HEF****/HCF****=CD****?

[DWBH]

Yeah, does chips that are like HEF4049, or HCF4093, are the same thing as CD4049 and CD4093?

[nelson]

Datasheets are your friend. Datasheets ftw!

[DWBH]

Indeed they are. Shame on me. Gonna have a look at 'em now...

The reason I posted here was because I thought they were like equivalents, I mean, European/American equivalents, like ECC83/12ax7, but that's just plain stupid.

[JDoyle]

Yeah. This one is kind of tricky. On the one hand it normally doesn't have much to do with American/Euro/Asian standards. On the other hand, it's worse.

First, with ICs, transistors are a whole 'nother matter, you are pretty safe to assume that a difference of only PREFIX simply denotes different makers (Suffix generally denotes package and/or selectivity within a part run; CA3080 vs. CA3080AE, for example; the latter has a tighter offset spead). This difference in prefix only, where the same part, generally a 'general-purpose' type, is made by two competeing manufacturers, is called 'second sourced' and is in fact a benefit to marketing the part because a potential customer, say the military, will know that if Company A folds, Company B will still make the chip that gets the $2B aircraft off the ground so they won't have to scrap an entire fighter wing over $1.39 of silicon.

In theory, they are supposed to be electrically the same chip. In theory. Best to get a couple and test one or two to make sure.

Second, the above works as a 'first guess' and is best to use only with the numbers you recognize. Even if you do recognize it there are a few more traps you could fall into. Besides the obvious 'Replacement' lines like ECG and NTE, there were at one point or another lines also from GE and RCA/(someone I don't remember) with the prefixes of GE and SK, respectively. Don't know about the GE chips but the SK ones don't match up to the 'real' numbers. Though sometimes they do - in the cases of their own original part numbers.

Which brings us back around to the best answer: look up the datasheet.

For me, the most comprehensive site is: www.datasheetarchive.com

It only allows 20 per day but it is thorough.

Regards,

Jay Doyle

[DWBH]

Thanks... it's just that I found a box that has like 20 chips. I never cared for them, because I only saw HEF and HCF, so nothing for me. However a couple of days ago I took that box out and began to read the rest of the IC codes
Oh, these are actually useful.
So kids, read the whole code. Not just the first 3 letters.

[StephenGiles]

I think that by and large (translate that into Spanish!!!), a CD prefix will always do the job in effects circuits.

[DWBH]

Creo que en general, a CD prefix will always do the job in effects circuits.

Ah, much better 

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

The prefixes refer to different types of construction.
Which influences the power ratings, logic levels, speed of operation etc.

Read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_family