...The integrated circuit was invented in 1958 and 1959 by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce. Before the integrated circuit was created, computers used single transistors and before transistors vacuum tubes were used. However, vacuum tubes were inefficient as they gave off so much heat and used enormous amounts of energy which is why the invention of transistors, which used semiconductors, was a breakthrough in the technology. Transistors are used on integrated circuits and scientists have been able to increase the amount that can fit on a circuit in record numbers. Gordon Moore, a cofounder of Intel, noticed a trend of the capacity of each new chip that was created compared to its predecessor. He found that the size nearly doubled every two years and this still holds true for today. Below is a graph showing the transistor count vs. the year the transistor was introduced and we can see that every year the count increases in a linear fashion. This is actually amazing because not only is the count of transistors increasing the chips themselves are decreasing in size. This is the result of new materials being used such as silicon and graphene. The amount of transistors that can fit on a single chip is somewhere between 2.5 billion to 3 billion, however if Moore’s law continues to hold true, which history shows that it has, this number is expected to increase in years to come. The progression of technology is really incredible as computers have gone from the size of a large...
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...Design Automation and the Design of Integrated Circuits Abstract A circuit, simply put, is defined as a complete path around which an electric current can flow in order to complete a predesigned task. Circuit design is the intermediate process by which electrical circuits are moved from the specification stage - where the circuit’s purpose is determined - to the production stage, where all of the information necessary to build a working circuit is ready for implementation. In order to keep up with demand for consumer electronics, a fast and efficient way to design and construct the myriad types of circuitry must be in place. This essay will illustrate the basics of circuit design and describe the automated circuit design process. Electronic Design Automation In a large part of the world, electronics are a mainstay of modern society. In the beginning, electronics were much more simple in design, but with the caveat of being much larger today: in the 1980s cellular phones weighed upwards of two pounds and were about three times the size of modern cell phones. Over time, as electronics became smaller and as demand for them increased, a way to design and construct smaller and more efficient circuits became necessary. Enter Electronic Design Automation. An electric circuit is an electrical path that provides a path for an electrical current to flow. While it may seem like a simple matter to design and construct a circuit, the process has become quite intensive, requiring...
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...Journal of Business Cases and Applications The rise and fall of Circuit City Amy Hart The University of Tampa Erika Matulich, Ph.D. The University of Tampa Kimberly Rubinsak The University of Tampa Kasey Sheffer The University of Tampa Nikol Vann The University of Tampa Myriam Vidalon Nielson Abstract Circuit City paved its way in the consumer electronics retail market by committing to its Five S’s operating philosophy – selection, savings, service, satisfaction, and speed. However, the company fell victim to several poor business decisions in the early 2000’s that eventually led to the filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and its closing in 2009. This case highlights the importance of identifying appropriate product differentiation strategies, building a distinctive competence, monitoring the competitive landscape and making sound business decisions. It will landscape, also aid the student’s understanding of the role and impact of management and explain the importance of employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Keywords: Circuit City, Five S’s, customer service, product differentiation, competitive ity, landscape, employee retention, Alan McCollough, Philip Schoonover, layoff, Chapter 11 bankruptcy Rise and fall, Page 1 Journal of Business Cases and Applications INTRODUCTION history This case covers the time period in Circuit City’s history between the decision of CEO Alan McCollough to halt the sale of appliances in 2000 and the decision of CEO Philip...
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...Raymond Moenich III IC IC stands for Integrated Circuits. An IC is a semiconductor circuit that has more than one component on the same substrate material. Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby are both credited with the invention of the integrated circuit in 1958 and 1959. ICs are also called chips and are used for a variety of applications, including audio and video equipment, microprocessors, and automobiles. ICs are classified by the number of electronic components they contain. SSI stands for small-scale integration and contain up to 100 electronic components per chip. MSI stands for medium-scale integration and contain 100 to 3,000 components per chip. LSI stands for large-scale integration and contain 3,000 to 100,000 components per chip. VLSI stands for very large-scale integration and contain 100,000 to 1,000,000 components per chip. ULSI stands for ultra large-scale integration and contain more than 1 million components per chip. The very first prototype IC was made by Kilby in 1958 and contained only one transistor, several resistors, and a capacitor on a single slab of germanium, and had fine gold “flying wires” to interconnect each component. This design was not pratical to manufacture because each flying wire had to be individually attached. Noyce came up with a better design, in 1959, called a “planar” design. In a planar IC all the components are etched on a silicon base, including a layer of aluminum metal interconnects. The first planar IC was constructed by Fairchild...
