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Experiment 4: Diode Circuits

The prevalent use of electronics in our industrialized society is undeniably cementing itself as a requirement to suite our contemporary lifestyles. It is obvious that several aspects of life are influenced by the use of electronics and, in several cases, rely on the use of such components. On a global scale, the demand for development and economic growth is pushing for the implementation of electronics even in the most remote countries of the world. For this, consciousness of such systems is important as they affect the most essential sectors that influence the running and stability of societies; energy, the economy, the environment, and equity. In this analysis, I will consider the basic technology used in Experiment 4 to establish a sustainability perspective regarding the information taught in class.

Energy:

In this experiment, the properties of diode wave-shaping were investigated. There are several energy considerations that can be asserted through this experiment by analyzing the circuits constructed.

After calculating the power consumption of the circuits evaluated in the experiment, it was determined that the circuits ran at very minimal power ranges. For instance, the clipping circuit averaged a power consumption of 0.933mW, determined by the data collected during the experiment[1]. In essence, the circuits observed in this experiment used very little energy; low voltage circuits used for signal processing use minimal power. However, in the greater scheme of things, when such circuits are used in a grand scale, their power consumption becomes an issue to the national grid.

Though several electronic devices composed of semiconductor components require low power to run them—such as those used in this experiment—their general and constant use by the masses contribute to high demands in energy consumption. Devices such as MP3 players, video-game consoles, cell-phones and computers have become large power consumers, despite popular belief. In fact, consumer electronics have become 15 percent of the power demand worldwide[2]. Furthermore, according to the International Energy Agency, to supply the energy needed to operate the worldwide usage of electronics will require the construction of an equivalent of 560 coal-fired power plants (230 nuclear plants)[2]. On this note, low-voltage electronic devices may not be as sustainable, in the energy sense, as we thought.

Environment:

Overall, the semiconductor devices used in this experiment do not meet the environmental demands of sustainability. The semiconductor fabrication process involves the use of several toxins that are detrimental to the environment, and are not biodegradable. For instance, poisonous dopants such as arsenic, antimony, and phosphorous, are commonly used in semiconductor development[3]. Such poisons have the potential to damage ecosystems and contribute to health hazards if left as electronic waste—a major concern to the global community. Despite this, there have been efforts to minimize the negative effects electronic waste pose to the sustainability of our ecosystems. A great example is the ingenious of IBM to reuse scrap silicon wafers to produce solar panels, a green source of energy[4]. Though inherently harmful, if dealt with properly, semiconductor material has potential to contribute to greener energy production.

Economics: The electronic components used in this experiment met the economic standards of sustainability, for they are cheap to mass-produce and easy on the wallet. Furthermore, semiconductor components tend to have long lifetimes, capable of performing nominally for a long times.

Equity: The experiment proved to be a great learning experience, for it provided necessary knowledge involving the application of diodes in wave-shaping. Equity was provided through the fruitful education acquired by the students performing the experiment. The knowledge gained will help me further my education in the field of electrical engineering, and perhaps serve part of the foundation to my contribution to more efficient technologies in the future.

1. Ervin Carrillo, Yuri Carrillo, Derek Hines, “Experiment 4: Diode Circuits”, 28 October 2009.

2. JAD MOUAWAD, KATE GALBRAITH, Power-hungry gadgets crave efficiency standards, 20 September 2009. Available: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009902543_gadget20.html. [Accessed November 21, 2009]

3. Author Unknown, Hazardous Technical Information Services Bulletin, Vol. 11 No.6, November-December 2001. Available: http://www.p2pays.org/ref/02/01010.pdf [Accessed Nov. 21, 2009]

4. David HO, IBM Gives Boos To Solar Energy: Process Recycles Scrap Silicon, October 30, 2007. Available: https://blackboard.calpoly.edu/courses/1/EE-46-03088/content/_1964721_1/IBM_Process_Recycles_Silicon.pdf?bsession=13041426&bsession_str=session_id=13041426,user_id_pk1=161671,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token [Accessed Nov. 21, 2009]