Aside:

Why is everyone suddenly discovering the DNA of dinosaurs? e.g. The 741 OP Amp. Are their lots of surplus parts because Radio Shack closed? Or is this a class?


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How can I make a dual-supply comparator output 0 to 5V?
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...omparator-output-0-to-5v.133006/#post-1105920

 

Aside:

Why is everyone suddenly discovering the DNA of dinosaurs? e.g. The 741 OP Amp. Are their lots of surplus parts because Radio Shack closed? Or is this a class?


Moderator's Note:
Please don't hijack other member' thread, the new topic can be discuss in this new thread.
This thread was split from --
How can I make a dual-supply comparator output 0 to 5V?
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...omparator-output-0-to-5v.133006/#post-1105920

The LM741 is a classic for the classroom. It has all the attributes of a bad op amp. It is difficult to show faults of op amps using op amps with few faults. Not to mention how cheap they are.

 

I go so far back, I remember when the 741 was the cat's meow, the first IC op amp that didn't require any external compensation.
To see why that was a big deal, here's a typical circuit for its predecessor, the 709.

Notice it required two capacitors and one resistor for compensation.

 

Oh, yes, I had forgotten the '709.

 

The first opamp I used was the 741 and, as @crutschow pointed out, it was the cat's meow in the 70's. Even the 709 that preceded it was quite popular, even with it's complicated compensation and no short circuit protection. That was still better than the alternative.

I have dozens of pieces of Tektronix equipment from the 70's and the 741 was commonly used. So I have dozens of 741's in my parts bin.

Most of the opamps I have are 70's vintage, as in bought in the 70's.

 

I have a drawer full of 741s. A real engineer did a design that asked too much from them and half the 741s would not function in his circuit. I grabbed a fist full of rejects and took them home.

That was 1973 and I have never installed one.
Stupid waste of time and drawer space.

 

I have a drawer full of 741s. A real engineer did a design that asked too much from them and half the 741s would not function in his circuit. I grabbed a fist full of rejects and took them home.

That was 1973 and I have never installed one.
Stupid waste of time and drawer space.

That sounds like something I would do, despite the fact I likely will never use something I am loath to throw them out .....just in case lol

 

Stupid waste of time and drawer space.

If you want to get rid of them, how many do you have and what do you want for them?

 

If you want to get rid of them, how many do you have and what do you want for them?

I have 22. I require an address to mail them to. Go to Private Messaging to tell me.
All have been factory installed and later removed by a professional, 40 hour per week, re-work girl with an expensive solder sucker which she cleaned every morning. Used, but suffered only the highest quality abuse.
Double you money back if you don't find them satisfactory.
Just mail them to the lack of a return address and I will refund 2 x $0.00

 

Why is everyone suddenly discovering the DNA of dinosaurs? e.g. The 741 OP Amp. Are their lots of surplus parts because Radio Shack closed? Or is this a class?

I don't think it's either. I think the number of 741 occurrences has ups and downs (a couple of years ago there was a spike in 741 questions from Africa), but is long-term pretty steady.

I also have a 741 drawer, next to the 1458 drawer, next to the 4558 drawer... Once the 5532/34 came out, they all suffered.

ak

 

I also have a 741 drawer, next to the 1458 drawer, next to the 4558 drawer... Once the 5532/34 came out, they all suffered.
ak

Wait. I don't have any 5532/34's. What am I missing?

 

Wait. I don't have any 5532/34's. What am I missing?

Amazingly low noise and audio excellence.

 

Amazingly low noise and audio excellence.

That explains it... Wouldn't help my "tin ear".

 

While National had some specialty opamps tweaked for audio in things like cassette players, Signetics set the pro/broadcast/recording design world on fire with the SE/NE5534. It had lotsa gain at 20 kHz bandwidth, extremely low input noise, and an output stage that could drive a 600 ohm load to +20 dB while maintaining very low crossover distortion at low levels. It was hungry, and some purists thought it sounded to bright or a bit harsh; but for the industries craving a true "audio opamp" it was a dream come true.

And still is. Today, many have moved on to some Burr Brown parts for a less colored sound or TI's TL parts for general purpose work, and Burr Brown and ADI have instrumentation amps that are spectacular for mic preamps. But almost nothing has the combination of noise, bandwidth, output power, and cost that the 5534 had *40 years ago*.

ak