Integrated Circuit Technology

The integrated circuit constituted another major step in the growth of computer technology. Until 1959 the fundamental logical components of digital computers were the individual electrical switches, first in the form of relays, then vacuum tubes, and transistors.

In the vacuum tubes and relay stages, additional discrete components such as resistors, inductors and capacitors were required in order to make the whole system work. In the early 1950s the basic logic element – the switch or ‘flip-flop’ – required two separate transistors and some resistors and capacitors. Integrated circuit technology permitted the elimination of some of these components and ‘integration’ of most of the others on the same chip of semiconductor that contains the transistor. Thus the switch could be packaged into a single small unit in 1960. That unit was half the size of a pea.

The chip was an important stage in the development of computer technology. With integrated circuit technology, it became possible to package more and more elements into a single chip. Entire assemblies of parts could be manufactured in the same time that it previously took to make a single part. Clearly the cost of providing a particular computing function decreased proportionally. As the number of components on an integrated circuit grew from a few to hundreds, then thousands, the term for the chip changed to microcircuit.

Exercise 3. Identify among the following words (a) nouns, (b) adjectives, (c) verbal forms, (d) adverbs.

Integrated, digital, resistor, required, previously, accelerating, assemblies, decreased, microcircuit, providing, proportionally, transistor, fundamental, semiconductor.

Exercise 4. Identify the tense and voice of the following verbs.

Were required, contains, could be packaged, became, could be manufactured, grew, changed.

Exercise 5. Write out four sentences with Non-Finite forms of the verbs (one – with the Past Participle, two – with the Infinitive, one – with the Gerund and the Present Participle) from the text. Identify their functions. Translate the sentences.

Exercise 6. Put questions to the underlined words.

1. The integrated circuit constituted another major step in the growth of computer technology.

2. Integrated circuit technology permitted the elimination of some of these components.

3. The switch requiredtwo separate transistors.

4. The cost of providing a particular computing function decreased proportionally.

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions.

1. What were the fundamental logical components of digital computers until 1959?

2. What components were required in order to make the whole system work in the stages of vacuum tubes and relay?

3. What technology permitted the integration of many components on the chip of semiconductor?

4. What size was the chip in 1960?

5. What possibility did the integrated circuit technology provide?

6. What decreased proportionally?

7. How did the number of components on an integrated circuit grow?

Exercise 8. Translate the following sentences into English.

Дата добавления: 2015-12-07