Electronic engineering

Electronic engineering involves the design and testing of electronic circuits that use the
properties of components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors to
achieve a particular functionality. The tuned circuit, which allows the user of a radio to
filter out all but a single station, is just one example of such a circuit.

Another example(of a pneumatic signal conditioner) is shown in the adjacent photograph.
Prior to the second world war, the subject was commonly known as radio engineering
and basically was restricted to aspects of communications and radar, commercial radio
and early television.

Later, in post war years, as consumer devices began to be developed,
the field grew to include modern television, audio systems, computers and
microprocessors. In the mid to late 1950s, the term radio engineering gradually gave way
to the name electronic engineering.Before the invention of the integrated circuit in 1959, electronic circuits were constructed from discrete components that could be manipulated by humans.

These discrete circuits consumed much space and power and were limited in speed, although they are still
common in some applications. By contrast, integrated circuits packed a large number—
often millions—of tiny electrical components, mainly transistors, into a small chip
around the size of a coin. This allowed for the powerful computers and other electronic
devices we see today.