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...Circuit City Circuit City The Circuit City story began in 1949 when entrepreneur Sam Wurtzel opened a small store in Richmond, VA, after he learned that the south’s first television station was going on the air. Over the next 20 years, Sam grew his company into a 100 store chain. His son, Alan became CEO in 1972 and created the ground-breaking superstore format that evolved into Circuit City. When Alan retired from the board in 2000, Circuit City was a fortune 500 company with more than 600 stores and 60,000 employees. Circuit City was a shining example of exceptional management practices in a 2001 best- selling book “Good to Great.” However, cracks were beginning to show in the company’s foundation. Circuit City’s rise and fall revealed leadership lessons and emphasizes the critical strategic role that training and development play in a company’s continued success. For its first 50 years, Circuit City (originally called Wards TV) was a pioneer in the rapidly changing consumer electronics industry. The following are what made the company great. Things that made the company great THE FIRST BIG BOX SUPERSTORE In 1975, Alan Wurtzel transformed the retail landscape in America by creating the first big-box superstore with a focus on Savings, Selection, Service, and Satisfaction. His “4 S’s” were captured in policies and processes that were easily understood by the customer and easily executed by his employees. Circuit City offered a low price guarantee, a 30 day satisfaction...
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...Laboratory Report Format 1. Title Page: The following is an example of the proper lab report title page format. Of course, you must substitute information pertinent to the specific lab and course. The title page will be a single, whole page. Laboratory Exercise #1 Verification of Ohm's Law by Fred Derf Lab Partner: Jonathan Dough EETH 1811 Electronic Circuit Technology Lecture Section 001 Lab Section 101 Performed on: February 31, 1994 Submitted on: March 1, 1994 To: Dr. Pepper 2. Objective(s) Describe in formal language (third person impersonal) the objective(s) of the lab. State the rules or theories to be investigated in the lab. Rule of thumb: someone else, using the same knowledge you have, should be able to complete the task given this information alone. In some cases, lab objectives may be given to you. You should expand these supplied objectives whenever appropriate. List all components (including values) and major equipment required to perform the exercise. Be sure to include make, model, and serial numbers of all equipment used. This listing should not include items such as meter leads or jumper wires, which are required for the use of the laboratory equipment. By listing the equipment itself it is implied that the necessary meter leads or other connecting apparatus is included. Provide all detailed schematics which, when implemented, will produce the results desired. Do not include developmental schematics here. Computer drawn schematics are preferable...
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...EMNG 1001 CIRCUIT ANALYSIS LAB #7 – Multisim Date: Student Name & IDN: Lab Partner Name & IDN: ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Notes: 1. Practice safety at all times. Anyone not following safety rules and practices will NOT be permitted to continue with the lab and a “Zero” grade will be applied to the affected student(s). 2. Read and follow ALL lab instructions provided. 3. Answer all questions, neatly, clearly and concisely, on supplied forms. 4. If additional space is required for any work, it must be typed and included as attachments to the main lab report. Make sure all attachments are titled and serially labeled as Attachment A, B, C, etc. 5. Labs are only conducted during scheduled lab times and cannot be made up. A grade of “Zero” will be assigned for missed labs. 6. Complete lab reports are to be submitted at the very next lab class on an alternating week basis. Students assigned an odd number will hand in a complete lab report for all odd numbered labs (LABS 1, 3, 5, 7, 9). Students assigned an even number will hand in a complete lab report for all even numbered labs (LABS 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). 7. Upon completion of lab, make sure that the professor reviews and signs off on the lab cover page. If the lab is not signed by the professor or lab supervisor, a grade of “Zero” will be assigned. Professor’s Ack. ________________________________________________ ...
