1 курс - 2 семестр / Unit 12 - BRIEF HISTORY OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

BRIEF HISTORY OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Modern electronics began with the pioneer days of radio communications. The development of radio, however, was preceded by earlier experiments in electricity and magnetism.  The beginning of wireless transmission for radio communications arose from work done by Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist. In 1887he demonstrated the effects of electromagnetic radiation through space.

The next step was the invention of the vacuum tube by Dr Lee Deforest in 1907. The first vacuum tube was not an amplifier but the vacuum tube soon developed into a device with many functions, including the ability to amplify very small electrical signals. For the next nearly 50 years, the vacuum tube was a king of electronics. By today’s standards, it was not very efficient in the use of electricity. It generated a lot of extra heat with the filament as the source of electrons.

Replacement of valves with the comparatively tiny and reliable transistor from 1948 revolutionized electronic development.

The transistor did not need a hot filament to generate electrons and was the first “Solid State Device”. The transistor was invented in December 16th in 1947 at Bell Laboratory by the team of William Schockley, John Bardeem and Walter Brattain. This team was later awarded the Nobel Prize for this work. The first practical use of transistors was in the mid 1950’s.

The Integrated Circuit (more than one transistor on a single piece of Silicon crystal) was invented in July of 1958 by Jack Kilby. Mr. Kilby received the Noble Prize in Physics— 2000. The integrated circuit has evolved today to have many millions of transistors on a single “Chip of silicon” and most all our modern computers electronic devices include a microprocessor chip.

The Microprocessor chip was invented by Dr. M. E. Ted Holf in 1968. The microprocessor was introduced as a commercial product by Intel Corporation in 1971.

The development of solid-state devices has led to the continued miniaturization of all types of electronic equipment.  Each month we learn of new technological advances that produce increasingly sophisticated circuitry in ever smaller integrated circuits.  The primary reasons for this trend are improved reliability, lower costs, and increased speed due to the reduction in the length of the interconnecting wires.

The history of electronic gadgets

The history of gadgets goes almost as far back as the existence of humanity, when humans began to make tools for making life easier. The humans always made gadgets and appliances with a particular practical purpose in mind. These gadgets were thought as novelties in the beginning because of the unfamiliarity with the gadget; people were unwilling to accept this new technology.

Although mechanical gadgets were being made since a long time, it was the advent of electricity which took the gadgets to another level as different uses for electricity were found. Initial examples of electronic gadgets were TV’s, radio and quartz watches. After that inventors went on to discover microprocessors which brought the days of programmable devices such as computers, MP3 players and now the iPhone. Other application gadgets such as Microsoft Office and iTunes are also available now. Some of these devices have become functional necessities of the modern society.

Different advantages of modern electronic gadgets

The electronic gadgets are not just meant for entertainment. They have also helped a great deal in making our lives easier. Most of us think of MP3 players and iPods when they think of electronic gadgets. Few people know that electronic gadgets have solved many issues facing the physically challenged people. Did you know that the MP3 players and GPS were designed for blind people?

Another similar example is electronic eyes. These guide the blind people when they are on the road. The Braille PDA helps blind persons to use computers. Some devices are created for deaf people as well. Apart from these your house probably contains a huge collection of accessories that add to your comfort such as portable AC’s, heaters, humidifiers, washers, dryers, fans and many more. Air purifiers are used for clearing the contaminated air from a room. It removes harmful pollutants from air.

electronic devices
a filament	нитка накалювання
an amplifier	підсилювач
a vacuum tube	електрона лампа - прилад для посилення сигналів
to evolve	розвивати
integrated circuit	інтегральна мікросхема
a valve	електронна лампа
reliable	надійний
a great deal of	немало
an issue	питання, про блема
to face	мати справу з
physically challenged people	інваліди
accessories	додаткове обладнання
apart from	окрім
air purifiers	повітроочищувачи
contaminated air	забруднене повітря
appliances	єлектроприлади
novelties	новинки
advent	прихід
necessities	необхідність