Maxim Instrumentation Amplifiers

Does anybody here have experience with MAX4208/MAX4209?

Current project is going to need an instrumentation amplifier, looking at m y inventory all I have is some through hole INA111 that still have Burr-Bro wn stamped on them (probably bought them in the mid 90s)...time to upgrade my stock!

As I go see what's new I find the Maxim MAX4208 and MAX4209. Normally ther e seems to be a trade off between V and I input offsets, but these chips ha ve good values for both. I even noticed the MAX4209 is in the table in AoE 3rd Ed. page 363 (I also just noticed John Larkin is mentioned by name in this chapter). This chip is much cheaper than the others and has some of t he best specs...what am I missing? I have had colleagues in the past recom mend not designing in Maxim chips, but I can't remember why. I've only eve r used their 232 and 485 transceivers (and they have been very reliable).

Anybody want to talk me out of using this chip? And if so, recommend an al ternative? I'm hoping for similar performance under $4 in quantities of 10

  1. Thanks.

Reply to
DemonicTubes
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I believe there's a saying in this NG: "Friends don't let friends use Maxim."

Were the 232 transceivers from Texas Instruments? They make the best Maxim parts

Reply to
bitrex

at my inventory all I have is some through hole INA111 that still have Burr

-Brown stamped on them (probably bought them in the mid 90s)...time to upgr ade my stock!

there seems to be a trade off between V and I input offsets, but these chip s have good values for both. I even noticed the MAX4209 is in the table in AoE 3rd Ed. page 363 (I also just noticed John Larkin is mentioned by name in this chapter). This chip is much cheaper than the others and has some of the best specs...what am I missing? I have had colleagues in the past r ecommend not designing in Maxim chips, but I can't remember why. I've only ever used their 232 and 485 transceivers (and they have been very reliable ).

n alternative? I'm hoping for similar performance under $4 in quantities o f 1000.

That is too funny, you just made me check my stock. The MAX232s are indeed TI parts! The MAX483s are, however, Maxim. What troubles have you had wi th Maxim parts?

Reply to
DemonicTubes

You see the datasheet, you get samples, you design them in, they stop making them.

BTDTGTTS.

Cheers

--
Clive
Reply to
Clive Arthur

They bought up a bunch of Dallas parts and as I recall I found that the way their datasheet said you're supposed to talk to them over SPI didn't bear much relation to reality.

I haven't really used any of their purely analog stuff, it may be OK, but I'm leery of getting anything that a uP needs to talk to...

Reply to
bitrex

Our company policy is Never Buy Maxim.

TI and LTC are the best analog part sources these days.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

lunatic fringe electronics
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Reply to
John Larkin

The Max809 poweron-reset family is great, as long as you don't get them from Maxim.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

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Reply to
John Larkin

We did a giant system for NIF and used MAX9690 comparators. One day deliveries stopped. A couple of months later we were told we'd never get them. Then they started failing in the field, potentially shutting down a multi-billion dollar laser.

We had to make an adapter board and repair a couple hundred VME modules.

formatting link

Maxim did sample me 3000 pieces of MAX9691 to make the adapters, but it was still a fiasco.

The 9691 is a comparator with back-to-back diodes across the inputs!!!!

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

lunatic fringe electronics
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Reply to
John Larkin

ng at my inventory all I have is some through hole INA111 that still have B urr-Brown stamped on them (probably bought them in the mid 90s)...time to u pgrade my stock!

ly there seems to be a trade off between V and I input offsets, but these c hips have good values for both. I even noticed the MAX4209 is in the table in AoE 3rd Ed. page 363 (I also just noticed John Larkin is mentioned by n ame in this chapter). This chip is much cheaper than the others and has so me of the best specs...what am I missing? I have had colleagues in the pas t recommend not designing in Maxim chips, but I can't remember why. I've o nly ever used their 232 and 485 transceivers (and they have been very relia ble).

d an alternative? I'm hoping for similar performance under $4 in quantitie s of 1000.

ndeed TI parts! The MAX483s are, however, Maxim. What troubles have you h ad with Maxim parts?

That is a nightmare I'd like to avoid. When you are not busy rolling your own INA, what do you like to use?