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...Assignment 1: Integrated Circuit Technology 1. Search the Internet using keywords such as “Intel processor transistor count”. 2. Create a table that presents the processor model, year, and the transistor count for Intel processors from 1971 to present. 3. Identify the processor model and year when two billion transistors were placed on a single processor chip. * In 2008 * The next generation in the Intel Itanium processor family code named Tukwila is described. The 21.5 mm by 32.5 mm die contains 2.05 billion transistors, making it the first two billion transistor microprocessor ever reported. Tukwila combines four ported Itanium cores with a new system interface and high speed serial interconnects to deliver greater than 2X performance relative to the Montecito and Montvale family of processors [1], [2]. 4. Cite the sources where you located the information you placed into the table. * http://download.intel.com/pressroom/kits/intelprocessorhistory.pdf * http://www.ece.ncsu.edu/asic/ece733/2009/docs/Itanium.pdf * [1] S. Naffziger et al., “The implementation of the Itanium 2 microprocessor,” IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 37, no. 11, pp. 1448–1460, Nov. 2002. * [2] S. Naffziger et al. , “The implementation of a 2-core, multi-threaded Itanium family microprocessor, ”IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 197–209, Jan. 2006. 5. Comment on the growth of the number of transistors used in integrated circuits over the years. ...
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...Preface References Hardware and Software Requirements LabVIEW VI Libraries and Project and Problem Folders and Files Unit 1. Elementary Circuit Analysis for Analog Electronics Section 1.1. Resistor Voltage Divider and MOSFET DC Gate Voltage Section 1.2. Output Circuit and DC Drain Voltage Section 1.3. Frequency Response of the Amplifier Stage Section 1.4. Summary of Equations Section 1.5. Exercises and Projects Unit 2. Transistors and Voltage Amplification Section 2.1. BJT and MOSFET Schematic Symbols, Terminal Voltages, and Branch Currents Section 2.2. Fundamentals of Signal Amplification: The Linear Circuit Section 2.3. Basic NMOS Common-Source Amplifier Section 2.4. Transistor Output Resistance and Limiting Gain Section 2.5. Summary of Equations Section 2.6. Exercises and Projects Section 2.7. References to the Electronics Book Sequence Unit 3. Characterization of MOS Transistors for Circuit Simulation Section 3.1. Physical Description of the MOSFET Section 3.2. Output and Transfer Characteristics of the MOSFET Section 3.3. Body Effect and Threshold Voltage Section 3.4. Derivation of the Linear-Region Current – Voltage Relation Section 3.5. Summary of Equations Section 3.6. Exercises and Projects Unit 4. Signal Conductance Parameters for Circuit Simulation Section 4.1. Amplifier Circuit and Signal Equivalent Circuits Section 4.2. Transistor Variable Incremental Relationships Section 4.3. Transconductance Parameter Section 4.4. Body-Effect Transconductance...
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...2 Moore’s Law is a computing term which originated around 1970; the simplified version of this law states that processor speeds, or overall processing power for computers will double every two years. A quick check among technicians in different computer companies show that the term is not very popular but the rule is still accepted. To break down the law even further, it specifically stated that the number of transistors on an affordable CPU would double every two years (which is essentially the same thing that was stated before) but more transistors’ is more accurate. If you were to look at processor speeds from the 1970’s to 2009 and then again in 2010, one may think that the law has reached its limit or is nearing the limit. In the 1970’s processor speeds ranged from 740 KHz to 8MHz; notice that the 740 KHz, which is Kilo Hertz- while the 8 is MHz, which is Mega Hertz. From 2000-2009 there has not really been much of speed difference as the speeds ranged from 1.3 GHz to 2.8 GHz, which suggests that the speeds have barely doubled within a 10 year span. This is because we are looking at the speeds and not the number of transistors; in 2000 the number of transistors in the CPU numbered 37.5 million, while in 2009 the number went up to an outstanding 904 million; this is why it is more accurate to apply the law to transistors than to speed. With all this talk of transistors the average technician or computer user may not understand what the figures mean; a simpler...
