Intel’s forgotten registry
What was the name of the first personal computer? The answer to this question depends on the answerer. According to the Computer History Museum located in Silicon Valley, it was the Kenbak-1.
#IntegratedCircuit
A forgotten type of integrated circuits
Inside one of my retro treats, the Soviet calculator Электроника МК-52, about which I have already prepared an article“Электроника МК-52 – Soviet calculator in orbit”, as well as in some respects its twin design Электроника МК-61, one can find rather mysterious-looking integrated circuits.
Dark current and transistors without a case
If one Internet trivia site is to be believed, the most manufactured thing in the world is a transistor. This may be true, but the authors of this information must have also taken into account those placed inside silicon cores, although they are not single elements. After all, in discrete circuits there are at least two resistors per single transistor, also the Internet fact can be questioned quite easily. However, whatever one may say, transistors in one form or another are quite common in electronics. It is thanks to them that a whole branch of digital and logic circuits was created, which, along with increasing computerization, have become the building blocks of the modern world.
Soviet VFD lamp controller
Some time ago on one of the popular auction sites I noticed a rather interesting offer. It was a module of unknown origin with a small VFD lamp, which I suspect was the seller’s main motivation to get rid of it. After all, fluorescent designs sell quite well, though not as well as Nixie lamps. …
In search of the perfect electric voltage
When taking DC voltage measurements with a multimeter, we usually don’t think about its accuracy. Receiving a result of 5.1V, when we expect something in the neighborhood of 5V, we assume that the multimeter’s indication is correct, telling ourselves that simply at the output of the power supply or the USB port of the computer …
The art of microelectronics – silicon integrated circuits
Modern microelectronics is one of the fastest growing areas of science and technology. Its relevance to our daily lives is immense, as it is thanks to microelectronics that we can use advanced electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, which have become an integral part of our reality. In today’s article, we invite you to take a deeper dive into the fascinating world of silicon, where we will consider the construction of elements such as transistors and diodes.
In the land of silicon – an introduction to electronic structures
The modern world is constantly flowing toward the future, driven by incredible advances in technology. Central to this dynamic process is the electronics that underpin most everyday devices. One of the key foundations of electronics are structures called integrated circuits, which have been revolutionizing our ability to process information and communicate for years. However, when we look deep into electronic chips, we see that they are made up of structures such as transistors, diodes, resistors and even capacitors. These elements are placed together, on a single piece of silicon, which makes them significantly different from similar structures placed on printed circuit boards. In this article I will tell you a little about silicon electronic structures, the foundation of today’s technological world.
Miniaturization of big ideas – how integrated circuits came to be
In today’s dynamic world of electronics, we are constantly using advanced technologies that enable us to perform tasks faster, more efficiently and more conveniently. One of the most remarkable developments that has affected our daily reality is the invention of the integrated circuit. These small but powerful electronic components, typically containing hundreds, thousands or even millions of elements on a single silicon wafer. Chips have revolutionized our world in ways we could not even imagine before. But in order to explore the history of integrated circuits, we need to go all the way back to the 1920s, to the days of tube designs.
Inside the chip that changed the world
Anyone who starts playing with electronics sooner or later encounters on his way the chip numbered 555. According to many, this timer is one of the chips that changed the world. It is hard to disagree with this especially considering the scale of production and the multitude of applications, about which even separate books have been written. In this material I will tell you a little about this unique chip.
World’s first ALU chip
ALUs, or arithmetic logic units, are part of every processor today. In the past, they were produced as single, physical chips or a collection of multiple logic chips. In today’s material, I will tell you about the construction, history and operation of one of the first ALUs.