Make: Electronics, 2nd Edition

Chapter 4. Chips, Ahoy!

Before I get into the fascinating topic of integrated circuit chips (often referred to as ICs or simply chips), I have to make a confession. Some of the things I asked you to do in previous experiments could have been done a bit more simply, if we had used chips.

Does this mean you have been wasting your time? Absolutely not! I firmly believe that by building circuits with individual components such as transistors and diodes, you acquire the best possible understanding of the principles of electronics. Still, you are going to find that chips containing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of transistor junctions will enable some shortcuts.

You may also find chips curiously addictive to play with—although you may not become ...