In the warm glow of the MicroBasement, Don Lancaster’s The CMOS Cookbook stands as the essential follow-up to his legendary TTL Cookbook. Published in 1977 by Howard W. Sams & Co., this 416-page paperback introduced hobbyists and experimenters to the then-new Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) logic family. With its ultra-low power consumption, wide voltage range, and noise immunity, CMOS quickly became the preferred choice for battery-powered projects, portable instruments, and eventually most modern digital electronics. In the MicroBasement collection, this book sits proudly beside its TTL predecessor — two volumes that together taught a generation how to think in logic gates and build real working circuits.
Don Lancaster (1945–2023) — the same clear-thinking author behind The TTL Cookbook — released The CMOS Cookbook in 1977. Like its predecessor, it was published by Howard W. Sams & Co. and became a bestseller that remained in print for decades. Lancaster’s straightforward, no-nonsense style turned dense manufacturer datasheets into practical, buildable knowledge. He wrote the book to fill the gap: while TTL was dominant in the early 1970s, CMOS was emerging as the future for low-power and portable designs, and hobbyists needed a friendly guide to make the switch.
The book is organized for quick reference and hands-on use. It begins with the fundamentals of CMOS: how the complementary P- and N-channel MOSFETs work, logic levels, power-supply requirements (3–15 V typical), static protection, interfacing with TTL, breadboarding techniques, and testing methods. Subsequent chapters cover the popular 4000-series CMOS ICs in detail: inverters, gates, flip-flops, counters, shift registers, multiplexers, decoders, analog switches, monostables, oscillators, voltage-controlled oscillators, phase-locked loops, and display drivers. Later sections dive into advanced applications: digital frequency meters, touch switches, electronic music circuits, TV typewriter interfaces, power-supply regulators, and complete project ideas. Appendices include pinouts, cross-reference charts, and manufacturer listings.
What made the book indispensable was Lancaster’s emphasis on real-world tricks: handling ESD sensitivity, proper decoupling, pull-up/down resistors, level shifting between TTL and CMOS, driving LEDs and relays, building astable and monostable timers, and creating low-power clocks. He explained why CMOS was superior for battery operation (nanoamp quiescent current in many cases), how to avoid latch-up, and how to combine CMOS with older TTL or discrete components. The projects were buildable with parts available in the 1970s, making it a go-to resource for amateur radio, instrumentation, and early microcomputer interfacing.
The CMOS Cookbook represents one of the critical turning points in electronics history. By demystifying the 4000-series CMOS family and showing hobbyists exactly how to use it, Don Lancaster accelerated the shift from power-hungry TTL to the low-power logic that dominates modern digital design — from microcontrollers to smartphones to almost every battery-powered gadget today. Preserving and demonstrating this book is essential because it embodies the foundational efforts of writers and engineers who created the pathways for modern computing and portable electronics. In the MicroBasement, its dog-eared pages rest next to TTL Cookbook, early CMOS chips, and Mark-8/Atair hardware — a lasting reminder that the greatest revolutions often begin with a practical book that hands the tools to anyone willing to solder and experiment.