What is your favorite (8 pins or fewer) IC? Analog or digital, but if you pick a μC, also include something not programmable.

I have trouble narrowing it to one, so I am going to cheat a little bit and name numbers 1 and 2:

555
TL071

(Honorable mention to the LM3909)

 

My projects tend to take a long time from start to finish/satisfied/abandoned(rare). By long time, I mean at least one year (November thru March) and often more. When I am working on a project, I do follow related tangents, as I am at present, but generally stay focused on the goal. Thus, my "favorite" chip would change from year to year and is probably not an 8-pin device.

I haven't used a 555 in eons, it seems. My favorite 8-pin is the PIC12F1840, but I haven't used that in awhile. Non-µC 8-pin devices I have in the past few years have been op-amps mostly from AD like the AD8055/8056 for filters or the very old TL082(JFET).

 

My projects tend to take a long time from start to finish/satisfied/abandoned(rare). By long time, I mean at least one year (November thru March) and often more. When I am working on a project, I do follow related tangents, as I am at present, but generally stay focused on the goal. Thus, my "favorite" chip would change from year to year and is probably not an 8-pin device.

I haven't used a 555 in eons, it seems. My favorite 8-pin is the PIC12F1840, but I haven't used that in awhile. Non-µC 8-pin devices I have in the past few years have been op-amps mostly from AD like the AD8055/8056 for filters or the very old TL082(JFET).

In it’s way, this is a sort of prompt for nostalgia. Today, such small package ICs don’t tend to be the focus of things. In earlier days, the 555s and opamps were brilliant stuff and got a lot of the focus, today, it’s about μCs and purpose built systems of various sorts on chips.

The 555 was one of my first regularly used chips, and the TL071 figured heavily in my early professional work in recording studios.

 

Hello,

How about the NE5532 and the OP07?

Bertus

 

Hello,

How about the NE5532 and the OP07?

Bertus

In general opamps are pretty amazing. They were quite a breakthrough application of transistors. I have some very early ones that are modules with edge connectors in aluminum cases.

 

...I am going to cheat a little bit and name numbers 1 and 2:

If you can cheat, I can cheat more:

MAX44246 Dual "zero drift" op amp
LMC6482 Dual CMOS RRIO op amp
LP2951 Micropower voltage regulator (adjustable version)

 

No doubt that Hans hit one out of the park with his 555 timer but I'll put one in for a very lo-tech chip. The DB207 Full Bridge Rectifier 4 pin DIP, 2.0A, 50-1000V. Just a real neat useful chip. A heck of a lot better than soldering up 4 diodes.

 

My first go to is the PIC12F1840 also.
Been using the LM386 for small audio projects lately.
Not quite relevant, but I embraced the Mosfet when the first arrived, cannot remember the last time when I used a BiPolar.
Something to do with my learning through the Valve era may have had something to do with it!
Max.

 

Not quite relevant, but I embraced the Mosfet when the first arrived, cannot remember the last time when I used a BiPolar.
Something to do with my learning through the Valve era may have had something to do with it!

How did we survive without P-channel valves?

 

Not to derail this thread but waiting to see who's the brave to name the 741 to then suffer the storm coming from Canadá.

TL072 and CA3140 in my list.

 

Not quite relevant, but I embraced the Mosfet when the first arrived, cannot remember the last time when I used a BiPolar. Something to do with my learning through the Valve era may have had something to do with it!

My father learned electronics with vacuum tubes in the 1930's and 1940's and had a tough time getting his head around BJTs and how to design with them. N-channel JFETs, on the other hand, he understood right away.

Not to derail this thread but waiting to see who's the brave to name the 741 to then suffer the storm coming from Canadá.

As I recall, we started using 741's around the time Caesar conquered Gaul, and didn't stop until Hadrian built his damn wall and we could no longer march south to Londinium to raid and pillage and steal chips. No idea what became of the 741 after that...

 

My father learned electronics with vacuum tubes in the 1930's and 1940's ...

I had an Electronics (tube) instructor that insisted on using the word 'Condenser'.
He got a little miffed when at that time I told him that they had changed the name for a few years now!
Max.

 

LM308 LM308 LM308

 

@MaxHeadRoom totally ninja’ed me. I was going to say the PIC12F1840 and any 8-pin dual opamp, different ones for different requirements.

Bob

 

I'm more of a comparator leaning sort of guy... so I'll go and say the LM393

 

I'm more of a comparator leaning sort of guy... so I'll go and say the LM393

That chip is a true "Oldie But Goldie." Though almost as ancient as the μA741 (I recall using its quad big brother, the LM339 back in the mid-1970's), unlike the 741 it's still a very useful chip and for what it does, it hasn't been superseded by anything better at the price.

 

My first build with "condensers" and "valves" was a darkroom timer using a 6SN7.

 

Anything that runs at +/-15V

 

6SN7

what they mean by µµf under Interelectrode Capacitances on d/s
already got as suspected d/s #2

 

My favorite 8 pin part was a uA741 qualified for manned space flight. They cost us $85 each ($360 today's dollars).