Semiconductors are more than just processors and GPUs

Post by mrtksn » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 9:38 PM UTC

tomn wrote: post #47

blueflow wrote: post #2

Fun fact: Solar cells and the LEDs are the same element. If you wire up a solar cell like an LED, it glows dimly in infrared. QA uses this to diagnose dysfunctional wafers.

Here's a video of a circuit I made which flashes an LED, using only power collected by the LED: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BM7VDOoFIWI The LED is the component on the left; there's a very dim flash (pretty much just the black die turning red) at around 11s, then every few seconds. I can't remember exactly how it works... I think there's two capacitors charged up to the voltage of the LED in parallel through high-val…

Post by amelius » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 9:46 PM UTC

swamp40 wrote: post #53

bluesquared wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my current living nightmare. Endless treadmill of: 1. Our contract manufacturer calls in a panic no longer able to obtain/was shorted on a shipment of part XYZ. XYZ is increasingly becoming random "jellybean" parts like MOSFETS, oscillators, to slightly-more-complicated but not "fancy" stuff like serial transceivers, USB stuff, NOR flash, load switches. TI is the bane of my existence currently. 2. Search for a d…

Your OODA loop is way too long. We buy ALL the parts immediately, within 10 minutes of finding something. If they don't work, it's a loss. On new designs, I find a part in stock, we order ALL we need for the next year, and THEN I make a footprint and put it in the design. For EVERY SINGLE PART. Starting with the IC's. It actually works quite nicely once you get used to it. Obviously, there are some losses there too -…

Post by InitialLastName » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 10:13 PM UTC

swamp40 wrote: post #53

bluesquared wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my current living nightmare. Endless treadmill of: 1. Our contract manufacturer calls in a panic no longer able to obtain/was shorted on a shipment of part XYZ. XYZ is increasingly becoming random "jellybean" parts like MOSFETS, oscillators, to slightly-more-complicated but not "fancy" stuff like serial transceivers, USB stuff, NOR flash, load switches. TI is the bane of my existence currently. 2. Search for a d…

Your OODA loop is way too long. We buy ALL the parts immediately, within 10 minutes of finding something. If they don't work, it's a loss. On new designs, I find a part in stock, we order ALL we need for the next year, and THEN I make a footprint and put it in the design. For EVERY SINGLE PART. Starting with the IC's. It actually works quite nicely once you get used to it. Obviously, there are some losses there too -…

Post by geph2021 » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 10:40 PM UTC

swamp40 wrote: post #29

I spent most of the day yesterday chasing down crosses for P-Channel FETs. They are all GONE. No stock of anything (except the crappy ones, super-tiny packages, high Vgs(th) or high Rds(on) and other leftovers). I've never seen anything like this, it's kind of frightening. Like walking into a grocery store and seeing the aisles all EMPTY except for a few scraps. I don't even know where they all went. It's not like yo…

Post by amelius » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 11:05 PM UTC

deelowe wrote: post #20

blueflow wrote: post #2

Fun fact: Solar cells and the LEDs are the same element. If you wire up a solar cell like an LED, it glows dimly in infrared. QA uses this to diagnose dysfunctional wafers.

Many electronics work that way. Motors can also generate electricity. Inductors can create or sense magnetic fields. Resistance is generally temperature dependent. Etc.