Favorite IC's for a beginners lab?

[Sysse]

I started down the path of electronics via Arduino. I have some basic passive components, some basic semiconductors (BJTs, MOSFETs and diodes) and a whole bunch of 555s. I'm enjoying playing around with the 555s and want to get some more ICs, but I have no clue where to start, so I'm asking you guys. Any tips for what would be a good start for a beginner and maybe an example of an application for your favorite IC.

*EDIT*

Rephrased the title, I'm not looking to stockpile a whole bunch of stuff, just get an assortment of chips to try out and learn from.

Thanks!

[ataradov]

Don't stockpile anything. Do projects and order some extra components. This way you will end up with some stock of components you have actually used.

[frozenfrogz]

+1 for not stockpiling stuff just because.

If you want to build small projects to get to know what certain components do, you can have a lot of fun with shift registers

[cellularmitosis]

If you'd like to dive further into digital / coding, definitely a microcontroller (e.g. start with an Arduino) would be a lot of fun.

If you'd like to dive further into analog, opamps are definitely your next addiction.  The LM358 (dual) and LM324 (quad) are classic beginner opamps.  Tayda is a good source for these non-critical "jellybean" parts on the cheap.

Sometimes, having a shop with a more limited selection is more useful than digikey, because you aren't interested in searching among a million parts, you just want to browse through a few dozen and get a feel for what's available.  Try browsing https://www.taydaelectronics.com/ or https://www.futurlec.com/ and look up the datasheet for each component you see and take a quick glance at it.

There are a few threads similar to this one with some good suggestions.  Try using google's "site:eevblog.com" feature.

Edit: oh, come on guys, admit that building your little stockpile is half of the fun

[frozenfrogz]

Edit: oh, come on guys, admit that building your little stockpile is half of the fun

Well, for sure. But it is even more fun if you know what to do with it instead of tossing money at a bunch of parts to just sort and look at - which also can be quite therapeutic at times I admit

[rdl]

I have a mostly unused stock pile that dates back to the 80s. There's not much I'd stock up on these days as far as chips go.

[Sysse]

If you'd like to dive further into digital / coding, definitely a microcontroller (e.g. start with an Arduino) would be a lot of fun.

If you'd like to dive further into analog, opamps are definitely your next addiction.  The LM358 (dual) and LM324 (quad) are classic beginner opamps.  Tayda is a good source for these non-critical "jellybean" parts on the cheap.

Maybe I should add that too the list, but I started with microcontrollers. For me, software is simpler than hardware so I'm purposely trying to learn analog. I'll have a look at op-amps and check out the stores you linked, thanks!

[schmitt trigger]

Edit: oh, come on guys, admit that building your little stockpile is half of the fun

Count me as one of those who hasn't required to go to a psychiatrist, thanks to the therapeutic and soothing experience of admiring a pile of obsolete 7400-type chips.
Or some TO-3 packaged regulators. Or some vintage 555 chips with the old National Semi logo.

[frozenfrogz]

Count me as one of those who hasn't required to go to a psychiatrist, thanks to the therapeutic and soothing experience of admiring a pile of obsolete 7400-type chips.

Just pulled a bunch of those from an old 12MHz CS80C286 board

[RyanT]

Yup, as someone that has my own stockpile plus that of two other people, let me tell you, when I'm looking at a new project I want to do, it's nice not having to rummage around for a 470k resistor, but when it comes to the more specialized parts, I still rarely have what I need, yet I have no trouble tripping over the many boxes of cool shit I'll probably never use.

Well, except for that 105dB two-tone piezo buzzer I found, new in the Radio Shack packaging from 1982. The cats love it.

[tomtenberge]

the way my "collection" started, was by stripping old boards, looking up the parts, and saving what i understood, in the beginning it was mostly LED's and voltage regulators, but by now i have a small assortment, of shift regulators, opamps, 4000 series 74000 series, amplifiers and all sorts of stuff (little hint if you want cheap ass hitachi character displays, look for old fax machines, i think i got about 30 of those now, also handy with arduino).

i think about 80% of all the IC's i use, come from discarded electronics.
now i gotta say, i got a good job for that, as i work at a electriciens company, so i can get my hands on funky stuff like a digital phone routing cabinet from early 90's wich was stuffed with logic and dacs and stuff.

