A quicker LM393 ?

I always have problems when I build a LM393 on strip board prototypes with MHz oscs on the transistions. I've tried the usual positive feedback tricks, etc

Is it just me?

Martin

It might be. ;-)

I generally have very good luck with plugboard prototypes using the LM393.

John Popelish

The LM319 dual is not a drop in replacement, nor a similar design with just higher speed. but it is faster.

Though there are lots of variations on the 393, made by various companies, like Linear Technology, many are slower, with lower power consumption and work at lower voltage. There may be something out there, faster but otherwise similar, but it will be no where as commonly available or cheap as the 393.

If something with different internal design might work, what are your requirements?

I had better get a lower bandwidth scope then

Martin

The LMV393 may be slightly faster. I like TI's cmos TLC3702 version, with active-pullup outputs. Although it's officially slower than the LM393, in some circuits with high-value pullup resistors it might be faster. The TLV3702 is an attractive nanopower version that's quite slow. Yawn...

LM360 is blinding fast TTL. Single per package and gobs of current, so not exactly just "a little" quicker.

LM319 as mentioned is about inbetween the 393 and 360. IIRC, the 319 comes in single units as well.

Tim

-- Deep Fryer: A very philosophical monk. Website @

quicker

Ah, I forgot about the max907, same pinout, but very fast, almost 100x faster than the lm393. Sadly Maxim has discontinued it: "This product was manufactured for Maxim by an outside wafer foundry using a process that is no longer available." But if you want to give Maxim another chance, their max942 is about 5x faster than the lm393 The max942 has an active pullup. The miniDIP is $3.62 at Newark. Free samples from Maxim.

Or you might try TI's tlc372 and tlv2352 parts, they are cheap and may be a bit faster than the lm393.

Oh, one thing, most of these are low-voltage parts, best used at 0/+5V, etc.; no +/-15V for these guys!

LVDS receivers are ns-speed comparators for around 50 cents. They do tend to have built-in DC offsets.

John

Hard for me to say. The last time I used stripboard was 1990.

Graham

A couple of hours after I posted this I remembered the 319. I had thought it was of the same performance as the 393/339 but purely a single.

In fact it looks like it may be just the ticket.

It's for use in a switching PSU. It looks like 'rolling my own' is the best bet for my simple low drop-out buck regulator.

Graham

Just about to wire up a bit of stripboard that I managed to find, with a 74HC221, a 74hc86 , lm393 and an AT89s4051 so that I can decode smpte timecode played from a laptop. It's not worth waiting for a pcb from Olimex

Martin

Which LVDS parts do you use?

Thanks

Martin

quicker

Have you looked at pcb express ?

Graham

quicker

Not recently, but Olimex is generally fine for me, this will be up and programmed by tea time today, I only decided I needed it yesterday afternoon, after a couple of mugs of rioja

Martin

quicker

Do you find Olimex a good prototype/small quantity production supplier ? What are their turnaround times like ? Any info gladly received ! I'm looking for a decent supplier right now. What CAD file formats do they support too ?

Graham

quicker

are their

supplier

check your email

Martin

Thanks.

Graham

Oh crikey, just remembered ! A quasi-random unconnected thought. Ages back you mentioned an outfit that had a compiler for the former 'Alesis' DSP chips.

I thought I'd bookmarked it but can't find it. Can you refresh my memory ?

Graham