That is so neat that your Father worked for Semi. He sure raised a bright and hard working son. I'm sure he is very proud of you. Thanks for all your work. One of the very BEST youtube channels!
I was a test engineer at National Semi in 1972. Bob Widlar's original tester for the LM-105 regulator was a metal box that would only work if it was tipped on its right side. We never figured out why. The techs used to open bottles of nitrogen on hot summer days to cool off the test floor and we used a PDP-8 minicomputer to drive the testers. It had a RIM memory that had to be sequentially programmed by toggle switches from the front panel. It was a perfect drunk test. Miss one command and start over. So we trained a line girl to do it se we could enjoy multiple beers for lunch. Those were wild days!
The essays "Pease Porridge" on analog circuit design written by Bob Pease of National Semiconductor in "Electronic Design" monthly magazine were fantastic teaching and revelation which led me to the electronics industry. I have spent many hours while reading the thick NS product data book to learn and to get new ideas on analog circuits. I own a lot to wonderful engineers of National Semiconductor.
In defence of Plessey, it looks like Plessey was well ahead of NS, and they actually wanted to know what NS knew about semi-conductors ! - 'Plessey produced an early integrated circuit model in 1957, before the patents of Jack St. Clair Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild' (from Wiki)
Pretty wild, small world. I now work at a national fab that was purchased by Texas instruments and worked with some guys in salt lake that left Fairchild when it shut down. Great job on these videos man, I feel like I learn more from you about my work than from working there myself
Robert Pease also worked there in their heyday. He was recruited from Philbrick, which introduced the first operational amplifier modules (vacuum tube), and was quite the personality and application engineer.
In the 1970's, after a career in electronics repair, I became a new electronics product design engineer. An engineer needs data books and application guides on chips. The major chip companies then were Motorola, Texas, Fairchild, and National Semiconductor. Texas delivery times were way too long. Philips was trying to nibble away at the edges. So I asked the local reps for Motorola, Fairchild, and Nat Semi for data books and application guides. The Motorola guy refused to give me anything, saying he had supplied the company Head Office library. Fat lot of good that is - an engineer needs everything to hand at all times. The Fairchild guy gave me a TTL data book and a TTL app guide. The Nat Semi guy gave me a truck load of data books and manuals. Extensive literature on each chip showing how to use it and get the beast out of it. And quoted lower prices and faster delivery than Fairchild.
THANK, YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING LOTS OF GOOD MEMORIES BACK. I WORKED AT NS IN THE SINGAPORE PLANT. SPOCK VISITED US MANY TIMES. HE IS REALLY REVERED IN NATIONAL. NS PROVIDED MANY SINGAPORE ANS ON THE FIESTY, JOB EDUCATION THAT ARMED US FOR LIFE AFTER NATIONAL. I CAN SPEAK FOR MOST OF US...WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR NATIONAL. WE HAD EX - NS GET TOGETHERS OFTEN AND JUST RECENTLY IN OCT 2022 WE HAD ONE WITH ABOUT 150 OLD EX NS FOLKS REMINICING THE GOOD OLD ANIMALS OF SILICON VALLEY DAYS!!!
I don't remember anyone calling the company by its full name - it was always just Nat Semi. And Bob Widdler was the Hunter S Thompson of analogue - widdlerising failed components with a large hammer has been a standard technique at a couple of places I worked. I've met a few of the heroes from the Valley's golden era, but I'd swap any five for an evening in a bar with him.
I worked as a maintenance tech at the Danbury, CT plant from summer of 1984 until they closed it in 1990. Good people, fun place to work, and while there added to my electronics knowledge learning a lot about vacuum systems, compressed gasses and plenty of other things that have served me well ever since.
If I were your dad I'd be proud. Nice job.
That is so neat that your Father worked for Semi. He sure raised a bright and hard working son. I'm sure he is very proud of you. Thanks for all your work. One of the very BEST youtube channels!
