The problem here is that it is easy to go from a number to a device description, but to go from a device type to a number is not so easy. NTE has some stuff at:
http://www.nteinc.com/surface/cmos.php?a...
This is just the CMOS 4000 series stuff. There are other similar tables around for TTL, HCMOS, etc.
Google "Integrated Circuit Selector".
If you only need data for 1 type of IC, you just do an online search of its designation number. This should reveal a source from which you can download the data sheet.
Often the same IC will be available in packages with different no's of pins, different package sizes, etc. When an IC is in a surface mount package it may have a different number, be considerably smaller than a 'standard' through- hole version, and may even then be available in multiple different packages.
Some ICs contain multiple units of the same device, or may contain a number of different devices.
The IC termed an "LSI" chip may be a complete circuit for some device, e.g. you might buy an LSI chip containing every circuit necessary to form a TV set, once you supply power and output devices etc. around it.
LSI stands for "large scale integrated" circuit.
A 556 IC has 2 x 555 timers in 1 chip, etc.
Those are good answers. Several thousand more or less unrelated tasks are done by chips, such as amplifier, oscillator, constant current source. There are some duplicates, but most are optimized for a certain range of tasks.
So my question is do all IC or microchips perform the same task? I've been doing some research on this topic and wondered they all to the same task, if so why are there so many types? If they do not then how do you know what task a microchip does, such as the 555 timer I read is a very common chip for as the name suggests sends out timed electrical pulses. what do other chips or IC's do? and where would you find this information?
