ICs and Chips for the 2020s - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: pendoric
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2020, 06:29:30 pm
content: I would like to start a thread for people to recommend ICs and Chips that have proved useful in projects.This is kind of a parallel to the "Classic Chips Thread"https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/classic-chips/But more focused on what chips we should be using in current times. Im sure that some of the classics may still be appropriate like the good old 555 and please free to list them if they are still your goto even today. However, I am sure there are many modern chips out there that are fantastic but many beginners and experts alike simply do not know about.I would like this to be open ended and include anything from modern micro controllers down to the timeless 555.Modern Opamp?Modern Audio Amps? Class A/B? Class D? Filters?A/D and D/A?Reading multi channel Mic / Line data to a microcontroller?Buck/Boost converters / VR / constant current ?LED / Lighting drivers?DC Motor control?I2C Display drivers?Solar Cell controllers?AC motor drive?Various sensors, gyro, temp, acceleration, gas, radiation ......Please include part number and at least a one line description.If you want to include more detail that is also great.I know the list could be endless, but if you have some top tips please share. I think this would be extremely valuable for beginners that want to move beyond the normal example circuits.

author: mawyatt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 02:02:11 am
content: Trinamic Stepper Motor Drivers, TMC5130, TMC5160 & TMC5072.Best,

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 04:04:34 am
content: Operational amplifiers:OP177 - 44 Volt - Precision - Low CostLT1637 - 44 Volt - Rail-to-rail Input and Output - PrecisionLT1677 - 44 Volt - Rail-to-rail Input and Output - Precision - Low NoiseADA4522-2 - 55 Volt - Zero Drift - Low NoiseOP275 - 44 Volt - Dual - AudioDifference Amplifiers:AD8129/AD8130Other:LTC1043 Switched Capacitor Building BlockCurrent Feedback:LT1228 - Operational Transconductance AmplifierOPA860 - Operational Transconductance Amplifier

author: tchicago
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 04:21:18 am
content: I recently found RT8250 DC-DC buck chip easy to use, handsolderable, easy to route PCB for, and performs well according to the spec. Not exactly new for 2020, but available and inexpensive. Input voltage range above 20V means any random laptop power supply can power it.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 05:28:59 am
content: This is the most versatile GPIO chip I have used so far.Semtech SX1508/SX1509Not really 2020, I have been using them for a few years.https://datasheet.octopart.com/SX1509BIULTRT-Semtech-datasheet-12516845.pdfLevel shifting built in.15mA sink per IO.Integrated LED control – Dimming, Blinking, Breathing.8x8 matrix keyboard scanning.Bi directional IO of course.Configurable interrupts.I bit pricey, but great for short run projects that have an 8 or 16 channel IO count and being controlled by a limited IO or limited capability MCU.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 10:37:52 am
content: Quote from: David Hess on December 13, 2020, 04:04:34 amThat's rather obscure. What about this part is better than mainstream stuff like NE553x, LM4562/49860 or OPA16xx?

author: tchicago
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 06:20:26 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on December 13, 2020, 11:14:20 amThat is true if you are running a production facility, making 100s of units or so. However, for the typical hobbyist, buying 2-5 opamps from Digikey is not cost effective at all. The unit price breakdown often makes it an order of magnitude cheaper to order 100 parts vs ordering just a few for your current project. Therefore, it makes sense to stock up with 25..100 of something that is versatile and can be used again in the future projects.

author: pendoric
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 06:35:01 pm
content: Both methods of ordering certainly have their merits.I as a beginner am stuck further up the chain. I often have no clue what chips are even available, or even classes of chips in some cases. For example I design something with bunch of older logic and desecrate components only to stumble on a great chip that every experienced player uses but I had no idea even existed.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2020, 11:50:01 pm
content: Quote from: magic on December 13, 2020, 10:37:52 amWhat caught my eye is that it is inexpensive and 44 volts.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 12:39:46 am
content: Dirt cheap ~55cents step down 3 amp buck switcher from TI, 2.5MHz, uses tiny 1uh/2.2uh inductor:https://www.ti.com/product/TLV621304 amp variants exist.Automotive 36v input capable, low EMI low ripple output (obviously costs more than the dirt cheap one above):https://www.ti.com/product/LM62440-Q1

author: tchicago
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 04:13:25 pm
content: Quote from: BrianHG on December 14, 2020, 12:39:46 amTwo things.Where do you buy them in hobby quantities for that price? The price I see at Digikey and similar places - floats around $1.5 per unit. Of course from the places that can provide a reasonable hope that the chips are not fake.Second, modern chips seem to get obsolete very fast. The manufacturers quickly replace them with something else, but it is usually very hard to find what "else" is it. So, say if I put TLV62130 into my notes for the next project, a year later there could be nothing like it. And the automatic design tools on ti.com will strategically steer you to something much more expensive (like $5 per unit).