[Wimberleytech]

Edit: oh, come on guys, admit that building your little stockpile is half of the fun

Count me as one of those who hasn't required to go to a psychiatrist, thanks to the therapeutic and soothing experience of admiring a pile of obsolete 7400-type chips.
Or some TO-3 packaged regulators. Or some vintage 555 chips with the old National Semi logo.

I have Signetics 555s in to-5 cans with 75 date code!

[schmitt trigger]

I have Signetics 555s in to-5 cans with 75 date code!

I would put one of those in a nice frame and hang it on my workshop's wall!

Add some background like a collection of classic datasheets, and you have the ultimate nerdy piece of art.

[grifftech]

lm78XX series

[rdl]

A few samples from my stockpile. Check out the snazzy silver painted LM324. The chip at the lower left is a fairly recent TI op amp. Notice how much easier it is to read the markings on the older chips.

[joseph nicholas]

As others have already mentioned, strip old boards, pull out parts that look weird to you and try to figure out their use.  Don't just stop at resistors and capacitors, go for flyback transformers from old tv sets, rf transformers, capacitor trimmers, fuses, and don't overlook connectors and variable resistors.  You will be amazed what you find.  I pulled a 6.3 ohm resistor (not 6k3) out of an old tv circuit board.  WTF?

[Old Printer]

Having recently started down this road as a noob, I'll add a few thoughts. I started out getting a good assortment of 1/8th watt resistors, as well as sets of different series of capacitors and diodes. MPJA here in south Florida is a small electronics retailer with some surplus stuff as well. They have starter kits of all of the above and run 50% off these sort of items on a rotating basis. For IC's of course the 555, a series of the 78XX voltage regulators, a basic transistor package and the more popular opamps. I also got the basic 74XXXX logic series as seen on Ben Eaters YT series, and some 7 segment led displays so I could go through the logic lessons and learn. I pretty much buy nothing that isn't 50% off on sale and just wait till I see something that might be useful. No bigger killer of enthusiasm than being 2 components shy of building a simple circuit that has caught my attention.
If we knew more about what interests you the list could be fine tuned.

[Harb]

I am a long way from being a newbie, but building up a collection of spare parts is paramount if you are serious about the hobby.
Nothing is worse than wanting to fiddle or do something and having to order parts.....it sucks.
I would suggest getting as many "common" components as you can and then keep on adding to them........salvedge as much as you can from old gear, and test everything as you add it to your stockpile to make sure its in good working condition......testers at entry level are cheap as chips these days, so go to town.
there is really only one thing you have to remember.......you can never have enough parts.......never.
figure out what part of electronics you like best, and stock up on common things you will use and away you go.
Start collecting containers you can use to store them.

Restricting your supply is a sign you are just a hobbyist, which is fine as long as thats where you want to be.........I can honestly say, I don't know anyone that is into electronics in a really serious way that limits their parts supply.
 

[Ian.M]

The difference between a practical stock of components and a hoarding problem that will make your executor blaspheme, is a strict limit on the space you allow it to take up and dedication to keeping the collection well organised.

If you are stripping stuff for parts, you need to limit the size of the piles of boards in and partially stripped boards.  Also, its seldom worth stripping parts in advance, unless they are high value and you need to reclaim space in the partially stripped boards bin.   IMHO 99% of parts stripped in advance without a particular project in mind will never be used, and that's all wear and tear + used consumables for your desoldering station, + wasted time stripping the boards and testing and organising the salvaged parts.

A hobbyist in a small bedsit (or in a house with a less than sympathetic S.O.) may have to limit themselves to what can fit in two storage boxes that will slide under a bed.   One for tools, test equipment and current projects, and the other for parts, scrap boards etc.

[BravoV]

LM317 

[schmitt trigger]

You are correct. Sometimes collecting components, specially the older ones, is the hobby. Never will be used, nevertheless cool to have.
I have a little of that disease myself. I recently scored some Selenium rectifiers, which I am using for my diode collection, which of course includes vacuum tube rectifiers and germanium diodes.

But, as other posters have already mentioned, take the time to organize and store things properly.

[boffin]

7805 - 5v linear regulator (or 1117 which is a more modern equiv)
555 timer
LM393 comparator

are three that jump to mind.  I'm fond of 4066 analog switches too

There's a thread about building a basic component kit here, worth a read...
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/from-no-parts-to-decent-stockpile-best-approach/