Mystery ?Op Amp?

[Norm Dresner]

Going thru the Op Amp drawer today I came across an 8-lead TO-5 can with a
boldfaced, squarish, sans-serif S (probably the manufacturer's logo), and
the following markings
1. 7417 -- Quite possibly the date code
2. RS536 -- I assume the designation
There is, of course, nothing else on the can. I have, of course, no
recollection of when or where I might have purchased this device and it's
the only one like it I have. Google turns up nothing searching for RS536 &
Op Amp. Just searching for RS536 only returns "about 202" hits. There's a
listing under www.usbid.com which indicates that it is a known device of
some kind but there's no other information there. That is the *only*
electronics-related hit in the list.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions as to its identity before I toss it.

TIA
Norm

 

[Michael A. Covington]

RS536 doesn't ring any bells, but the manufacturer's logo looks like
Signetics. If nobody comes up with anything, I'll go dig in my old
Signetics data book.

Speaking of old ICs, where would I find a uL914 these days? I always wanted
one, as a young experimenter 35 years ago (!), and never had one...

 

[Peter A Forbes]

Going thru the Op Amp drawer today I came across an 8-lead TO-5 can with a
boldfaced, squarish, sans-serif S (probably the manufacturer's logo), and
the following markings
1. 7417 -- Quite possibly the date code
2. RS536 -- I assume the designation
There is, of course, nothing else on the can. I have, of course, no
recollection of when or where I might have purchased this device and it's
the only one like it I have. Google turns up nothing searching for RS536 &
Op Amp. Just searching for RS536 only returns "about 202" hits. There's a
listing under www.usbid.com which indicates that it is a known device of
some kind but there's no other information there. That is the *only*
electronics-related hit in the list.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions as to its identity before I toss it.

TIA
Norm

Sounds like the old 741 op-amp.

Peter

 

[Dieter Wiedmann]

Going thru the Op Amp drawer today I came across an 8-lead TO-5 can with a
boldfaced, squarish, sans-serif S (probably the manufacturer's logo),

Maybe the former logo of Signetics.
http://www.aufzu.de/semi/gif/signetics.gif
Signetics was acquired by Philips in 1975.

1. 7417 -- Quite possibly the date code
2. RS536 -- I assume the designation

Sorry, no idea.


Regards,
Dieter

 

[Norm Dresner]

Maybe the former logo of Signetics.
http://www.aufzu.de/semi/gif/signetics.gif
Signetics was acquired by Philips in 1975.

Yes, I did find that after I posted the OP and it is the Signetics "S" but
their website has absolutely no knowledge of anything called "RS536".

I'm still looking -- it's not taking up that much room in the drawer right
now [at least until I get to organize it HA! ;-))] so I'll keep looking.

Norm

 

[Michael A. Covington]

Are you sure the first line says 7417 and not 741A?

 

[Mike Diack]

Maybe the former logo of Signetics.
http://www.aufzu.de/semi/gif/signetics.gif
Signetics was acquired by Philips in 1975.

Yes, I did find that after I posted the OP and it is the Signetics "S"
but their website has absolutely no knowledge of anything called
"RS536".

I'm still looking -- it's not taking up that much room in the drawer
right now [at least until I get to organize it HA! ;-))] so I'll keep
looking.

Norm

There's a NA536/SE536 in my 1983 Signetics cattledog
Bog ordinary opamp S/R 6V/uS BW 1 MHz int compensated no other
distinguishing features. Maybe it's one of those (house branded by
Radiospares ?)
M

 

[Graham W]

Maybe the former logo of Signetics.
http://www.aufzu.de/semi/gif/signetics.gif
Signetics was acquired by Philips in 1975.

The 1972 Signetics Linear Applications says that the 536 is an FET
op amp having 12pA input current, 5pA typ. and does come in their
'T' package which is an 8 pin TO-5 can. Part #s are NE536T and
SU536T.

 

[Norm Dresner]

The 1972 Signetics Linear Applications says that the 536 is an FET
op amp having 12pA input current, 5pA typ. and does come in their
'T' package which is an 8 pin TO-5 can. Part #s are NE536T and
SU536T.

What I'll probably do is to stick it into a 741-type socket and see if it
plays. At this point I have nothing to lose, though G-d knows I have enough
741s to pave the driveway.

Thanks
Norm

 

[Graham W]

What I'll probably do is to stick it into a 741-type socket and see
if it plays. At this point I have nothing to lose, though G-d knows
I have enough 741s to pave the driveway.

I should have looked in the book next door 'cos that one is the data book!
I'd put it in the super-741 tray alongside other FET i/p opamps.

Holler if you need figures, now or later.

 

[Norm Dresner]

I should have looked in the book next door 'cos that one is the data book!
I'd put it in the super-741 tray alongside other FET i/p opamps.

Holler if you need figures, now or later.

FET input, huh? That's a different story. Maybe I'll treat it a little
more gently ;-))

Still, it's probably nothing special compared to anything available for
under a buck today.

Norm

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

Going thru the Op Amp drawer today I came across an 8-lead TO-5 can with a
boldfaced, squarish, sans-serif S (probably the manufacturer's logo),

Sounds a lot like Signetics.

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

Going thru the Op Amp drawer today I came across an 8-lead TO-5 can with a
boldfaced, squarish, sans-serif S (probably the manufacturer's logo), and
the following markings
1. 7417 -- Quite possibly the date code
2. RS536 -- I assume the designation

My old Signetics catalog shows the 536 as a FET input opamp. It has 8
leads, in a TO-5-style can. Looking from top, tab up, the pin 8 is
under the tab, and counting from the left, pins 1 thru 7.

1. Offset Null
2. Inverting Input
3. Non-inverting Input
4. V-
5. Offset Null
6. Output
7. V+
8. NC

It has mediocre performance and GBW, combined with the special socket,
so it looks like a good candidate for disposal. Bend the leads out and
use it for an ornament. ;-)

 

[Michael Black]

FET input, huh? That's a different story. Maybe I'll treat it a little
more gently ;-))

Still, it's probably nothing special compared to anything available for
under a buck today.

Norm

Memory says that it was expensive at hobby outlets at the time, and wasn't
all that common. But if you needed something like that, there wasn't much
choice at the time, and you paid. Either that, or you added a pair of
FETs to the input of a regular op-amp, paying for a matched pair if
you could afford it, or just two FETs if not.

It was an oddity at the time, but yes, just a few years later you could
get much better op-amps with high impedance input for a lot less. I've
not checked the specs (the 536 wasn't in the first book I checked so
I didn't post earlier), but I suspect it was an average op-amp for
the time except for that FET input. Back then, you'd see op-amps touted
as somehow better, when the specs were only incrementally better than
a 741. The much better ones were expensive. And then a new wave came
along, and they were better and cheap.

Michael