Page 15 - Bebop to The Boolean Boogie An Unconventional Guide to Electronics Fundamentals, Components, and Processes

Bebop to the Boolean Boogie provides a wide-ranging but comprehensive
introduction to the electronics arena, roaming through the fundamental
concepts, and rampaging through electronic components and the processes
used to create them. As a bonus, nuggets of trivia are included with which
you can amaze your family and friends; for example, Greenland Eskimos have
a base twenty number system because they count using both fingers and toes.
Section I : Fundamental Concepts starts by considering the differences
between analog and digital views of the world. We then proceed rapidly
through atomic theory and semiconductor switches to primitive logic functions
and their electronic implementations. The concepts of alternative numbering
systems are presented, along with binary arithmetic, Boolean algebra, and
Karnaugh map representations. Finally, the construction of more complex
logical functions is considered along with their applications.
Section 2: Components and Processes is where we consider the components
from which electronic systems are formed and the processes required to
construct them. The construction of integrated circuits is examined in some
detail, followed by introductions to memory devices, programmable devices,
and application-specific devices. The discussion continues with hybrids,
printed circuit boards, and multichip modules. We close with an overview of
some alternative and future technologies along with a history of where every-
thing came from. Also, there’s a bonus chapter (Chapter 22), An Illustrated
History of Electronics and Computing, on the CD-ROM accompanying this
book, that will answer questions you didn’t even think to ask!
This book is of particular interest to electronics students. Additionally, by
clarifying the techno-speech used by engineers, the book is of value to anyone
who is interested in understanding more about electronics but lacks a strong
technical background.
Except where such interpretation is inconsistent with the context, the
singular shall be deemed to include the plural, the masculine shall be deemed
to include the feminine, and the spelling (and the punctuation) shall be
deemed to be correct!