Electronic Components

Transistors, as you probably know, are fundamental electronic devices used to amplify and switch current signals. When combined in a circuit, they can be used for the simultaneous control of a number of devices. That's the power of transistor arrays--semiconductor integrated circuits which combine a number of transistors within a solid substrate.

Transistor arrays are an important component of circuits used in all sorts of equipment and applications. Buying a drink at a vending machine, being cooled by an air conditioner, communicating via fax machine, or riding an elevator are just some of the devices we use every day which incorporate transistor arrays.

For those of us who use these individual components, Texas Instruments has released an upgrade of the popular ULN2003 series: the ULN2003LV. This 7-channel transistor array may be just what the doctor (or electrical engineer) ordered for low-voltage (3V-to-5V) relay and inductive coil applications.

What is special about the ULN2003LV is its low impedance drivers which minimize on-chip power dissipation - up to 5 times lower than typical 3V relays. Additionally, it has an input interface that reduces current drawn from the external drivers. Compatibility-wise, the ULN2003LV is quite versatile, featuring support for 3.3V to 5V CMOS logic input interfaces, and pin-to-pin compatibility with other ULN2003 devices in similar packages.

Specific uses for the ULN2003LV include:

• Relay and inductive load drivers in various telecom, consumer, and industrial applications
• Lamp and LED displays
• Logic level shifters
  

Of course, the function of the transistor array is as broad as its range of use. What are some of the projects you've used transistor arrays for?

This post was sponsored by Texas Instruments Standard Linear and Logic, a client of GlobalSpec.

Click to view the ULN2003LV datasheet.