Silicon ChipThe importance of chemistry in electronics - August 1988 SILICON CHIP
  1. Outer Front Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Publisher's Letter: The importance of chemistry in electronics
  4. Vintage Radio: Capacitors cause lots of problems by John Hill
  5. Project: Build a Plasma Display by Leo Simpson
  6. Feature: The Way I See It by Neville Williams
  7. Project: High Performance AC Millivoltmeter by Bob Flynn & Leo Simpson
  8. Serviceman's Log: Sound reasons for confusion by The Original TV Serviceman
  9. Project: Universal Power Supply Board by Leo Simpson
  10. Project: Building the Discolight, Pt.2 by Greg Swain & John Clarke
  11. Project: Remote Controlled Chimes Unit by John Clarke & Greg Swain
  12. Feature: Digital Fundamentals, Pt.9 by Louis Frenzel
  13. Feature: The Evolution of Electric Railways by Bryan Maher
  14. Feature: Amateur Radio by Garry Cratt, VK2YBX
  15. Subscriptions
  16. Market Centre
  17. Advertising Index
  18. Outer Back Cover

This is only a preview of the August 1988 issue of Silicon Chip.

You can view 40 of the 96 pages in the full issue, including the advertisments.

For full access, purchase the issue for $10.00 or subscribe for access to the latest issues.

