28 October 2014

Some History of Bandgap References

I am finally giving this talk on the East Coast in an open-to-the-public venue. It's not about Jim Williams, but it does mention Bob Widlar (and [spoiler] it includes my favorite Bob Widlar story). If you're in the neighborhood, please come!

Some History of Bandgap References
Electrical Engineering Seminar Series
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
3pm, Friday, 31 October 2014
Maxwell Dworkin G125



Abstract:

Bob Widlar designed the first commercial bandgap voltage reference and introduced it with an elaborate ruse in 1969. The National Semiconductor LM109 was more than a simple reference, it was a feature-packed integrated circuit that jump-started the category of three-terminal voltage regulators. Over the next few years, the LM109 was followed up by the National LM113 current shunt, the LM199 temperature-controlled buried zener, and ground-breaking products from Analog Devices, Precision Monolithics, Linear Technology, and others. This talk discusses the history and design of voltage regulators, references, and current sources from the 1960s to present day.