Integrated Circuits: How to Make Them Work

Integrated circuits - or ICs - have largely replaced transistors in all forms of electronic equipment for the home and industry. The modern electronics engineer automatically adopts them as standard practice. This book offers a completely practical introduction for the amateur to the fascinating worlds of using ICs, in the home or workshop, and turning them into working circuits. ICs are 'complete' or near-complete circuits which normally need only a few external components added to produce a working electronic device. They are extremely compact and efficient in performance. Due to large-scale manufacture, they are also relatively inexpensive. The problem for the amateur is to know which IC is suitable for his or her particular needs - and then how to incorporate it into a working circuit. The author answers these problems by describing the different 'families' of ICs, how to identify their connections, and how they are connected to external components to make working circuits, usually with only the addition of a few resistors and a capacitor or two. One of the great advantages of using ICs, in fact, is the small total number of components usually required and their lower total cost (including the IC) compared with building a similar circuit from separate components. There are literally thousands of different ICs available today, from simple 'Op-Amps' to complete digital circuits. The author has selected a number of representative types, all of which are readily available, in describing and illustrating eighty-four working circuits. These range from simple voltage regulators to complete radios and electronic organs. Many other useful projects are also included, like a car thief alarm; an ice-warning indicator; filters and hi-fi tone controls; pulse generators; an infra-red transmitter and receiver; an electronic rev counter; a quartz crystal clock; and many, many more. This book will prove vital for anyone interested in, or in any way concerned with, modern electronics practice.