Articles in this series:
  • The Way I See It (November 1987)
  • The Way I See It (December 1987)
  • The Way I See It (January 1988)
  • The Way I See It (February 1988)
  • The Way I See It (March 1988)
  • The Way I See It (April 1988)
  • The Way I See It (May 1988)
  • The Way I See It (June 1988)
  • The Way I See it (July 1988)
  • The Way I See It (August 1988)
  • The Way I See It (September 1988)
  • The Way I See It (October 1988)
  • The Way I See It (November 1988)
  • The Way I See It (December 1988)
  • The Way I See It (January 1989)
  • The Way I See It (February 1989)
  • The Way I See It (March 1989)
  • The Way I See It (April 1989)
  • The Way I See It (May 1989)
  • The Way I See It (June 1989)
  • The Way I See It (July 1989)
  • The Way I See It (August 1989)
  • The Way I See It (September 1989)
  • The Way I See It (October 1989)
  • The Way I See It (November 1989)
  • The Way I See It (December 1989)
Items relevant to "High Performance AC Millivoltmeter":
  • Silicon Chip article scan, September 1988 - AC Millivoltmeter Pt.2 (AUD $10.00)
  • Silicon Chip article scan, August 1988 - AC Millivoltmeter Pt.1 (AUD $10.00)
  • Silicon Chip article scan, August 1988 - AC Millivoltmeter Pt.1 (AUD $10.00)
Articles in this series:
  • High Performance AC Millivoltmeter (August 1988)
  • High Performance AC Millivoltmeter (September 1988)
Items relevant to "Universal Power Supply Board":
  • Silicon Chip article scan, August 1988 - Universal Power Supply Board For Op Amp Circuits (AUD $10.00)
Items relevant to "Building the Discolight, Pt.2":
  • Silicon Chip article scan, August 1988 - Discolight Pt.2 (AUD $10.00)
Articles in this series:
  • Build the Discolight (July 1988)
  • Building the Discolight, Pt.2 (August 1988)
  • Dimming Controls For The Discolight (October 1990)
Articles in this series:
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.1 (November 1987)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.2 (December 1987)
  • Digital Fundamnetals, Pt.3 (January 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.4 (February 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals Pt.5 (March 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.6 (April 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.7 (May 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.8 (June 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.9 (August 1988)
  • Digital Fundamentals, Pt.10 (September 1988)
Articles in this series:
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (November 1987)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (December 1987)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (January 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (February 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (March 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (April 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (May 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (June 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (July 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (August 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (September 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (October 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (November 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (December 1988)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (January 1989)
  • The Evolution Of Electric Railways (February 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (March 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (April 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (May 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (June 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (July 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (August 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (September 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (October 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (November 1989)
  • The Evolution Of Electric Railways (December 1989)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (January 1990)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (February 1990)
  • The Evolution of Electric Railways (March 1990)
Articles in this series:
  • Amateur Radio (November 1987)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1987)
  • Amateur Radio (February 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (April 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (August 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (November 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1988)
  • Amateur Radio (January 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (April 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (August 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (November 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1989)
  • Amateur Radio (February 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (April 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1990)
  • The "Tube" vs. The Microchip (August 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (November 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1990)
  • Amateur Radio (January 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (February 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (April 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (August 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (November 1991)
  • Amateur Radio (January 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (February 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (August 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (November 1992)
  • Amateur Radio (January 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (July 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (August 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (October 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1993)
  • Amateur Radio (February 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (March 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (May 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (June 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (September 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (December 1994)
  • Amateur Radio (January 1995)
  • CB Radio Can Now Transmit Data (March 2001)
  • What's On Offer In "Walkie Talkies" (March 2001)
  • Stressless Wireless (October 2004)
  • “Degen” Synthesised HF Communications Receiver (January 2007)
  • WiNRADiO: Marrying A Radio Receiver To A PC (January 2007)
  • PICAXE-08M 433MHz Data Transceiver (October 2008)
  • Half-Duplex With HopeRF’s HM-TR UHF Transceivers (April 2009)
  • Dorji 433MHz Wireless Data Modules (January 2012)
SILICON CHIP Publisher & Editor-In-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus. Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Advertising Manager Paul Buchtmann Regular Contributors Neville Williams, FIREE, VK2XV Bryan Maher, M.E. B.Sc. Jim Yalden, VK2YGY Garry Cratt, VK2YBX Jim Lawler, MTETIA John Hill David Whitby Photography Bob Donaldson Edltorlal Advisory Panel Philip Watson, VK2ZPW Norman Marks Steve Payor, B.Sc., B.E. SILICON CHIP is published 1 2 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. All material copyright (c). No part of the contents of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent of the publisher. Kitset suppliers may not photostat articles without written permission of the publisher. Typesetting/makeup: Magazine Printers Pty Ltd, Waterloo, NSW 2017. Printing: Masterprint Pty Ltd, Dubbo, NSW 2830. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. · Subscription rates are currently $42 per year (12 issues). Outside Australia the cost is $62 per year surface mail or $1 20 per year air mail. Liability: Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be covered by patents. SILICON CHIP disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such equipment. Address all mail to: Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd, PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 982 3935. ISSN 1030-2662 * Recommended and maximum Australian price only. 2 SILICON CHIP PUBUSHER'S LE'l-l'E.R The importance of chemistry in electronics This month's issue of SILICON CHIP features an unusual do-ityourself project, the Plasma Display. In essence, it seems simple enough: just an evacuated glass jar containing minute quantities of inert gases and powered by a high voltage source, the EHT generator. Even the latter is superficially simple, being a transformer-coupled push-pull inverter powered by a DC source. Superfically simple it may be, but understanding the workings of such an inverter is not simple at all. And the workings of the Plasma Display are not easy to understand either, although we have tried to explain them as well as possible, without being too long-winded. Even so, while the Plasma Display is a fascinating project, some people may tend to dismiss it as just an exercise in technical trivia with no real purpose other than to be a visual attraction. But it is much more than that. It embodies principles which are employed in all the vapour discharge lamps in use today as well as the exotic and expensive plasma discharge displays used for some computers. For us, the Plasma Display highlights the importance of chemistry in electronics. The industrial chemist is the unsung hero of today's electronic componentry. Why? Just consider the process of evacuating the glass jar, introducing the small amounts of inert gas and the subsequent sealing of the container against leakage and contamination. While efficient vacuum pumps are nowadays easily obtainable, achieving and maintaining a very high vacuum in a container is not an easy matter. The internal surfaces of the glass can easily be contaminated with substances which later "outgas" and degrade the vacuum. Any sealant used must not itself "outgas" and thereby contaminate the inert gases. Similarly, the purity, mixture and pressure of the inert gases are extremely important if the best display is to be obtained. This is a demonstration of the importance of chemistry. In the manufacture of every electronic component, chemistry assumes an over-riding importance. Without efficient epoxy encapsulating compounds, we could not have today's integrated circuits the ingress of water and other contaminants would quickly destroy them. Similarly, we could not have today's high performance capacitors and resistors without enormous research on the part of industrial chemists. Low leakage aluminium and tantalum electrolytics would just not be possible without the work of chemists. So the Plasma Display is as much a demonstration of chemistry as it is of electronics. It is indeed a fascinating project. Leo Simpson