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From: Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: The Venerable 741
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2024 19:14:54 -0000 (UTC)
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john larkin <JL@gct.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Nov 2024 18:07:35 +0000, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> It's been around an awfully long time and there are far better
>> alternatives out there. But is there still a case for using them in
>> certain niche applications in 2024? 
> 
> I can't think of one. The design is 56 years old. It has its own
> Wikipedia page.
> 
> There are faster, cheaper, lower noise, lower bias current/offset RRIO
> amps around these days.
> 
> I remember the day when, still a kid in college, I decided to replace
> LM709s with LM741s in a control system. The 741s were more expensive
> (the cost of a pretty good lunch) but didn't need external
> compensation parts or front-end-zener protection, and current limited.
> 
> The early 741s had bad popcorn noise, but I'd expect that to be better
> now.
> 
> My default gumdrop amp is OPA197 now, in SOT23. It makes a good
> comparator too. There are cheaper parts if you can tolerate low supply
> voltages.
> 
> 

LM358s are still useful, though.  I use them in things like bias loops,
where their limited speed and fairly poor input accuracy don’t matter. 

In our licensing conversations, pointing out that we’re saving more on the
BOM than the royalty costs is a pretty persuasive argument, entirely aside
from the improved performance. 

Cheers 

Phil Hobbs 

-- 
Dr Philip C D Hobbs  Principal Consultant  ElectroOptical Innovations LLC /
Hobbs ElectroOptics  Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics