When discrete is not discrete?

[pucho812]

At what point can you call a design discrete?  I'm looking at one from a well known manufacturer that says it's discrete but all I see are chips.

 

[gridcurrent]

is a 990 discrete ?

 

[pucho812]

is a 990 discrete ?

the opamp?

 

[L´Andratté]

Well, that´s indiscrete...
You could argue if it´s discrete transistors on an integrated circuit, like that300.
Than as a sales agent you wouldn´t be totally lying ;D
But the whole discussion "discrete vs. IC" is BS, more like "ClassA vs. Class AB", like "analog vs. digital" is really "hardware vs.software based", it is all counterproductive anyway-

 

[MountCyanide]

I had that same head scratcher about the Elysia Mpressor.
It says that it's all discrete but I spotted a gang of chips and even a THAT 4305.
No qualms about the unit or design at all because it's an amazing compressor that does what nothing else I've ever used does. I love the thing. But it being marketed as discrete did puzzle me.

 

[ruffrecords]

Well, that´s indiscrete...
You could argue if it´s discrete transistors on an integrated circuit, like that300.
Than as a sales agent you wouldn´t be totally lying ;D
But the whole discussion "discrete vs. IC" is BS, more like "ClassA vs. Class AB", like "analog vs. digital" is really "hardware vs.software based", it is all counterproductive anyway-

It can be informative. There are things you can do in ICs that a very hard or impossible to do in discrete devices and the converse is also true. Like all engineering, the design is constrained by the technologies available.

A little used technique these days is thick or thin film hybrids. Potentially these allow you to pick the best of both; bare die and discrete devices on the same substrate but it has largely been superseded by SMT.

Cheers

Ian

 

[dmp]

If the audio path is discrete but things like metering are using chips, I don't think many people would cry foul.

is a 990 discrete ?

The John Hardy or DIY versions are.  Potting discrete components doesn't take away from the discrete-ness.

Discrete means "individually separate and distinct."
A integrated circuit (IC) is a slab of silicon with all the components (resistors, caps, transistors) etched onto it.

 

[clintrubber]

[quote author=dmp link]

Discrete means "individually separate and distinct."
A integrated circuit (IC) is a slab of silicon with all the components (resistors, caps, transistors) etched onto it.
[/quote]

I agree, but some side-remarks can be made:

It could be argued that discrete transistors are devices-formerly-known-as-integrated-components, since they're fabricated together on larger wafers and are then sawn and each put into their own enclosure. Obviously massive isolation, compared to when they were all still on the same wafer.

Each component (BJT, FET, R, C, L, D,...) on a chip needs to be isolated from each other for proper functioning  of the total circuit.  So they're still individually discernable, one could argue. They're separated by isolators (e.g. oxide), or by reversed biased junctions. So it's not that some kind of homogeneous soup is poured into an IC-package. 

The bad rap for ICs might come mostly from the larger potential interaction all those closer spaced components can have with each other.

Finally, it's of course unavoidable that people show up and confuse the discussion by presenting far-fetched examples...  ???  :-[ 

 

[JohnRoberts]

at this point what difference does it make.... ;D

if the transfer function is good, it is good....

JR

 

[Bo Deadly]

Obviously this is subject to some interpretation. But technically the word "discrete" by itself means individual separate units which, in the context of electronics, would mean no ICs and that a discrete circuit is composed of individual components like transistors and resistors and such.