History and Development of Electronics
– Identification of the electron in 1897
– Invention of the vacuum tube by Lee De Forest
– Vacuum tubes enabled the electronics revolution
– Invention of the point-contact transistor in 1947
– Transition from vacuum tubes to solid-state devices
– Sōgo Okamura (1994) wrote a book on the history of electron tubes
– Bashe, Charles J. et al. (1986) wrote a book on IBM’s early computers
– Pugh, Emerson W., Johnson, Lyle R., and Palmer, John H. (1991) wrote a book on IBM’s 360 and early 370 systems
– Moskowitz, Sanford L. (2016) wrote a book on advanced materials innovation
– The first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor was demonstrated in 1960
Impact of Electronics on Society and Culture
– Electronics have profound impact on communication, entertainment, education, healthcare, industry, and security
– Semiconductor industry generates annual revenues exceeding $481 billion
– Electronics industry encompasses sectors like e-commerce, which generated over $29 trillion in online sales in 2017
– The semiconductor industry’s annual sales have exceeded $400 billion
– Global e-commerce sales have surged to $29 trillion
– The consumer electronics industry in the 1960s contributed to the growth of semiconductors
Types of Circuits
– Analog and digital circuits
– Analog circuits use continuous range of voltage or current
– Digital circuits use discrete levels
– Many analog functions are being digitized
– Modern circuits may use mixed signal techniques
Electronic Components
– Components are connected to create electronic circuits
– Active components control current flow at electron level (e.g. transistors, thyristors)
– Passive components include capacitors, inductors, and resistors
– Components may be packaged singly or in integrated circuits
– Integrated circuits revolutionized circuit size and manufacturing process
Computer-aided Design and Other Considerations
– Electronics engineers can design circuits using premanufactured building blocks
– Electronic design automation software programs assist in circuit design
– Popular EDA software programs include NI Multisim, Cadence, EAGLE PCB, and Altium
– Thermal management is important to dissipate heat generated by electronic circuitry
– Heat dissipation is achieved through passive conduction/convection, heat sinks, fans, and cooling techniques
– Electronic circuits are subject to noise, which is unwanted disturbances superposed on a useful signal
– Noise can be electromagnetically or thermally generated and can be decreased by lowering operating temperatures
– Packaging methods for electronic components include through-hole, surface mount, chassis mount, rack mount, and socket
– Laboratory experimentation is an important part of electronic device development
– Electronics labs traditionally consisted of physical devices and equipment
– In recent years, there has been a trend towards using electronics lab simulation software
– CircuitLogix, Multisim, and PSpice are examples of electronics lab simulation software
– Experiments are used to test and verify designs, as well as detect errors
– ‘The Art of Electronics’ by Horowitz and Hill is a recommended book
– Wikibooks and Wikiversity offer resources on electronics and electrical engineering
– Wikimedia Commons has media related to electronics
– The Navy Electricity and Electronics Training Series (NEETS) is available for further learning
– The Department of Energy (DOE) offers a four-volume handbook on electrical science Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_equipment
Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other electrically charged particles. Electronics is a subfield of electrical engineering, but it differs from it in that it focuses on using active devices such as transistors, diodes, and integrated circuits to control and amplify the flow of electric current and to convert it from one form to another, such as from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) or from analog to digital. Electronics also encompasses the fields of microelectronics, nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum electronics, which deal with the fabrication and application of electronic devices at microscopic, nanoscopic, optical, and quantum scales.
Electronics have a profound impact on various aspects of modern society and culture, such as communication, entertainment, education, health care, industry, and security. The main driving force behind the advancement of electronics is the semiconductor industry, which produces the basic materials and components for electronic devices and circuits. The semiconductor industry is one of the largest and most profitable sectors in the global economy, with annual revenues exceeding $481 billion in 2018. The electronics industry also encompasses other sectors that rely on electronic devices and systems, such as e-commerce, which generated over $29 trillion in online sales in 2017.
