
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS 49
Figure 2.17 Differential amplifier
Integrated circuits
Integrated circuits free the equipment designer from the need to construct
circuits with individual discrete components such as transistors, diodes,
and resistors. The secret, of course, is that, with modern integrated circuit
technology, it is possible to fabricate a large number of equivalent discrete
components on a tiny slice of silicon. Not only is the resulting arrangement
more compact than its discrete component equivalent but it is also
considerably cheaper and very much more reliable.
At this stage we should, perhaps, make one further point for the benefi ...