2134PA vs 2134PAG4?

[speakerguy79]

How the heck do I figure out what the alphanumerics behind TI part numbers mean? Like P vs PA and what the G4 means. This has frustrated me for a while now and they don't say in the data sheet. Thanks!

[BrianL]

First off, the "G4" subscript means Pb-free/green package, aka "RoHS compliant". Of course, in 99.99% of the cases, parts without the G4 suffix are also the same as lead (the element) has generally been banished from IC manufacturing. Instead of Sn/Pb solder plating, most TI parts use NiPdAu plating. Other manufacturers, such as ADI, use matte tin.

The "P" is a Pdip package. The "A" suffix is a gradeout. You need to check the datasheet to see if the A suffix is a higher grade or lower grade -- Burr-Brown parts are somewhat inconsistent in that regard. Both of these suffixes are from the old Burr-Brown nomenclature system and are not necessarily the suffixes a new TI part would use.

[speakerguy79]

Mkay, the thing that got me is that both the G4 and non-G4 versions are both listed as RoHS compliant/"green". I didn't know why they had the suffix.

I was wondering b/c only the G4 parts are available as samples, was wondering if they were effectively the same as the non-G4 parts from an interchangeability point of view in case I bought more from digikey.

Is there some listing on the TI site of what these mean? I see the 2132 uses "EA" instead of GA and I've seen lots of suffixes that I just don't understand. With my luck with letting the smoke out of things I have to be REAL careful. They call me smolder around work

[BrianL]

The reason that the G4 exists is that during the switch from non-green to green parts, many customers wanted to be guaranteed that they received the green stuff; thus the special suffixes. Now one would think this is a moot point but customers have the G4 p/n in their paperwork and logistics systems so you have two different p/n's for essentially the same thing. All this is to be found somewhere on the TI web site. Other vendors, such as ADI have their own p/n suffixed for pb-free/green material.

To understand the suffixes, read the datasheet for the part you are interested in; any manufacturer will spell out the options; you can also check the summary info on the web site when you do a p/n search.

In other words, it's all there if you just look it up and read.