5.3.2 Components of Circuits

A Brief History of Electrical Engineering: Components of Circuits

Since in Donovan's REPLAY we focus so much on the invention of the integrated circuit (microchip) and the subsequent invention of the microprocessor, it's important to acknowledge that the electronic circuits used in the early arcade games we are discussing included many other components. Many of these other important components of electronic circuits were invented before the transistor: capacitors, resistors, diodes, inductors, relays and quartz crystals. Below, I've curated a selection of images of the capacitor and resistor as well as definitions of both.


How Does A Capacitor Work? - Build Electronic Circuits

Capacitor. "A capacitor (originally known as a condenser) is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy electrostatically in an electric field." – Source, Adafruit Circuit Playground.

The capacitor uses a similar principles to a battery, except it stores a charge and then rapidly sends it out. Like the battery, the principle involves getting electricity into a material – unlike the battery, which uses metal and electrolyte fluid, the original capacitor (known as a Leyden jar) was was invented in 1735.



Resistor. "In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines, among other uses." – Source, Wikipedia.



Patented by Otis Frank Boykin in 1961.

Here, I've linked to an accessible overview of all the components of electronic circuits.

The Designer Behind the First Microprocessor: Federico Faggin

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