Most commonly used IC's for lab?

[John Marks]

I live far from an electronics store and need to stock a small lab.

I would appreciate a few expert opinions on what are the 40 (or 50?)
most widely used IC's in signal generation and processing
applications.

IOW ones that I would encounter repeatedly in various DIY circuits.

I am looking only at common analog, CMOS and 74HC tyoes. But nothing
to do with micros, displays, encoding, power amps, or high MHz.

Something exotic, but with wide applications would also be of
interest.

Thanks very much for your reply.

John Marks

 

[Joerg]

Hi John,

My preference for logic is the CD4000 series. Often decried as
"antique", nothing beats their frugality in power consumption. They also
offer a wide tolerance in supply voltage, no need to regulate much
here. Get some of the chips with whatever logic you plan, but don't
forget a good Schmitt inverter such as the 40106. You can make almost
anything from these.

Opamps: Throw some LM324 in there. Low power, dirt cheap, common mode
goes to ground which is very helpful for single supply apps. My rate of
usage of the LM324 in designs is probably above 50%, mostly because they
are such a bargain.

Don't forget discretes. Besides the usual array of caps, resistors, PNP,
NPN, I'd add a couple FETs that are pretty good allrounders. Examples:
BSS123 (n) and BSS84 (p). Then get a few LMV431 so you can create a nice
stable reference when in need of that.

But hey, doesn't Fedex serve your area? At least one of their ads said
they'd go to the North Pole if they had to. It is easy to restock via
mail these days, from Digikey, Mouser, Newark etc.

Regards, Joerg.

 

[John Jardine]

Hi John,

My preference for logic is the CD4000 series. Often decried as
"antique", nothing beats their frugality in power consumption. They also
offer a wide tolerance in supply voltage, no need to regulate much
here. Get some of the chips with whatever logic you plan, but don't
forget a good Schmitt inverter such as the 40106. You can make almost
anything from these.

Opamps: Throw some LM324 in there. Low power, dirt cheap, common mode
goes to ground which is very helpful for single supply apps. My rate of
usage of the LM324 in designs is probably above 50%, mostly because they
are such a bargain.

Don't forget discretes. Besides the usual array of caps, resistors, PNP,
NPN, I'd add a couple FETs that are pretty good allrounders. Examples:
BSS123 (n) and BSS84 (p). Then get a few LMV431 so you can create a nice
stable reference when in need of that.

But hey, doesn't Fedex serve your area? At least one of their ads said
they'd go to the North Pole if they had to. It is easy to restock via
mail these days, from Digikey, Mouser, Newark etc.

Regards, Joerg.

Good ideas. Full agreement!.

I'd also add IN4148 signal diodes. Bat85 shottky diodes. 1amp and 6Amp
normal diodes, 555, 339/393. Quad video, unity-stable op-amp say TSH941.
1amp pos and neg voltage regulators. 20 turn low value presets. TIP series
PNP/NPN Darlingtons and a few cheap N type power fets (eg IRF540). Lots of
10u and 10n and 10p caps. Lots of 100k and 1k resistors and lots and lots
and lots of 10k resistors .
regards
john

 

[John Popelish]

I live far from an electronics store and need to stock a small lab.

I would appreciate a few expert opinions on what are the 40 (or 50?)
most widely used IC's in signal generation and processing
applications.

IOW ones that I would encounter repeatedly in various DIY circuits.

I am looking only at common analog, CMOS and 74HC tyoes. But nothing
to do with micros, displays, encoding, power amps, or high MHz.

Something exotic, but with wide applications would also be of
interest.

Thanks very much for your reply.

John Marks

My favorite digital chips for mixed analog design are 4066 (quad
analog switch), 4051, 4052, 4053 (more complex analog switches), 4017
and 4022 (decoded divide by 10 and divide by 8 counters), LMC555 (cmos
version of the versatile 555 timer) and the basic gates, 4011, 4001,
4069, 4071, 4081, 4070, 4077 and the clocked flip flops 4013 and
4027. The binary counters are also often useful, 4024, 4040 and 4060
and a shift register 4015. I have also found many uses for the phase
locked loop chip, 4046 that contains two phase detectors and a voltage
controlled oscillator.

