Ever given a curious thought to what happens when that 220 Volts is plugged into the computer? Here goes:
A basic circuit converts the 220V AC to a 5V DC and feeds it to the Oscillator on the MotherBoard. A wave of electrical pulses that flips about 109 (1000,000,000) times a second is generated. For the uninitiated, the 0’s and 1’s they show in digital/sci-fi movies (‘The Matrix’ et al.), represent these high (1) and low (0) currents. A simple math with these binary bits lets you play those high-action video games!
The latest processors house 45nm transistors — about a Hundred million (and growing) would fit in the size of your thumbprint — each flipping meticulously to load this website you read right now. The advances in Chip production technologies blow my mind!
People are fond of their cool gizmos (iPhones!) and associate them with the “Art” in engineering work. But to me, THIS digital dance is the sexiest aspect of electronics engineering… and I’m a fan of the canvas!
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