Reply to
DemonicTubes

my inventory all I have is some through hole INA111 that still have Burr-B rown stamped on them (probably bought them in the mid 90s)...time to upgrad e my stock!

ere seems to be a trade off between V and I input offsets, but these chips have good values for both. I even noticed the MAX4209 is in the table in A oE 3rd Ed. page 363 (I also just noticed John Larkin is mentioned by name i n this chapter). This chip is much cheaper than the others and has some of the best specs...what am I missing? I have had colleagues in the past rec ommend not designing in Maxim chips, but I can't remember why. I've only e ver used their 232 and 485 transceivers (and they have been very reliable).

alternative? I'm hoping for similar performance under $4 in quantities of

1000.

Hmm that's an auto zero. (I've never used it.) Do you care most about the offset voltage? I was trolling digikey for Int amps the other day. (+/15V supplies) and had a hard time finding one with a total worse case offset voltage less than 100uV. (At low gains there can also be an offset (from the Diff amp? )* so you have to look at that too.

George H.

*I know H&H talk about this in AoE3, but I've forgotten the details.
Reply to
George Herold

We've used "genuine Maxim" MAX232s with success. Nice to have multiple sources, an increasingly rare phenomenon! One of our more significant products has a Maxim flyback controller chosen due to a niche combination of voltages, currents, and efficiency. So far it's remained available over more than a decade of production.

OTOH we've had issues with ICs from a variety of manufacturers, including TI. In general the more complex chips have less comprehensible data sheets and bigger operator traps. It's not surprising. Even Tektronix in its glory days had the occasional clunker 'scope.

Sadly, Maxim seems to have a widespread reputation of interesting parts that are or become unobtanium.

Reply to
Frank Miles

We have a lot of diffamps in stock:

ICS DIFFAMP 18V SO8 1X INA117 200KHz ICS DIFFAMP 40V SO8 1X INA154 G=1 ICS DIFFAMP 44V DIP8 1X SSM2017 OBS ICS DIFFAMP 36V DIP8 1X INA105KP G=1 ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO8 1X INA105KU G=1 ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO8 1X INA157 G=0.5/2 ICS DIFFAMP 34V MSOP10 1X AD8253 PGA ICS DIFFAMP 50V SO16W 1X INA103KU INST ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO16W 1X INA111 FET VG ICS DIFFAMP 36V DIP8 1X INA114 VG OVP ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO16W 1X INA115 OVP VG ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO8 1X INA129 VG ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO8 1X INA141 OVP ICS DIFFAMP 36V SO8 1X AD8221 800KHZ 400PA 8NV ICS DIFFAMP 3V QFN16 1X ADA4950-1 ADC DRVR ICS DIFFAMP 5V QFN16 1X ADA4960 ADC DRVR ICS DIFFAMP 26V SO8 1X AD8130 270MHZ ICS DIFFAMP 15V MSOP8P X1 THS4505 260M ICS DIFFAMP 5V QFN16 1X LT6402-12 ADC DRVR

The AD8130 is my favorite.

The dips are left over from old designs.

Many delta-sigma ADCs have nice PGAs inside so don't need a front-end amp.

--
John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  
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Reply to
John Larkin

It's not that Maxim doesn't make good stuff -- they do. The problem is, if they haven't changed their ways, that unless you're in a position to buy parts one entire production run at a time, their delivery is spotty.

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Tim Wescott 
Control systems, embedded software and circuit design 
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Reply to
Tim Wescott

yeh it is as if they take every idea they have and do a small run to offer up as samples, then if someone orders a crap ton they start real production if not the part just disappears

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

ON Semi beats them on price, too.

"We make the other guy's stuff better for less money" seems like a good business model if you can get away with it

Reply to
bitrex

Well so long as the voltages you're comparing are the same voltage it's not a problem, eh?

Reply to
bitrex

Maxim makes a digital capacitor. The 2-pin interface is

reset count up

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  
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Reply to
John Larkin

Oh. Good point.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  
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Reply to
John Larkin

I read an interview with the CEO where he said that they deliberately make their pinouts nonstandard.

OK, I deliberately don't buy their parts.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  
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Reply to
John Larkin

And you can't trademark a part number.

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John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 
picosecond timing   precision measurement  
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Reply to
John Larkin

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