Download: ElectroDroid

If you're just starting out with electronics, there is lots to learn about identifying components and working out what to plug in where. ElectroDroid is an impressively comprehensive reference app that is a must have for Android devices.

Read more: Android app reviews

Installation is simple through the Google Play Store and the 2.5MB download for our phone seemed modest. The only permissions required are to give it internet access.

The program is divided into three main sections: Calculators, Pin out and Resouces.

The Calculators section includes all manner of useful tools including the essential resistor colour code calculator but also tools for indentifying inductors and working out capacitor charge, power dissipation and suitable PCB trace width.

The Battery Life calculator is rather useful. Enter the amount of current drawn when running, standing by or idling and the amount of time spent in each stage. The calculator will work out the consumption and then battery life based on the mAh capacity of the battery. A partilcuarly useful touch is the life is shown both in total hours and days, hours and minutes. 728 hours doesn't mean that much but 30 days eight hours 51 minutes does.

The Pin out pages are also very useful if you plan on making your own cables and what to know which pins and cables should go together. All forms of USB plug are covered as are serial, parallel, ethernet, SCART, HDMI and many others.

The Resources section has plenty of in depth information such as battery specifications, radio frequencies and chip layouts.

ElectroDroid can even install plugins for tools not included by default. These include tools for finding parts online and building virtual circuits.

The free version is ad supported with a small bar of adverts appearing at the bottom of the screen. They are quite unobtrusive but the full version of the app only costs £1.69, a bargain compared to what we'd expect to pay for a book with this much information.