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...The Transistor is a staple in modern computing. A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electric power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. The transistor has become a fundamental building block of modern electronic devices, and is omnipresent in modern electronic systems. The need for the transistor arose due to its’ predecessor, the vacuum tube’s numerous inefficiencies. Vacuum tubes were notoriously unreliable, due to the heat they generated, and in larger instillations, one failed every couple hours or so. In order to counteract the problem, two Bell Laboratory engineers went to work. In 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain created the transistor. It was smaller, more reliable, and consumed much less power; it made the vacuum tube obsolete. A few short months later, Bell associate William Shockley created the junction transistor, and together the three men were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics. Moore's Law observes that over the history of computing technology, roughly every two years the number of transistors in dense integrated circuitry doubles. In 1971 Intel created the 4004, the first microprocessor. A microprocessor is a piece of integrated circuitry that contains all the functions of a computer's CPU. the Intel 4004 housed 2,300 transistors, in a chip that was only 2 inches large. Just a few decades prior it would've taken an entire...
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...This case covers the time period in Circuit City’s his Alan McCollough to halt the sale of appliances Schoonover to lay off 3,400 employees in 2007 sound strategic business decisions, target marketing, and customer input. points to the need for a retailer in such a competitive marketplace, with both brick and online competitors, to find its c customer value are keys to success. This case is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate courses in Marketing and/or Business Administration or Management, in areas where the students are stu Business Strategy or Marketing Planning. BRIEF HISTORY Circuit City opened its doors to the public in 1949 under the name of Wards Company. This date marked the beginning of the electronics superstore concept in the United States (BCRC, 2009). Within 10 years, Wards became a four store chain with total sales of $1 million per year (BCRC, 2009). In 1965, the company began its expansion through the acquisition of several television and home appliance stores in the United States (BCRC, 2 came under new management and the focus shifted to consolidating the business. all unprofitable stores and invested the revenues generated in a $2 million electronics superstore (BCRC, 2009). The store shifted Ward’s focus from home appliances to the growing consumer electronics market. It offered more than 2,000 products, including video and audio equipment and major appliances. Due to the company’s high volume sales, it was able...
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...Case Study Part1 From the case “The Rise of Circuit City Store, Inc.”, I have learned a lot about the development of the nation's second-largest consumer electronics retailer. Even though it went bankrupt, I still admire its whole development process. It was founded in 1949 by Samuel S. Wurtzel and became pioneer in their business of consumer electronics. However, I also see some problems here which cause the company failed. The first problem I want to say is that the company went on a store expansion too fast which resulted in too many stores in neighborhoods. As I learned from the microeconomics, marginal revenue will goes down as the number of stores goes up. That means when the scale of the store reaches to a certain degree, the profit goes to the maximum. Any new store will only produce a negative income. From the case, we can see that Circuit City kept adding stores almost every year, regardless of the changes in the internal and external environment. I can’t say I agree with this strategy, but at that time, it really increased the sales and profits. However, when it came to the Depression, because of the lack of demand, there was really no need to add new stores. Here, I guess I want to mention another related problem. The case mentioned Interest rates several times, and it is really important for a company. When it goes up, the demand will decrease, at the same time companies may feel hard to loan money. Furthermore, it could cause some credit problems which...
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...INTRODUCTION Circuit City Stores, Inc. was an American retailer in brand-name consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software, and (until 2000) large appliances. The company opened its first store in 1949 and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. By the end of 2008, Circuit City was the second largest U.S. electronics retailer, behind Best Buy. There were 567 Circuit City Superstores nationwide, ranging in size from 15,000 to 45,000 square feet. On November 4, 2008, Circuit City announced that it would close 155 stores and lay off 17% of its workforce by the end of the year as a result of continuing difficulties in remaining profitable. On November 7, 2008, Circuit City laid off between 500 and 800 corporate employees from its Richmond, Virginia headquarters. The approximately 1,000 remaining corporate employees were consolidated into one building in an effort to further reduce costs and improve profitability. On November 10, 2008, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. At that time, Circuit City's stock prices traded well below $1 per share (10 cents to be exact), and were removed from listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Starting January 16, 2009, Circuit City began liquidating its remaining stores, and all were closed by March 8, 2009. The former headquarters of Circuit City Stores, Inc., along with the 58 acres of land was sold in September 2010, for US $5.8 million to...
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