'The exhibits at Olympia demonstrating the highest levels of electronics technology will undoubtedly be the integrated circuits', started a preview of the RECMF (Radio and Electronic Components Manufacturers) exhibition, covered in Electronics Weekly's edition of May 14th 1969.
Plessey Microelectronics were due to show 'their ML150 series of analogue switches that include combinations six p-channel enhancement mode MOS transistors'.
The biggest stand was Mullard's showing five new ICs for TVs. 'The company says that it is already technical feasible to replace about 70 semiconductors in small; signal areas of colour sets with ICs', runs the article.
'Marconi-Elliott Microelectronics will put emphasis on mew medium-scale integration techniques and TTL complex functions,' adds the report.
'Motorola, one of the foreign companies exhibiting for the first time, will be out to demonstrate their MECL II and III high speed non-saturated logic and MC 4000 series of complex functions,' says the report.
However later on the review states: ''Reminding visitors to
I went to that exhibition; ah, it takes me back! Work was much livelier when most of the equipment I worked on used valves. The flash and crack as a screwdiver shorted an HT rail; the bangs of electrolytics getting too much ripple current; the clouds of smoke from burning resistors or over-run transformers; the roars of anguish as engineers found the 400V rail was up and running. What do you get nowadays? A tiny spark, a blank screen, and a £2000 bill for a new module. I wonder how many people today know what a Trochotron is?
Pure poetry, Peter, and I haven't a clue.
The RECMF used to alternate with the IEA (Instruments Electronics and Automation) at Olympia, and I was lucky enough to get a day off each year to visit them. I acquired lots of leaflets and knowledge, and met loads of interesting and informative people. Then they moved it up to Birmingham, and that was that. Oh, a Trochotron was a development of the Dekatron counting tube (you may have seen them in old Gieger counters - rotating neon dots,counting up the pulses), but using an electroflourescent display, (same as the old "magic eye" level indicators found in old tape recorders), but arranged in ten segments. They were much faster than Dekatrons, some of them achieving a counting frequency of 5MHz!
Fascinating stuff, Peter, thanks. You learn something new everyday in this game.
Very true, David; that's what makes it such fun. Your ruminations on the early ICs put me in mind of a story I heard, of a 5-valve receiver being constructed within two glass envelopes. All you needed was a tuned circuit, a loudspeaker and a power supply. The resistors were carbon-on-glass, as were the small capacitors. A valve IC? I believe it was made by Siemens some time in the thirties, but I may be wrong - my memory isn't so reliable these days (querulous voice, shaking hands, wet trousers).
Excellent stuff, Peter, apart from the wet trousers, keep it coming.
Ah Mullard...
So many great TV ICs to come out of there, among other things Teletext, with a success story continued for many years at Philips Semiconductors. Fantastic company and people!
Yes, Anon, I well remember trotting up to Torrington Place in the 70s and 80s to meet Jack Ackerman, Sir Ivor Cohen and Ted Hentley. They ran a very impressive show.
Ted had a great story about Alan Sugar ringing him up and saying if he didn't get his parts he'd come round to Torrington Place and wop him one.