Hans Camenzind, the Swiss emigre analog guru who invented one of the most successful circuits in electronics history and introduced the concept of phase-locked loop to IC design, passed away in his sleep at the age of 78. The news was reported today (Aug. 15) by Sergio Franco, an emeritus professor of electrical engineering at San Francisco State University in an email.
Camenzind came to the United States in 1960 and worked for several years at some of the storied names of the newly developing semiconductor industry: Transitron, Tyco Semiconductor, and Signetics.
In 1971 he joined the ranks of entrepreneurs by founding InterDesign, a company specializing in semi-custom integrated circuit design. It was there, working under a contract with Signetics, that he invented the 555 timer. Signetics commercialized the device in 1972, and it went on to become one of the most successful in the industry’s history. The device, used in oscillator, pulse-generation and other applications, is still widely used today. Versions of the device have been or are still made by dozens of major semiconductor vendors, including Texas Instruments, Intersil, Maxim, Avago, Exar, Fairchild, NXP and STMicroelectronics.
Camenzind also introduced the idea of phase-locked loop to design and invented the first class D amplifier.
🙁
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: The latest on Raspberry Pi RP2350-E9, Bluetooth 6, 4,000 Stars and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
Mr. Camenzind was not only an analog genius, but willing to help out the electronics community: he and Forrest Mims were the two final judges for the 555 Design Contest set up last year by Jeri Ellsworth and Chris Gammell. It was very cool that such a legend would provide his time and expertise to help out like that. He will definitely be missed.
Ah heck.
and Harry Harrison too.
The first chip I ever used was the NE 555, and I still have fond memories of a crowded store (cavern more like) in Akihabara that sold 555s en masse, with a scoop for the customer to pour them into their ziploc baggies.
A fine little chip. And I doff my hat to the 556 as well.
Mr. Camenzind was not only an analog genius, but willing to help out the electronics community: he and Forrest Mims were the two final judges for the 555 Design Contest set up last year by Jeri Ellsworth and Chris Gammell. It was very cool that such a legend would provide his time and expertise to help out like that. He will definitely be missed.
Ah heck.
and Harry Harrison too.
The first chip I ever used was the NE 555, and I still have fond memories of a crowded store (cavern more like) in Akihabara that sold 555s en masse, with a scoop for the customer to pour them into their ziploc baggies.
A fine little chip. And I doff my hat to the 556 as well.