Talk:LM3914

Suggest not merge
This is not just a "non-notable spare part". It is an important spare part, because it is the only easy to use part to built an audio bargraph. The picture is perfect to see how easy it is. Look all the discussions in the web about building a bargraph. At these discussions we see the hard work to built an bargraph without this spare part. Without this part you have to create a preamp, AD converter, LCD /VF Controller. Youth people who would like to built a bargraph would love this information. Support them and there will use the freetime for educational manner and not for crazy fanatic ideas. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.220.172.149 (talk) 09:14, 17 September 2014 (UTC)

Suggest merge
All the obscure parts catalog trivia might as well be put in one place. We don't need three "articles" to talk about various minor variations of an extremely non-notable spare part. --Wtshymanski (talk) 20:18, 11 April 2013 (UTC)

Suggest not merge #2
I concur with the previous "suggest not merge" because this particular part is now still in production in 2015 (the TI catalog and datasheet were updated 8 January 2015 and the part status is still ACTIVE PRODUCED, which is TI-speak for "yes, recommended for use in new products, we're still making them and have no plans to stop"). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dr. Crash (talk • contribs) 22:25, 7 June 2016 (UTC)

Linear integrated circuit
Why remove Category:Linear integrated circuits? Analogue comparators are generally considered linear integrated circuits, and the LM3914 is more or less a collection of comparators. Drahtlos (talk) 15:55, 28 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Because I don't see this as a linear circuit. It's analogue, it's not digital, but it's not linear. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:37, 28 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Agreed. However, linear integrated circuit is commonly used in a wider sense than linear circuit. Linear integrated circuit is more a synonym of analog integrated circuit, i.e. it processes linear signals but does not necessarily have a linear transfer function. Drahtlos (talk) 20:13, 28 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Many things have an inaccurate common use. But should we propagate them? Why not categorize it into "Analogue integrated circuits" instead?
 * Our article linear integrated circuit (which I'd not read before) begins, "An analog chip is a set of miniature electronic analog circuits formed on a single piece of semiconductor material." which, whilst maybe true enough in itself, is a poor definition of or opening lede for linear integrated circuits. It then goes on to link to a lisk of LM- series ICs, as if to imply that anything with an LM- part code was therefore a linear circuit, when all that really means is that the design originates from NatSemi. Andy Dingley (talk) 20:14, 28 August 2017 (UTC)


 * Raised at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Electronics Andy Dingley (talk) 17:25, 29 August 2017 (UTC)

Suggest not merge #3
I strongly support the previous "suggest not merge" comments. This is definitely a notable part - an IC that has been in production for almost four decades is pretty notable for that alone! It is still a 'go to' part for many projects, and is very widely referenced and deployed.

LM3914-n
What about LM3914-N? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.12.214.109 (talk) 22:20, 21 November 2017 (UTC)

DIP-18 Through hole component obsolete?
Do I understand correctly that the 18 pin through-hole version of this IC is no longer produced? I’ve only been able to track down the 20 pin smd version, and Texas Instruments seem to have discontinued their DIP-18 version. Might be useful information for the article … Gutten på Hemsen (talk) 17:12, 7 May 2021 (UTC)
 * This is what distributor's catalogs are for. Leave DigiKey and their ilk something to do, lest the Wikipedia take over all their functions. Do you also look for the phone numbers of dry cleaners in the Wikipedia? --Wtshymanski (talk) 21:03, 10 May 2021 (UTC)

Origin date seems incorrect
First sentence: "The LM3914 is an integrated circuit (IC), designed by National Semiconductor in 1980" Yet here we see the closely-related log version, LM3915, in a Popular Electronics article from September 1979: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1979/Poptronics-1979-09.pdf. (page 65). Given it takes a while from design, through validation, manufacture, dissemination of info about the chip, to eventual design and creation of a kit and publication in a magazine, I'd say it's quite unlikely that the chip was designed in 1980. Gwideman (talk) 07:43, 12 February 2022 (UTC)


 * What this means is more research needs to be done to nail down the release dates for each of the three parts: LM3914, LM3915, LM3916. I'll change the wording to make it a little bit more vague until someone can find a better reference, such as a product announcement.  •  Sbmeirow  •  Talk  • 18:51, 12 February 2022 (UTC)


 * This has a statement about the LM3914 & LM3915 during 1978, but it's doesn't say both were released in 1978. http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/04/102723172-05-01-acc.pdf • Sbmeirow  •  Talk  • 19:00, 12 February 2022 (UTC)
 * My copy of "Linear Data Book" carrying a copyright date of 1976 ( sold through Radio Shack at the time) does not list any parts of the LM3914 group. My 1978 copy of the National Linear Data Book lists just the LM3914, none of the other parts. So this puts a lower bound on the introduction year. Frustratingly, the data sheets individually don't have dates. --02:57, 15 February 2022 (UTC)