IC may refer to any of the following:

  1. Alternatively known as a bare chip, monolithic integrated circuit, or microchip, IC is short for integrated circuit or integrated chip. The IC is a package containing silicon with many circuits, logic gates, pathways, transistors, and other components working together to perform a specific function or series of functions. Integrated circuits are the building blocks of computer hardware.

The picture shows an example of several integrated circuits. Because the IC is fragile, it’s often encased in a plastic package with metal pins extending to connect to a circuit board. An IC may be packaged as SIP (single in-line package), DIP (dual in-line package), PLCC (plastic leaded chip carrier), or another type.

When was the IC first created?

The integrated circuit was first introduced as a concept by British radar engineer Geoffrey Dummer on May 7, 1952. IC technology was later developed by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce and successfully demonstrated on September 12, 1958.

  • When was the IC first created?
  • Where are chips placed?
  • Integrated circuit generations.
  • What devices use ICs today?

Where are chips placed?

Chips are placed (installed) onto a PCB (printed circuit board). For example, you’d find chips on your motherboard and expansion cards inside a computer.

Integrated circuit generations

Since their creation, many generations of integrated circuits have increased the number of transistors and logic gates per chip. Below is a list of each generation and the approximate capacity of each chip.

Those designing new devices may first place chips on a breadboard to make it easier during the design phase.

  • SSI (small-scale integration) - 1 to 10 transistors and 1 to 12 logic gates.
  • MSI (medium-scale integration) - 10 to 500 transistors and 13 to 99 logic gates.
  • LSI (large-scale integration) - 500 to 20,000 transistors and 100 to 9,999 logic gates.
  • VLSI (very-large-scale integration) - 20,000 to 1,000,000 transistors and 10,000 to 99,999 logic gates.
  • ULSI (ultra-large-scale integration) - over 1,000,000 transistors and 100,000 logic gates.

What devices use ICs today?

Because integrated circuits are so versatile, they are incorporated in most electronic devices today, including:

  1. In role-playing games, IC is short for in character. IC describes a player acting out their character’s role in the game and not talking about things unrelated to the game.

  2. In chat rooms, IC is shorthand for I see. It may also be abbreviated as OIC, which is short for Oh I See. Below is an example of how this could be used in chat.

User1: What does CPU mean?User2: Central Processing UnitUser1: OIC

Chat terms, Circuit, Electronics terms, Fab, Game terms, Hardware terms, Integrated, MOSFET, OOC, PCB, RTC, ULSI

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