A computer contains millions of small electronic components and integrated circuits. These electronic components send and receive information in the form of digital electronic signals. These signals are essentially rapid pulses of electricity that switch on and off the components. This rapid voltage creates a long string of 1’s and 0’s (letters of code). One digit in this string of information is called a bit, eight digits are called a byte, and one trillion bytes is called a gigabyte.
Integrated circuits
Integrated circuits have been around for decades and are a vital part of many electronics technology applications. Originally designed by British radar engineer Geoffrey Dummer, ICs have advanced through several generations. They have increased in size and capacity as well as the number of transistors and logic gates on a chip. In the early years, they were limited to only a few transistors and 10 logic gates, but by the early 1960s they were capable of processing thousands of transistors and up to ninety-nine logic gates.
Initially, integrated circuits were designed as multi-die devices, which were then known as System-In-Package or SIPP. These devices had many more transistors and were smaller than a standard printed circuit board. In the 1950s, the British radar engineer Geoffrey W. A. Dummer published his design for an integrated circuit in Washington, D.C. and tried to build a working one in 1956. This later evolved into Small-Scale Integration, which used circuits made of tens of transistors.
Vacuum tubes
Vacuum tubes are used in electronic devices that require high voltage output to function. Their plates are made up of a layer of refractory material, which is heated in a vacuum. The plate characteristic curves show the changes in the output current as a function of the grid-to-cathode voltage. These characteristics also indicate the size of the electrostatic field between the two plates.
Initially, vacuum tubes were used to generate light. They were surrounded by a glass-like airtight envelope. During the nineteenth century, scientists developed a number of new designs for vacuum tubes, including the Geissler and Crookes tubes. Thomas Edison, Eugen Goldstein, Nikola Tesla, and Johann Wilhelm Hittorf were among those responsible for these advances. Their work enabled the development of light bulbs. While early light bulbs were novelty items, their development was critical to the development of vacuum tube technology.
Optical-frequency communication devices
There are several examples of optical-frequency communication devices. High- speed optical/photonic devices are compact devices that contain a transmitter, a modulator, and the required optics. These devices can be incorporated into existing smart phones to transmit digital information anytime and anywhere. They also offer a high data rate.
Some of the most common types of optical-frequency communication devices are optical fibers and wireless systems. Free space optical communication, or FSO, is wireless information transmission via a modulated beam. Unlike RF and copper cable-based systems, this technology does not require fiber optics. Even in ancient times, light signals were used to transmit information. The photophone was an early example of this technology. In the 1880s, Graham Bell created a device called a photophone that would transmit audio signals using sunlight. Eventually, lasers were developed, enabling more accurate direction of light beams over long distances.
Superconductors
In electronics, superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to conduct electricity with practically zero resistance. This allows for faster data transfer, energy efficiency, and countless other applications. However, superconductivity research has been hindered by two main problems: cooling materials to zero degrees Kelvin (-452 degrees Fahrenheit) and the enormous amount of energy needed to manipulate such materials.
A number of applications of SE can be found in science, metrology, and exploration of minerals. Military, space, and quantum communications applications are also gradually emerging. Initially, efforts to develop industrial applications coincided with the discovery of HTS. These included various industrial test instruments and large diagnostic systems. However, most of these early applications were not cost- effective and thus did not achieve widespread acceptance.
