scented ICs

[Steven Curtin]

>While they're at it, maybe they could make chips that visibly and audibly
>fail.  I remember powering up a new pcb once with the power & ground lines
>to some TI high current output drivers reversed - a loud pop and ceramic 
>bits flying out of the enclosure ensued.  I found ceramic bits embedded 
>in the ceiling!  Which reminds me kids, always wear your safety goggles 
>when testing boards - you never know what's going to happen!

DSPs and other digital chips do sometimes audibly fail- when I fried a
56000 by grounding one of the power pins it emitted a high-pitched squeal
and started to smoke.  I've since heard that this is the sound you get out
of digital chips when "it's too late".  
I have also literally blown the top of a Curtis filter chip by I think
shorting one of the caps to one of the 15v rails.

Steve C

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Steven Curtin  
http://www.emf.org/people_curtin.html
Lucent Technologies - Bell Labs Innovations
rm. 3C-208, 200 Laurel Ave S
Middletown, NJ 07748-4801  U S A
ph: (908)957-2996   fax: (908)957-6878
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