Sidney Darlington (July 18, 1906 – October 31, 1997) was an American electrical engineer and inventor of a

transistor upright=1.4, gate (G), body (B), source (S) and drain (D) terminals. The gate is separated from the body by an insulating layer (pink). A transistor is a semiconductor device used to Electronic amplifier, amplify or electronic switch, switch e ...

configuration in 1953, the

Darlington pair In electronics, a multi-transistor configuration called the Darlington configuration (commonly called a Darlington pair) is a circuit consisting of two bipolar transistors with the emitter of one transistor connected to the base of the other, su ...

. He advanced the state of

network theory Network theory is the study of graphs as a representation of either symmetric relations or asymmetric relations between discrete objects. In computer science and network science, network theory is a part of graph theory: a network can be defi ...

, developing the insertion-loss synthesis approach, and invented chirp radar,

bombsight A bombsight is a device used by military aircraft to drop bombs accurately. Bombsights, a feature of combat aircraft since World War I, were first found on purpose-designed bomber aircraft and then moved to fighter-bombers and modern tactical ...

s, and gun and rocket guidance. Darlington was awarded a B.S. in physics, magna cum laude, from Harvard in 1928, where he was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

. He also received a B.S. in E.E. from MIT in 1929, and a Ph.D. in physics from Columbia in 1940. In 1945, he was awarded the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...

, the United States' highest civilian honor, for his contributions during World War II. He was an elected member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

, which cited his contributions to electrical network theory, radar, and guidance systems. In 1975, he received

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

Edison Medal The IEEE Edison Medal is presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering, or the electrical arts." It is the oldest medal in this fi ...

"For basic contributions to network theory and for important inventions in radar systems and electronic circuits" and the

IEEE Medal of Honor The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It has been awarded since 1917, when its first recipient was Major Edwin H. Armstrong. It is given for an exceptional contribution ...

in 1981 "For fundamental contributions to filtering and signal processing leading to chirp radar". He died at his home in

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

, USA, at the age of 91.

Patents

* — Wave Transmission Network * — Semiconductor signal translating devices.(ed., "Darlington Transistor") * — Bombsight Computer * — Tracking Device * — Fire Control Computer * — Pulse Transmission(Chirp) * — Rocket Guidance * — Two-Port Network Synthesis * — Chirp Pulse Equalizer

References

External links

IEEE Biography

Darlington’s Contributions to Transistor Circuit DesignIrwin W. Sandberg and Ernest S. Kuh, "Sidney Darlington", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2004)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darlington, Sidney 1906 births 1997 deaths IEEE Medal of Honor recipients IEEE Edison Medal recipients American electrical engineers Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Scientists at Bell Labs People associated with radar Scientists from Pittsburgh Engineers from Pennsylvania 20th-century American engineers MIT School of Engineering alumni Columbia University alumni Harvard University alumni