Volume 1, Number 2 - April 15, 2010
New Memory Lanes
This trip down memory lane was made even more interesting by the recent announcement by Hewlett-Packard researchers that they've been able to create useful circuits out of a newly developed electronic component, the thin-film memristor. These devices, postulated as long ago as 1971, were only recently fabricated using a combination of nanotechnology and standard semiconductor processes. Essentially, a memristor is a fourth fundamental electronic component (joining the more familiar resistor, inductor, and capacitor) that endows a resistor with memory – its resistance changes with the flow of electrical charges in such a way that even after the flow is stopped (the power is turned off) the resistance change is retained.
The most recent HP research, as described in a paper in Nature, has demonstrated that memristors can perform the logical IMP (implication) function. Back in college, in my first digital circuit design course, I learned that all possible digital-logic operations – including digital memory, numerical calculation and all the other logic functions that go to make up a computer or any other digital-logic device like a CD or DVD player – can be built up from circuits that only perform the IMP function. An IMP circuit is one of those that is “computationally universal.” It's one of those fundamental digital design theorems, kinda like Archimedes' “give me a lever long enough and I can move anything.” Give me lots of IMPs and I can make any digital logic device. Memristors can therefore be used to compute and to remember what they were doing when they were shut down.
The characteristics of the HP memristor circuits leads HP to be optimistic for the future of memristor circuitry. Memristors alone could replace flash memory and even hard-disk drives if the memory densities can be made large enough. Memristor-based computation circuits could find a host of applications, especially in devices where low power consummption, high circuit density and large amounts of memory are required (huge-capacity MP3 players, cell phones, and GPS devices spring immediately to mind) . Memristor technology might even help extend the constant growth of digital-circuit complexity (known as Moore's Law) beyond the point where conventional silicon-transistor technology breaks down. My career has paralleled Moore's Law, which was formulated while I was winding electromagnets. Its nice to think that the end of conventional silicon technology won't also be the end of the line for progress in electronics. Thanks, HP, for the new memories.
New Memory Lanes
This trip down memory lane was made even more interesting by the recent announcement by Hewlett-Packard researchers that they've been able to create useful circuits out of a newly developed electronic component, the thin-film memristor. These devices, postulated as long ago as 1971, were only recently fabricated using a combination of nanotechnology and standard semiconductor processes. Essentially, a memristor is a fourth fundamental electronic component (joining the more familiar resistor, inductor, and capacitor) that endows a resistor with memory – its resistance changes with the flow of electrical charges in such a way that even after the flow is stopped (the power is turned off) the resistance change is retained.
The most recent HP research, as described in a paper in Nature, has demonstrated that memristors can perform the logical IMP (implication) function. Back in college, in my first digital circuit design course, I learned that all possible digital-logic operations – including digital memory, numerical calculation and all the other logic functions that go to make up a computer or any other digital-logic device like a CD or DVD player – can be built up from circuits that only perform the IMP function. An IMP circuit is one of those that is “computationally universal.” It's one of those fundamental digital design theorems, kinda like Archimedes' “give me a lever long enough and I can move anything.” Give me lots of IMPs and I can make any digital logic device. Memristors can therefore be used to compute and to remember what they were doing when they were shut down.
The characteristics of the HP memristor circuits leads HP to be optimistic for the future of memristor circuitry. Memristors alone could replace flash memory and even hard-disk drives if the memory densities can be made large enough. Memristor-based computation circuits could find a host of applications, especially in devices where low power consummption, high circuit density and large amounts of memory are required (huge-capacity MP3 players, cell phones, and GPS devices spring immediately to mind) . Memristor technology might even help extend the constant growth of digital-circuit complexity (known as Moore's Law) beyond the point where conventional silicon-transistor technology breaks down. My career has paralleled Moore's Law, which was formulated while I was winding electromagnets. Its nice to think that the end of conventional silicon technology won't also be the end of the line for progress in electronics. Thanks, HP, for the new memories.
Probably more than four- there's Warburg impedances as well.
Last year, I worked with a fellow (Dr. Gary Bohannan) who had invented and characterized a whole family of devices with fractional power law impedance versus frequency characteristics. Gary was also a fundamental contributor to the fractal antenna technology. Whenever I started feeling smart, I'd drop into Gary's office to talk and would invariably walk out feeling much stupider.
Last year, I worked with a fellow (Dr. Gary Bohannan) who had invented and characterized a whole family of devices with fractional power law impedance versus frequency characteristics. Gary was also a fundamental contributor to the fractal antenna technology. Whenever I started feeling smart, I'd drop into Gary's office to talk and would invariably walk out feeling much stupider.
Just so you know, folks, I own an Acura and a Porsche, they both run well, and the Porsche has leather seats. Why I should be bowed over by a Bentley, is a mystery to me, except that it is a fine car. Jack usually picks me up in his Mercedes, because that is his 'knock around car' or his wife's Lexus. He drove the Bentley to Lake Tahoe, about 4 hours each way, I should think, in the rain this week. Then when I called, his wife told me that he was at the auto dealer. I suspect that he got a water leak. You know these Limey cars! ;-) My friend Art Ferris's 12 cylinder Jag ALWAYS leaked water. I will ask him, when I talk to him next. But to be fair, my present business partner's BMW leaks water and multiple visits have not fixed it. My Acura sits in the rain and NEVER leaks, even after 15 years. Good Japanese engineering and construction.
I got carses,mostly 25 year old Audi coupes
But you can't legislate friendships can you,advert copy is something else maybe.If I was trying to flog quantum tunneling resistors I might use more hyperbole than might be considered seemly by some,but I'm not,so it's a moot point.
Regards Max Albin
ps This winter it snowed
But you can't legislate friendships can you,advert copy is something else maybe.If I was trying to flog quantum tunneling resistors I might use more hyperbole than might be considered seemly by some,but I'm not,so it's a moot point.
Regards Max Albin
ps This winter it snowed
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Lexus is the way to go!
Hi John,
I second that!
The gentleman is wise, his partner drives the best one "the Lexus" and he drive's in his Mercedes.
"I rather have a star (impact) on my windscreen than having one on my hood"
That's why I still drive my old and reliable Toyota starlet from 1989 and I'm still happy with my car. You just cant beat these Japanese
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Audiofanatic
Hi John,
I second that!
The gentleman is wise, his partner drives the best one "the Lexus" and he drive's in his Mercedes.
"I rather have a star (impact) on my windscreen than having one on my hood"
That's why I still drive my old and reliable Toyota starlet from 1989 and I'm still happy with my car. You just cant beat these Japanese
Back to topic
Audiofanatic
The problem is that most of those who say they are "subjective," aren't. Instead, many of them attempt to pass off their subjective experience as more than simply their subjective experience. When they do this, they can't rightly call themselves "subjective."
se
In the formal sense its against the rules I believe, But many high end audio beliefs are religious ones in that they're unfalsifiable. That's why we get so many disagreements here
You probably use "religious" with beliefs as in strong, not based on facts beliefs. But I think the forum policy refers to beliefs in which a deity is involved. Anyhow, I don't know.
I agree with you that many here hold strong beliefs. I have no problem with that. At some point, one runs out of facts. Some don't want to stop when that happens, because they got some "feeling." I consider it a personal freedom of choice, and would like to reserve the right to have that choice for myself too.
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