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 05:54:27 pm
content: Quote from: tchicago on December 14, 2020, 04:13:25 pmYes, this is the BANE of my existence! I make boards for motion control systems, and have a very long product life. I am still making a line of products that first came out in 2001 - 2003. I have revised these over time to make them easier to manufacture, but have had to migrate from one chip to another several times. Some things like FPGAs have no second source (without total redesign). But, to have things like voltage regulators go obsolete is a total pain! I try now to only use things that have at least 3-5 sources.Jon

author: pendoric
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 05:57:02 pm
content: JCLPCB has the TLV62130RGTR in their parts library for 45.66c so if you manufacture there it could be a big win! Thanks for sharing this.TLV62130RGTR DC-DC CONVERTERS STEP-DOWN ADJUSTABLE 1 4V 17V 0.9V 5V 3A QFN-16_3X3X05P ROHS Extended Part TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 8692 1+ $0.4566

author: max_torque
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 09:56:06 pm
content: Pretty much any of the infineon SMART or PROFET series of power switches, high side and lowside.Including current limiting, over temperature protection, diagnostics including open load, easy logic interface, current sense output and in my experience about as bulletproof as anything!Expensive in low volumes, but the shear phaff they save and the capability they bring to your projects is brilliant. For example, you can literally jam a screwdriver hard directly against the output of the them with a fully charged DC supply and capacitors and they simply turn off, no bangs,no smoke,no nothing. OE level robustness in one single part :-)

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2020, 10:17:59 pm
content: Quote from: tchicago on December 14, 2020, 04:13:25 pmOnly costs 1$ per unit direct from TI's in house store with 48k units inventory.And LCSC has it in stock for 54 cents each, or 39 cents for 10, or 34 cents for 100, with 14k stock: (This is where JLPCB get's their stock from when building your prototype PCBs)https://lcsc.com/product-detail/DC-DC-Converters_Texas-Instruments_TLV62130RGTR_Texas-Instruments-Texas-Instruments-TLV62130RGTR_C122479.html

author: Egzoset
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 18, 2020, 08:41:51 pm
content: Salutations,No love for Infineon's Multilevel Class-D MA12070 chip?

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2020, 11:01:59 pm
content: Are there any modern low voltage op amps (e.g. 1.5V or less) that are worthy of mention?

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2020, 11:10:11 pm
content: Opamps, ~<=1.2v:Cheap fast: NJU7008F3Cheap slower, but more accurate: NCV2002SN2TUltra low power, but really slow: MAX4289EUTUltra low power, but medium speed: MAX40108ANTHighest gain BW: LMV951MKOpamps, ~>=1.3v:Ultra cheap: UPD5742T6JLow power, cheap, really slow: MCP6041TLow power, cheap medium speed: MCP6141TLow power, cheap, really really slow: MCP6441T

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 05:54:54 am
content: This is... not a great premise? Like, is it an acceptable submission, to list a thousand application-specific ICs almost no one will ever use?It might be technically correct, but this is also posted under Beginners, and I think beginners are generally not so fond of highly technical info-dumps that are impossible to sort through...Can I claim the defacto maximum Internet Points(R) by simply linking to Digi-Key's (or others') parametric search for various IC types? How about dumping their entire catalog for that type? How about dumping my inventory of ICs? (The latter, at least, is the most promising with respect to what, I think, the intent was -- ICs that people have used and understood -- but who's to say what's good, or bad, or simply misused?)And, one-off examples are nice and all, but... if one cannot appreciate that there arethousandsof types to choose from, even just for fairly narrow applications like op-amps... has one really accomplished anything at all...?A lesson on datasheet parameters, and using parametric searches, might be more illuminating?Tim

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 07:29:28 am
content: Quote from: BrianHG on December 18, 2020, 11:10:11 pmThis one looks kinda cute on the datasheetI wouldn't be surprised if it's half as old as LM358, actually.BTW, if you just need "an opamp" in 2020 it seems the LM358 is still an option. I sometimes see them even on computer motherboards.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 03:40:22 pm
content: Quote from: BrianHG on December 18, 2020, 11:10:11 pm9KHz gain bandwidth product, LOL. Is that a record in op amp slowness?

author: exe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 03:54:53 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on December 19, 2020, 03:40:22 pmAccording to digikey search, there is TC75S102F with 500Hz unity-gain bandwidth. Supply current is 0.27uA. After looking at a few parts, It seems to me that below some 0.7uA bandwidth starts to drop considerably.