I was a test engineer at National Semi in 1972. Bob Widlar's original tester for the LM-105 regulator was a metal box that would only work if it was tipped on its right side. We never figured out why. The techs used to open bottles of nitrogen on hot summer days to cool off the test floor and we used a PDP-8 minicomputer to drive the testers. It had a RIM memory that had to be sequentially programmed by toggle switches from the front panel. It was a perfect drunk test. Miss one command and start over. So we trained a line girl to do it se we could enjoy multiple beers for lunch. Those were wild days!
Used to love National Semiconductor products. They had great app notes and data books. And Bob Pease was a legend.
The essays "Pease Porridge" on analog circuit design written by Bob Pease of National Semiconductor in "Electronic Design" monthly magazine were fantastic teaching and revelation which led me to the electronics industry. I have spent many hours while reading the thick NS product data book to learn and to get new ideas on analog circuits. I own a lot to wonderful engineers of National Semiconductor.
In defence of Plessey, it looks like Plessey was well ahead of NS, and they actually wanted to know what NS knew about semi-conductors ! - 'Plessey produced an early integrated circuit model in 1957, before the patents of Jack St. Clair Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild' (from Wiki)
Pretty wild, small world. I now work at a national fab that was purchased by Texas instruments and worked with some guys in salt lake that left Fairchild when it shut down. Great job on these videos man, I feel like I learn more from you about my work than from working there myself
By the way, could you do an episode on the economic expectations of the 2022 chip act? Thatnk and your father is a good man.
Robert Pease also worked there in their heyday. He was recruited from Philbrick, which introduced the first operational amplifier modules (vacuum tube), and was quite the personality and application engineer.
National data books and app notes were great. I still have lots of them.
In the 1970's, after a career in electronics repair, I became a new electronics product design engineer. An engineer needs data books and application guides on chips. The major chip companies then were Motorola, Texas, Fairchild, and National Semiconductor. Texas delivery times were way too long. Philips was trying to nibble away at the edges. So I asked the local reps for Motorola, Fairchild, and Nat Semi for data books and application guides. The Motorola guy refused to give me anything, saying he had supplied the company Head Office library. Fat lot of good that is - an engineer needs everything to hand at all times. The Fairchild guy gave me a TTL data book and a TTL app guide. The Nat Semi guy gave me a truck load of data books and manuals. Extensive literature on each chip showing how to use it and get the beast out of it. And quoted lower prices and faster delivery than Fairchild.
Thanks for all the work you put into creating these videos. There aren’t many channels that tell these stories in such depth.
THANK, YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING LOTS OF GOOD MEMORIES BACK. I WORKED AT NS IN THE SINGAPORE PLANT. SPOCK VISITED US MANY TIMES. HE IS REALLY REVERED IN NATIONAL. NS PROVIDED MANY SINGAPORE ANS ON THE FIESTY, JOB EDUCATION THAT ARMED US FOR LIFE AFTER NATIONAL. I CAN SPEAK FOR MOST OF US...WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR NATIONAL. WE HAD EX - NS GET TOGETHERS OFTEN AND JUST RECENTLY IN OCT 2022 WE HAD ONE WITH ABOUT 150 OLD EX NS FOLKS REMINICING THE GOOD OLD ANIMALS OF SILICON VALLEY DAYS!!!
I don't remember anyone calling the company by its full name - it was always just Nat Semi. And Bob Widdler was the Hunter S Thompson of analogue - widdlerising failed components with a large hammer has been a standard technique at a couple of places I worked. I've met a few of the heroes from the Valley's golden era, but I'd swap any five for an evening in a bar with him.
5:26
Sounds like potential for a Documentary like pirates of Silicon Valley
I worked as a maintenance tech at the Danbury, CT plant from summer of 1984 until they closed it in 1990. Good people, fun place to work, and while there added to my electronics knowledge learning a lot about vacuum systems, compressed gasses and plenty of other things that have served me well ever since.
Nice work. Widlar and Pease were characters.
The dedication to your dad is a nice touch ❤
NS ic data books and applications are top notch.