Basic Electronics for Beginners in 20 Steps

Step 10: Integrated Circuits

An integrated circuit (IC) is a miniaturized, specialized circuit that fits onto a single chip, with each leg of the chip connecting to a point within the circuit. These circuits typically contain components like transistors, resistors, and diodes.

For example, a 555 timer IC has over 40 components within it.

You can learn about ICs by referring to their datasheets, which detail the functionality of each pin, as well as the voltage and current ratings for the chip and each individual pin.

ICs come in different shapes and sizes. As a beginner, you’ll mainly work with DIP (Dual In-line Package) chips, which have pins for through-hole mounting. As you progress, you may work with SMT (Surface-Mounted Technology) chips, which are soldered onto the surface of a circuit board.

The notch at the top of an IC chip indicates the top of the chip. Pin 1 is located at the top-left corner, and you read the pins sequentially down the side and across to the other side.

Some smaller ICs have a small dot next to pin 1 instead of a notch.

There’s no universal way ICs are represented in circuit diagrams, but they’re often shown as boxes with pin numbers listed.