What uses are there for intergrated ciruits and how do they make things better or even possible?

 

ahh.... the ic or integrated circuit is very usefull in the fact that complete circuits can be contained in a small space. this makes electronic units more modular and easier to build/ trouble shoot!
basically helped make the huge analog computers of the past fairly inferior to the pc sitting on your and everyone elses desk.

 

hi,

frankly the only significant advantage i can think about IC is space saving and all the other supposed advantages is purely business. i know many will not agree with my reply but that's the way it is. can you imagine an internal resistor gone kaput and you have to change the whole chip? that's taking out more money from your pocket when you don't have to. that's what i call business, it's an art of making you spend more but you dont' feel that you are spending more.

sorry for the sarcasm, but that's the way things are happening now.

 

Originally posted by mozikluv@May 28 2004, 08:31 AM
hi,

frankly the only significant advantage i can think about IC is space saving and all the other supposed advantages is purely business. i know many will not agree with my reply but that's the way it is. can you imagine an internal resistor gone kaput and you have to change the whole chip? that's taking out more money from your pocket when you don't have to. that's what i call business, it's an art of making you spend more but you dont' feel that you are spending more.

sorry for the sarcasm, but that's the way things are happening now.

While I agree with your statement that they are primarily used because of there benefits to business, I'm not sure that they would make masses of money out of people who are replacing a simple IC when it goes kaput. IC's nowdays are (generally) extremely cheap, and the manufaturers are not going to make that much out of them (agreed they would cost more than a resistor for example). I think the main cost saving initiative that comes out of IC's in the fact that they are an existing commodity. Basically, I as an engineer needs to design a circuit for the following application (whatever that may be), right I can (easily) use existing IC designs to implement 25% of my design - instant saving on resources of the engineer, and you know engineers don't come cheap!!