I read a little about Widlar many years ago in an article about the LM10, does anyone here know much about him? I read the wikipedia article about him, he was certainly an independent minded individual and apparently a first rate engineer.

 

I have worked with several pioneers in engineering. One with 30 patents told me that "when you are the first one to work in a field everything is new and patentable". "It does not take much of an engineer to be outstanding when you are the only one."

Not trying to put down anyone. Just saying what I was told. I find these people to be humble (slightly above average). I do remember one that was an arrogant donkey.

To be outstanding in your field, multiply.
Smarts X Work X Luck^2 X Timing X Good_Manager = output.
If any of the values = 0 then the output=0.

 

What Bob Pease (another legend) had to say about him:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/te...e/21795678/whats-all-this-widlar-stuff-anyhow

 

What Bob Pease (another legend) had to say about him:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/te...e/21795678/whats-all-this-widlar-stuff-anyhow

That was an interesting piece, written by a person who knew and worked with him.

Thanks

 

Widlar may have had the advantage of being a pioneer, but he also did some very good engineering in designing some of the first useful analog ICs.
From Wikipedia:
Widlar invented the basic building blocks of linear ICs including the Widlar current source, the Widlar bandgap voltage reference[9] and the Widlar output stage.[10] From 1964 to 1970, Widlar, together with David Talbert, created the first mass-produced operational amplifier ICs (μA702, μA709), some of the earliest integrated voltage regulator ICs (LM100 and LM105), the first operational amplifiers employing single capacitor frequency compensation (LM101), an improved LM101 with FET internal current control (LM101A), and super-beta transistors (LM108).