex, usually you only need to understand a few bits of information to get the parts working.