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Why is the 741 op amp still produced?
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Kleinstein:
As far as I have heard most of today's TL082 OPs are also low enough in noise to meet the TL072 specs, which is the lower noise variant, otherwise identical.  Similar it may happen with other parts - they may not get many of the lowest voltage class transistors. So chances are quite a few may have considerably higher than specified break down voltage. Similar I would not be surprised to get a bag of 1N4001 with all higher than 200 V break-down voltage.
Chances are they decide to mark them also according to orders, not just measurements.
The same may happen to LM358/LM2904 (lower voltage grade).

The PNPs in the old NPN base process are lateral parts with the dimensions defined by lithography. There is no problem making larger structures with a high resolution process. So they should be OK to still build the old style transistors.  A few days ago a found an article showing a lateral BJT in an standard 1.2 µm CMOS process and an OP with 2 such BJTs for the input and the rest MOSFETs. So kind of mixed MOS and BJT the other way around than in the early days. The lateral transistor were supposed to be even good quality (low noise, good gain, though slow) - not the marginal PNPs in the 741.
tszaboo:

--- Quote from: rsjsouza on October 01, 2020, 05:19:25 pm ---Don't forget that evolution usually is also tied to potential revenue. The fact nobody ever refined a process to reach LTZ or LM levels may be due simply to a lack of interest or too narrow of a market to be tapped into. The number of different voltage references available when compared to 30 years ago is impressive, but they are all competing in a segment with more relaxed demands.

--- End quote ---
Not everything is about profit, or it shouldn't be. I have the feeling that humanity cannot get anything done anymore, because of the search of immediate profit. I've seen companies do nothing, and let engineers sit idle, rather than have them working on a project. They calculated, that the NRE cost of the project is to big, and that would eat up the profit. I guess these things only make sense if you have an MBA.
SilverSolder:

--- Quote from: NANDBlog on October 01, 2020, 10:36:58 pm ---
--- Quote from: rsjsouza on October 01, 2020, 05:19:25 pm ---Don't forget that evolution usually is also tied to potential revenue. The fact nobody ever refined a process to reach LTZ or LM levels may be due simply to a lack of interest or too narrow of a market to be tapped into. The number of different voltage references available when compared to 30 years ago is impressive, but they are all competing in a segment with more relaxed demands.

--- End quote ---
Not everything is about profit, or it shouldn't be. I have the feeling that humanity cannot get anything done anymore, because of the search of immediate profit. I've seen companies do nothing, and let engineers sit idle, rather than have them working on a project. They calculated, that the NRE cost of the project is to big, and that would eat up the profit. I guess these things only make sense if you have an MBA.

--- End quote ---

I've noticed the same thing:  People prefer doing "nothing" to doing "something"...  as you say, probably because "something" is perceived to have a cost associated with it, whereas doing "nothing" has somehow escaped that analysis...
coppercone2:
if it works why change it, its like asking why some things are still made of wood

does a kitchen knife need a neotitaniumsteel handle? no
floobydust:
Look at the other side - the op-amp portfolio manager needs new products, new profits so they constantly roll out new op-amps, per the MBA way.

We think cost is driven by silicon area, but I think it's reverse - they have a pricing matrix using features such as offset voltage, speed, RR etc. to determine the pennies to charge and fill some niche left out by competitors.

It's a problem now with the mergers and acquisitions where all of a sudden a corporation now owns previously competing portfolios. What a mess. They have to swing the axe and thin out the lineup. Consolidation (PMI, SSM, Burr Brown, NS, LT) will lead to less competition and poorer offerings because innovation is not really needed.  It's ADI vs TI now.

P.S.- on the speed issue, I found LT1494  0.001V/usec slew rate on super low power 1.5uA, a neat part.
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