Memristors

[JKowalski]

I've been reading up on these things a bit, and they look very interesting. I know they are mainly geared towards use in the digital realm, but what are the chances that we might see these as standard components? They do commonly claim them as "the new fundamental circuit element", placing them alongside the resistors, capacitors and inductors we know and love... Even through they are a little inconsistent, in all their different iterations...

I've been racking my brain trying to think of interesting ways to use these things were they to become available for analog use... It's kind of hard to visualize their reactions to signals, though - they behave so strangely.

Quite frankly, I just want to hear what guitar signal sounds like distorted through one of these things!

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memristor

Falstad Java App Sim (scroll down to bottom for memristor examples): http://falstad.com/circuit/e-index.html

Interest, information, ideas, opinions?

[Taylor]

Very intriguing, mostly way over my head, but it seems like maybe it would be possible to use this to define a specific curve relationship between the signal in and out. I think it could theoretically be used to create some very strange wave-folding and wave-shaping effects. At the moment, I think digital is the way to go with that (see WMD Geiger Counter) but if this technology ever becomes non-vapor, it could make for some fun new effects.

I do wonder whether we will see it in real life any time soon, since it was theorized 40 years ago and isn't around yet. And I wonder whether individual through-hole parts will ever be made, since it seems the intended apps are in computer storage, etc. We have lots of holdovers from the old days that we still use, but something tells me that a "new fundamental circuit element" developed in 2010 would totally ignore the market segment we inhabit.

[Skruffyhound]

How deep in the theory have you got to be, to be able to infer a fundamental element 40 years before it's creation. Astounding!

[JKowalski]

Very intriguing, mostly way over my head, but it seems like maybe it would be possible to use this to define a specific curve relationship between the signal in and out.

The weirdest thing, is that the VI-curve relationship changes depending on time changes and and the shape of the wave! It has a different curve for every type of signal...

[Cliff Schecht]

How deep in the theory have you got to be, to be able to infer a fundamental element 40 years before it's creation. Astounding!

I dunno, I guess we need to talk to Faraday, Heaviside, Maxwell and the (underappreciated) Armstrong to find out!

[Fender3D]

Very intriguing, mostly way over my head, but it seems like maybe it would be possible to use this to define a specific curve relationship between the signal in and out.

The weirdest thing, is that the VI-curve relationship changes depending on time changes and and the shape of the wave! It has a different curve for every type of signal...

...And it could remember what you "distort" for years to come... 

[rnfr]

as it changes resistance based on current over time, i think the simplest and most obvious choice for memristors would be trem type effects based off of the variable resistance.  for example you could get a number of different odd wave shapes depending on what kind of oscillations you put in.