#Microelectronics

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.

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 …

In search of the perfect electric voltage Read More »

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.

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.

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.