Standard Logic History
At the moment other advances in semiconductors are taking a backseat when compared to the AI boom. They're still happening, and not all about adding the next few billion transistors. As a young engineer everyone's desk had 'The TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) Data Book for Design Engineers'. Details of the complete families of standard logic ICs. It was the way most electronic products were designed. To be honest, I thought they might have disappeared. But they're still here, and in tiny packages - some as small as 0.6mm. For example it can make sense when you design an ASIC, spend a fortune on masks, it doesn't quite work, but a few tiny standard logic ICs can be added externally instead. It was Fairchild's introduction of the integrated circuit and its 900 series RTL (Resistor-Transistor Logic) in 1961 that completely revolutionised electronics. Interestingly around the same time, IBM were developing an equivalent for its revolutionary System/360 that we...