
Homage to a
Handmade Chip
T
he most enduringly successful chip in
electronics history was created by one
man working in a back-alley storefront.
His name was Hans Camenzind, the chip was
the 555 timer, and this year marks its 50th
anniversary. It has outlasted all competitors, is
still being manufactured in basically the same
design, and has sold billions worldwide.
The 555 has endured because it is amazingly
versatile and reliable. It can time an interval
ranging from a millisecond to an hour — or
can generate a pulse stream at a frequency
exceeding 1MHz. It can create audio tones, and
can even function as a logic gate. I consider
it so impor ...