Digital technology 30 years ago

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Digital technology 30 years ago ( focused on pc’s ) Pre-digital era: 30 years ago technology was mainly analogue, few digital devices appeared during the years coming, predicting what will come in the forthcoming decades. Until the mid 1950’s all electronic devices functioned with vacuum tubes, early computers were also equipped with thousands of them. A major problem was the limited lifetime of heating filaments in vacuum tubes. They consume loads of power, and the impact of electrons on the anode produce extreme heat. Early vacuum tube The transistor was invented in 1947 by Jhon bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley in 1947, allowing electronic devices to be built in compact sizes. Not until around 1954 computers appeared built with transistors. Around 1959 most of the computer manufactures used transistors, producing much smaller and reliable the machines. This transistors replaced vacuum tubes in tv’s, radios and most scientific instruments during the 60’s. Another big development was the introduction of integrated ciricuits, developed by Jack Kilby at Texas instruments and Robert noyce at Fairchild semiconductor. Kilby integrated circuit. It was during the early 70’s with the introduction of the first computer memory chips and microprocessor chips, a major breakthrough cameout in technology. This way microcomputers were developed few years later. Memory chip All areas of electronics were affected, by the progression of transistors and integrated circuits. It was the development of computers and digital technologies the real technical revolution during the 70’s. Computers progressed from being electromechanical machines to a highly flexible and user friendly machines. They were introduced in most activity areas, such as administration, banking, defense systems, space exploration, civil

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