diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 0bc0f18..265996c 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -12,19 +12,16 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     var circuit = Circuit.init(allocator);
     defer circuit.deinit();
 
-    var not1 = try circuit.addComponent(Not);
-    var not2 = try circuit.addComponent(Not);
-    not2.invert_output = false;
-    try circuit.connectComponents(&not1.component, 0, &not2.component, 0);
-    try circuit.connectComponents(&not2.component, 0, &not1.component, 0);
+    var microchip = try circuit.addComponent(Microchip);
+    try microchip.component.resizeOutputs(allocator, 1);
 
-    std.debug.print("before {}\n", .{not2.component.outputs.items[0].signal});
-    try circuit.tick();
-    std.debug.print("after {}\n", .{not2.component.outputs.items[0].signal});
-    try circuit.tick();
-    std.debug.print("after {}\n", .{not2.component.outputs.items[0].signal});
-    try circuit.tick();
-    std.debug.print("after {}\n", .{not2.component.outputs.items[0].signal});
+    var not1 = try microchip.circuit.addComponent(Not);
+    var not2 = try microchip.circuit.addComponent(Not);
+    not2.invert_output = false;
+    try microchip.circuit.connectComponents(&not1.component, 0, &not2.component, 0);
+    try microchip.circuit.connectComponents(&not2.component, 0, &not1.component, 0);
+
+    try microchip.connectOutput(&not2.component, 0, 0);
 }
 
 test "basic circuit" {
@@ -150,7 +147,7 @@ pub const Circuit = struct {
         if (self.update_order == null) try self.calculateUpdateOrder();
         for (self.update_order.?) |component| {
             std.log.debug("updating {}@{d}", .{ component, self.componentIndex(component).? });
-            component.process();
+            try component.process();
         }
     }
 
@@ -244,7 +241,7 @@ pub const Component = struct {
     inputs: Inputs,
     outputs: Outputs,
 
-    processFn: *const fn (*Component) void,
+    processFn: *const fn (*Component) AllocatorError!void,
     deinitFn: *const fn (*Component, std.mem.Allocator) void,
 
     pub const Input = struct {
@@ -273,7 +270,7 @@ pub const Component = struct {
         name: []const u8,
         inputs_len: usize,
         outputs_len: usize,
-        processFn: *const fn (*Component) void,
+        processFn: *const fn (*Component) AllocatorError!void,
         deinitFn: *const fn (*Component, std.mem.Allocator) void,
     ) !void {
         var inputs = Inputs.empty;
@@ -301,8 +298,8 @@ pub const Component = struct {
         self.deinitFn(self, allocator);
     }
 
-    pub inline fn process(self: *Component) void {
-        self.processFn(self);
+    pub inline fn process(self: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
+        try self.processFn(self);
     }
 
     // TODO allow inserting the new elements at an arbitrary index
@@ -373,6 +370,37 @@ pub const Signal = struct {
     }
 };
 
+pub const Microchip = struct {
+    component: Component,
+
+    circuit: Circuit,
+
+    pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !*Microchip {
+        var self = try allocator.create(Microchip);
+        errdefer allocator.destroy(self);
+        self.circuit = Circuit.init(allocator);
+        errdefer self.circuit.deinit();
+        try Component.init(&self.component, allocator, "Microchip", 0, 0, &process, &deinit);
+        return self;
+    }
+
+    pub fn deinit(component: *Component, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+        const self: *Microchip = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
+        self.circuit.deinit();
+        allocator.destroy(self);
+    }
+
+    pub fn process(component: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
+        const self: *Microchip = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
+        try self.circuit.tick();
+    }
+
+    pub fn connectOutput(self: *Microchip, inner: *Component, inner_idx: usize, outer_idx: usize) !void {
+        _ = .{ self, inner, inner_idx, outer_idx };
+        @compileError("TODO");
+    }
+};
+
 pub const Battery = struct {
     component: Component,
 
@@ -390,7 +418,7 @@ pub const Battery = struct {
         allocator.destroy(self);
     }
 
-    pub fn process(component: *Component) void {
+    pub fn process(component: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
         const self: *Battery = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
         component.outputs.items[0].signal.digital = @intFromFloat(std.math.sign(self.value));
         component.outputs.items[0].signal.analog = self.value;
@@ -415,7 +443,7 @@ pub const Not = struct {
         allocator.destroy(self);
     }
 
-    pub fn process(component: *Component) void {
+    pub fn process(component: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
         const self: *Not = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
         if (self.invert_output) {
             component.outputs.items[0].signal.digital = 1 - @as(i2, @intCast(@abs(component.inputs.items[0].signal.digital)));
@@ -449,7 +477,7 @@ pub const And = struct {
     }
 
     // TODO check implementation
-    pub fn process(component: *Component) void {
+    pub fn process(component: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
         const self: *And = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
         if (self.arithmetic_mode) {
             component.outputs.items[0].signal.digital = component.inputs.items[0].signal.digital;
@@ -512,7 +540,7 @@ pub const Or = struct {
     }
 
     // TODO check implementation
-    pub fn process(component: *Component) void {
+    pub fn process(component: *Component) AllocatorError!void {
         const self: *Or = @fieldParentPtr("component", component);
         if (self.arithmetic_mode) {
             component.outputs.items[0].signal.digital = component.inputs.items[0].signal.digital;
@@ -553,3 +581,5 @@ pub const Or = struct {
 //     or1.process();
 //     try std.testing.expectEqual(-0.5, or1.output.analog);
 // }
+
+const AllocatorError = std.mem.Allocator.Error;