Magic Smoke

As Magic Smoke (English for: Magic Smoke, Blue Smoke also ) a notional substance is jokingly called, to be responsible for the operation of electrical components.

Background

Incorrect wiring of electronic components can be damaged under clearly be sensed smoke. This applies not only for semiconductor devices such as transistors or integrated circuits, but also for capacitors, especially electrolytic capacitors, transformers, or even circuit boards. Due to the different chemical constituents of these components of the smoke is in the destruction often colored, which emphasizes the "magic" impression.

The joke after electronic components are filled in the production of a certain amount of magic smoke. This is responsible for the functioning of the device. If the smoke let out of the device, this is defective and not working. This joke is a game with causality: If a component " goes up in smoke ", so the Magic smoke is let out, the device stops working, ergo the smoke is responsible for the function. It is sometimes also mentioned that the magic smoke can not be played back "filled" back into the component, the component is thus irreparably destroyed. He also plays on the statement Arthur C. Clarke that any sufficiently advanced technology of magic is indistinguishable. One can understand the magic smoke as a kind of modern phlogiston.

Use

The first start of a new assembly is often called smoke test, because here stand out circuit failure as wrongly polarized capacitors by their associated with smoke damage. It is in this case the smoke let out (English: Letting the smoke out) or the smoking of a component spoken.

The term was taken up in various textbooks or manuals.