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Why is the 741 op amp still produced?
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Circlotron:
The 741 might have been a big deal in its day, but things have moved on. Nowadays we have a zillion different op amps to choose from, ranging from similar to vastly improved performance. I can’t remember the last time I saw one in a piece of equipment. And no one with a grip on reality designs them into new products. And even in the case of repairs for old equipment there would surely be modern substitutes available. And get this - I was looking at the TI 741 data sheet and it says the 741 “feature(s) improved performance over industry standards like the LM709.” The LM709 might indeed have been an industry standard fifty years ago but it’s a bit of a stretch to still refer to it as that. We’re in the age of GPUs with 28.3 *billion* transistors. It’s time the 741 was put to bed. It’s fine to read all about it from a historical point of view. That great, but I think school textbooks should stop using it as an example as if it were a mainstream device. But what to replace it with? Over to you.
Fixpoint:
I don't see any relation between the fact that we have powerful GPUs and that a simple Op-amp is still produced. A GPU has nothing to do with what an Op-amp does.

I don't know all the prices, but I guess the 741 is very cheap? If a company can save even 1 cent per unit in a production run, it will take the deal. After all, the game is not played in terms of performance but in terms of $. For me, the question would become interesting it it turns out that the 741 is actually more expensive than the competition!

And so, I personally don't see any reason why a component should be replaced if it does the job and there is healthy demand, no matter how old it may be. But I'm no expert, maybe someone else here knows the details.
eti:
It's still produced because it's still being used.

It's still produced because people want it.

It's still produced because it's not discontinued.

What answer are you seeking?  :)

Next up in open-ended forum question thread titles : "Why are <insert arbitrary choice> discrete ICs still being produced?"

Just because new thing exists, doesn't disqualilfy old thing. NEW world needs to shut up and listen to OLD wisdom more, new world thinks it's "advanced" (yeah, okay then  ;D)
Circlotron:

--- Quote from: Fixpoint on September 18, 2020, 11:12:20 pm ---I don't see any relation between the fact that we have powerful GPUs and that a simple Op-amp is still produced. A GPU has nothing to do with what an Op-amp does.

And so, I personally don't see any reason why a component should be replaced if it does the job and there is healthy demand, no matter how old it may be.

--- End quote ---
Of course a GPU has nothing to do with an op amp. It was just an example of how ic fabrication technology has moved on. And is there really still a healthy demand for 741s. Where are they all being used?
eti:

--- Quote from: Circlotron on September 18, 2020, 11:24:14 pm ---
--- Quote from: Fixpoint on September 18, 2020, 11:12:20 pm ---I don't see any relation between the fact that we have powerful GPUs and that a simple Op-amp is still produced. A GPU has nothing to do with what an Op-amp does.

And so, I personally don't see any reason why a component should be replaced if it does the job and there is healthy demand, no matter how old it may be.

--- End quote ---
Of course a GPU has nothing to do with an op amp. It was just an example of how ic fabrication technology has moved on. And is there really still a healthy demand for 741s. Where are they all being used?

--- End quote ---

Idea: Write to all the major distributors & manufacturer(s) and ask them who their biggest customers/what their main applications are :)
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