Vocabulary:

1) circuit – схема, контур

2) scale – шкала, масштаб

3) explosive – взрывчатое вещество, взрывной

4) unabated – неослабленный

5) prior to – предшествующий, предварительный

6) capacitor – конденсатор

7) to assemble – собирать, монтировать

8) chassis – шасси, ходовая часть

9) bulky package – единый модуль

1.3.6 Communications and Control

1. What do you know about control systems?

2. In what spheres are control systems used?

3. Can you characterize digital systems advantages in the sphere of modern technologies application?

Engineers in this field are concerned with all aspects of electrical communications, from fundamental questions such as "What is information?" to the highly practical, such as design of telephone systems. In designing communication systems, engineers rely heavily on various branches of advanced mathematics, such as Fourier analysis, linear systems theory, linear algebra, complex variables, differential equations¹, and probability² theory. Control systems are used extensively in aircraft and ships, in military fire-control systems, in power transmission and distribution³, in automated manufacturing, and in robotics.

Engineers have been working to bring about two revolutionary changes in the field of communications and control. Digital systems are replacing analog ones at the same time that fiber optics is superseding⁴ copper cables⁵. Digital systems offer far greater immunity⁶ to electrical noise. Fiber optics is likewise⁷ immune to interference⁸; they also have tremendous carrying capacity, and are extremely light and inexpensive to manufacture.

Vocabulary:

1) equation – равенство

2) probability – вероятность

3) distribution – распределение

4) superseding – вытеснение, замена

5) copper cable – медный провод

6) immunity – иммунитет, привилегия

7) likewise – подобно

8) interference – вмешательство, влияние, помехи

1.3.7 Computers

1. What are the advantages in this sphere of engineering development?

2. What does the abbreviation VLSI mean?

3. Can you describe current trends in computer engineering?

Virtually unknown just a few decades ago, computer engineering is now among the most rapidly growing fields. The electronics of computers involve engineers in design and manufacture of memory systems, of central processing units, and of peripheral devices. Foremost¹ among the avenues now being pursued² is the design of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and new computer architectures. The field of computer science is closely related to computer engineering; however, the task of making computers more "intelligent", through creation of sophisticated programs or development of higher level machine languages or other means, is generally regarded³ as being in the realm⁴ of computer science.

One current trend in computer engineering is microminiaturization. Using VLSI, engineers continue to work to squeeze greater and greater numbers of circuit elements onto smaller and smaller chips. Another trend is toward increasing the speed of computer operations through use of parallel processors, superconducting materials, and the like.