14-11-12, 04:42 AM
(13-11-12, 10:41 PM)noggythenog link Wrote: I just wouldnt trust modern electronic stuff lasting as long as the old consoles.
With most things this is a fairly safe bet, but not with early electronics. The PNP depletion zone 'migrates' over time, i.e. the P and N silicon 'bleeds' into one another. This depletion zone represents the triggering voltage for the silicon transistors and iirc is 0.7V for Si. If the chip is left long enough, and the depletion zone increases, the required voltage to overcome the zone rises (before the transistor will conduct) and can burn out the chip - had it happen on a number of bits of kit, most recently the colour chip on an N64 Zelda cartridge
If you have old electronics, you need to fire it up now and again to prevent the depletion zone from getting too big.