Hans Camenzind
- August 8, 2012
- 78 years
About Hans Camenzind
Hans Camenzind, 78, Swiss electronics engineer.
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Full Biography
|Hans R. Camenzind (Swiss Standard German: [ˈkaːməntsɪnd]; 1934 – 8 August 2012) was an electronics engineer known for designing the 555 timer IC in 1971 under contract to Signetics. He was the inventor on 20 US patents. Camenzind also wrote three books and numerous technical articles, and lectured at the University of Santa Clara.
Background and education
Camenzind was born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland, where he went to college. In 1960 he moved to the United States, first receiving an MSEE from Northeastern University and then an MBA from the University of Santa Clara. Camenzind taught circuit design in the morning, then attended classes at the same university at night working towards a Master's degree in Business Administration.
Career
In 1962, Camenzind joined the Laboratory for Physical Science at P.R. Mallory in Burlington, Massachusetts. After six years of research, Camenzind moved to California in 1968 to join Signetics, but two years later he felt Signetics "lost its way" and resigned to write a book. He told them he didn't want to come back, and wanted to work as a consultant and independent designer, he proposed the 555 design in 1971. He then started Interdesign, a semiconductor design company, which he headed for seven years before selling out to Ferranti. Following the sale of Interdesign, Camenzind became an independent analog IC design consultant.
During his career Camenzind designed the first integrated class D amplifier, introduced the IC phase-locked loop, invented the semicustom IC, and created the legendary 555 timer. By 2006, he had designed 140 standard and custom ICs, such as:
- Signetics LM555
- Signetics LM565
- Signetics LM566
- Signetics LM567
- Zetex Semiconductors ZSCT1555
Books
Camenzind wrote three books and numerous technical articles. His last book, Much Ado About Almost Nothing, published in February 2007, is a general audience book about the history of electronics. Other books include, Designing Analog Chips and, under the pen name John Penter, he also wrote, Circumstantial Evidence, a book about religion.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
15 Verified Trivia Questions About Hans Camenzind
Every question below is stored in the archive and checked against Hans Camenzind's record and biography. The correct answer and the reasoning behind it are given with each question.
1.When did Hans R. Camenzind move to the United States?
- A.1960Correct
- B.1962
- C.1971
- D.1968
Hans R. Camenzind moved to the United States in 1960.
Source: Background and education section
2.Which university did Hans R. Camenzind attend to earn his MBA?
- A.Harvard University
- B.University of Zürich
- C.Northeastern University
- D.University of Santa ClaraCorrect
Hans R. Camenzind received an MBA from the University of Santa Clara.
Source: Background and education section
3.Which company did Hans R. Camenzind join in 1962 in Burlington, Massachusetts?
- A.Interdesign
- B.Signetics
- C.Ferranti
- D.P.R. MalloryCorrect
In 1962, Hans R. Camenzind joined the Laboratory for Physical Science at P.R. Mallory.
Source: Career section
4.What famous electronic component did Hans R. Camenzind design in 1971?
- A.Class A amplifier
- B.555 timer ICCorrect
- C.Transistor radio chip
- D.Logic gate array
Hans R. Camenzind designed the 555 timer IC in 1971 under contract to Signetics.
Source: Introduction
5.How many US patents did Hans R. Camenzind hold?
- A.20Correct
- B.3
- C.555
- D.140
Hans R. Camenzind was the inventor on 20 US patents.
Source: Introduction
6.What is the name of the semiconductor design company started by Hans R. Camenzind?
- A.InterdesignCorrect
- B.Ferranti
- C.Zetex
- D.Signetics
Hans R. Camenzind started Interdesign, a semiconductor design company.
Source: Career section
7.To which company did Hans R. Camenzind sell his company, Interdesign?
- A.P.R. Mallory
- B.Signetics
- C.FerrantiCorrect
- D.Zetex
Hans R. Camenzind headed Interdesign for seven years before selling it to Ferranti.
Source: Career section
8.What type of amplifier did Hans R. Camenzind design?
- A.Class A amplifier
- B.Class B amplifier
- C.Class D amplifierCorrect
- D.Class C amplifier
Hans R. Camenzind designed the first integrated class D amplifier.
Source: Career section
9.How many books in total did Hans R. Camenzind write?
- A.1
- B.3Correct
- C.20
- D.140
Hans R. Camenzind wrote three books.
Source: Books section
10.Under what pen name did Hans R. Camenzind write the book Circumstantial Evidence?
- A.Ferranti Associate
- B.Signetics Staff
- C.Hans R. Camenzind
- D.John PenterCorrect
Hans R. Camenzind wrote the book Circumstantial Evidence under the pen name John Penter.
Source: Books section
11.What was the topic of the book Circumstantial Evidence?
- A.ReligionCorrect
- B.Circuit physics
- C.Analog chip design
- D.Electronics history
Circumstantial Evidence is a book written by Hans R. Camenzind about religion.
Source: Books section
12.What was the subject of Hans R. Camenzind's last book, Much Ado About Almost Nothing?
- A.Analog chip design
- B.Business management
- C.The history of electronicsCorrect
- D.Religion and faith
Much Ado About Almost Nothing is a general audience book about the history of electronics.
Source: Books section
13.By 2006, approximately how many standard and custom ICs had Hans R. Camenzind designed?
- A.20
- B.555
- C.3
- D.140Correct
By 2006, Hans R. Camenzind had designed 140 standard and custom ICs.
Source: Career section
14.In what year did Hans R. Camenzind die?
- A.1934
- B.2006
- C.2012Correct
- D.2007
Hans R. Camenzind died on 8 August 2012.
Source: Introduction
15.In what city was Hans R. Camenzind born?
- A.Bern
- B.Geneva
- C.ZürichCorrect
- D.Basel
Hans R. Camenzind was born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland.
Source: Background and education section
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Videos about Hans Camenzind
Video interview of Hans Camenzind by Transistor Gijutsu magazine (Japanese subtitled); YouTube.
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Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Camenzind
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
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