An integrated circuit (IC) is an electronic circuit built onto a single plate of a semiconductor material, normally silicon. Modern ICs may contain billions of transistors and they have played a major part in the miniaturization and performance improvements of modern electronic systems.
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General “rule of thumb” for unused IC pins
This is somewhat similar to this question about NC pins. In cases where the datasheet doesn't specify what to do with unused IC pins, what is the recommendation to do with these pins? In particular ...
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3answers
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What does 3V3 or 1V8 mean
While reading a datasheet for an IC i came across the pin voltages being presented as 3V3 or 1V8. What does this representation stand for ?
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8answers
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What's with the operating voltages: 5V, 3.3V, 2.5V, 1.8V, etc
Integrated circuits seem to have standard voltages of 5V, 3.3V, 2.5V. 1.8V...
Who decides these voltages?
Why do smaller devices require lower voltages?
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3answers
417 views
How to use multiple terminal surface mount chips in amateur project?
As you can probably tell from the question I am a beginner in the embedded world. The extent of my experience is some playing around with C and assembly using the Arduino. I'd like to make the jump to ...
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2answers
182 views
If I have drawn an IC. Are there any manufucters that you can go too tom implement it? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How much does it cost to have a custom ASIC made?
I have drawn a IC for an RFID application. And I want the IC to be super small. I wonder if there are manufacturers I ...
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3answers
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What kind of components are black blobs on a PCB?
In low-cost mass-produced items I often run into black blobs of what looks like resin applied directly on top of something on the PCB. What are these things exactly? I suspect this is some kind of ...
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3answers
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Is there possible to reverse engineer a chip design?
Can we make something like chip reader, which can understand chip design and generate blueprint of it?
3
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2answers
143 views
Breakout Board for 1.27 mm to 2.54 mm
Is there any breakout board like this for 1.27 mm to 2.54 mm pitch?
Example for 1.27 mm:
Example for 2.54 mm:
I also appreciate any hint how to perform this conversion on any other cheap way.
...
16
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4answers
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Why exactly do chips start malfunctioning once they overheat?
Once a chip overheats it can start malfunctioning - for example many programs may start failing once some or all parts in a computer overheat.
What exactly happens that makes chips malfunction when ...
8
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1answer
699 views
Tips for identifying an unknown chip?
What tools and techniques can I use to identify an unknown IC with no markings?
Today I encountered a microcontroller under an epoxy blob. The blob had 11 pads on each of four sides, perhaps 44tqfp. ...
7
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3answers
2k views
Analog function generator ICs?
Does anyone know of any old-school function generator ICs (similar to the ICL8038 or XR2206) that are still on the market? (i.e. not obsolete / NFFD - I'm not interested in scouring the globe for old ...
6
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7answers
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Simplest Way to step down the 220AC with more than 10% efficiency
Objective
I want to design a tiny single packaged mains-powered temperature sensor. Possibly as a multi-chip module (MCM) on one small PCB board.
Constraints
The temperature sensor I plan to ...
4
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6answers
865 views
How to remove DIP ICs from breadboard?
I am new with electronics and I have some issues removing DIP ICs from breadboard after testing something with them. I end up bending their legs if I pull them with bare fingers or pliers.
Is there ...
8
votes
1answer
449 views
Understanding CS5463's basic circuit power supply
I'm trying to put the CS5463 chip functional using the example circuitry on page 41 of the datasheet (attached bellow):
Right now, I'm working on the top part of the circuit, which is the IC power ...
7
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2answers
384 views
How thick (or thin) is the die/wafer inside an IC?
There are packages as thin as 0.3 mm (maybe even less), so I was wondering how thin the actual die/wafer inside them are. I guess the package top and bottom will also need a certain thickness to be ...
5
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2answers
328 views
Do QFNs really need that thermal pad?
Often a chip will be available in several different packages. Sometimes QFN which has a thermal pad, and TQFP which has no thermal pad. The justification for the thermal pad is that it helps conduct ...
4
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2answers
183 views
Replacements for a 4006 IC?
Im building a Nintendo 64 to PC adapter as outlined in this guide. It calls for two 4006 ICs. RadioShack did not have this type, but I was told the following two would work: LM339 or a LM324. Will ...
4
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2answers
258 views
Are there any convenient “bus keeper” or “bus hold” chips?
Many CPLDs have a handy feature which will weakly drive pins toward their present state, so that a pin which is weakly pulled high will pull high and one which is weakly pulled low will pull low. Are ...
3
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2answers
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Is there an amplifier such that the gain is equal to the ratio of two potential differences?
I have been toying with some alternatives to transistors in building logic gates. I am particularly interested in the device I tried to summarize in the title of this post. The chip would have 8 pins:
...
3
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4answers
385 views
Differential Binary PSK (Phase Shift Keying) based UWB (Ultra wideband) communication
I am trying to create a circuit which can perform wireless communication over short ranges (less than 10 metres) at a very high data rate (approx 10 Mbps) and low power (in the range of 10-20 mW). ...
2
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2answers
224 views
How much longer should we expect DIP (or DIL) Packaging to be around? [closed]
More or less in response to this question:
Reliability of anti-static packaging
A few comments were made (which made sense) on manufacturers not really shipping many DIP packages in comparison with ...
2
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3answers
269 views
Do I need to duplicate the 4th “substrate” connection when building CMOS gates out of discrete transistors?
All CMOS digital integrated circuits I've ever seen connect all the nFET substrates together to GND.
In particular, the IC CMOS NAND gate has one nFET that has its substrate connected to GND, but its ...
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4answers
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Should NC-Pins of IC connected to ground through a resistor to prevent noise?
I wonder if unused pins of an IC, lets say an NE555 f.e., should be connected to ground via a resistor to prevent noise or not. I have an AVR with analog inputs and just realized there's huge noise, ...
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3answers
282 views
Does this timer circuit make sense?
I want to make a timer that counts down from 15 minutes, in 5 minute intervals.
It should use 3 LEDs, and behavious should be such that when it is switched on, all 3 LEDs are lit. Then after 5 mins ...
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1answer
235 views
Small bluetooth chip to connect a phone with [closed]
i'm looking for a small bluetooth chip which i can connect my phone with.
The idea is that i should be able to send a command to that chip with my phone. In return that chip should do something. For ...