The LM324 is a basic low frequency quad opamp and the LM339 is a basic
quad comparator. You should also have several higher performance
opamps including some low voltage rail to rail designs, perhaps
OPA2743 (dual 3 to 12 volts, 7 MHz) and a few precision types along
the lines of the OPA27, but there are many choices.

 

[Hal Murray]

Something exotic, but with wide applications would also be of
A PIC or AVR type micro can be pretty handy. I'm thinnkig of one
with an A/D and PWM/timer.

Unfortunately they need something to program them. That makes
them a bit expensive to toss in the junk box on spec. There are
also a blizzard of variations.

 

[Neil Fisk]

Well there are many but I would have to say the following part no.
Neil's picks for a lab are:
--------------------------logic, Op-Amps, and interface etc...........>
-74HC595
-74HC164
-74HC154
-74HC123 <------------ < my favourite chip in lab would be this one >
-MAX232
-74AC138
-74HC244
-74HC245
-74HC192
-74HC193
- LM567
- LM124J
-LM324
-LF411
-74AC32
-74HC00
-74HC14
-74HC74
-74LS05
-74LS07
-MAX690A
-MAX313
-MAV312
-LM360
-LM555
-LM35
-----------controllers---------------->
-MC68HC11E9
-PIC12C508
-PIC 12C671
-PIC16C711
-PIC16C54
-PIC16F627
-PIC16F628
-PIC16F84
-PIC16C505
------------power------------------->

-78L05 100ma ------------->great for the lab
-78L08 100ma ------------- >great for the lab
-7905 1.5A (-neg)
-7805 1.5A
-7812 1.5A
-7912 1.5A (-neg)
-LM337 adj-
-LM317 adj+
-LM2904 LDO type
-LM723 <------------------<Every student should learn with this IC!!!!>

I can't list them all, but for most part you can program the gates or logic
needed easily with a controller which I listed

That's all Folks!!

Neil

 

[Nico Coesel]

I live far from an electronics store and need to stock a small lab.

I would appreciate a few expert opinions on what are the 40 (or 50?)
most widely used IC's in signal generation and processing
applications.

IOW ones that I would encounter repeatedly in various DIY circuits.

I am looking only at common analog, CMOS and 74HC tyoes. But nothing
to do with micros, displays, encoding, power amps, or high MHz.

In addition to the other replies: Try to stock some simple
programmable logic (GAL16V8, maybe some MACH devices). Besides some
schmitt-triggers to shape input signals and create delays, you hardly
need any other logic chips. Another advantage of programmable logic is
that you can change your circuit without re-design.

 

[Joerg]

Neil, interesting that you mentioned the LM723. Everytime I needed a really
well behaved and quiet power supply I ended up with this good ol' device. Seems
like that is the "Hammond Organ" of voltage regulators.

Regards, Joerg.

 

[Jan Panteltje]

I live far from an electronics store and need to stock a small lab.

I would appreciate a few expert opinions on what are the 40 (or 50?)
most widely used IC's in signal generation and processing
applications.

IOW ones that I would encounter repeatedly in various DIY circuits.

I am looking only at common analog, CMOS and 74HC tyoes. But nothing
to do with micros, displays, encoding, power amps, or high MHz.

Something exotic, but with wide applications would also be of
interest.

Thanks very much for your reply.

John Marks

I vote 74HC4064

 

[Jan Panteltje]

A PIC or AVR type micro can be pretty handy. I'm thinnkig of one
with an A/D and PWM/timer.

Unfortunately they need something to program them. That makes
them a bit expensive to toss in the junk box on spec. There are
also a blizzard of variations.

Can be made for less then 10$ in parts.
JP