There seemed to be a time when the semiconductor industry was maybe in some kind of adolescence when advertising of hi-tech products had a humorous, if not always politically correct, touch.
I find I miss that.
Let me cite just a few examples:
When National Semiconductor introduced their LH0033C and LH0063C buffer ICs, they were shown in their data sheet as a "Fast Buffer" and as a "Damn Fast Buffer". See http://www.datasheetarchive.com/*LH0033CG-datasheet.html#datasheets and then click on the pdf file for "Misc. Data Book Scans 1975/76". Today, you see data sheets for the "Very Fast Buffer".
Signetics, a semiconductor maker of yore, once put out a datasheet for a semiconductor product called the WOM or write-only-memory. It was for writing data that you never again intended to read. They even gave it a part number of 25120. See http://www.national.com/rap/files/datasheet.pdf . Going even further with this, they distributed some plastic DIP packages with that type number bearing the date code "NFG".
As silicon made its way into the industry, as venerable old design favorites such as the 2N404 PNP germanium transistor with its ultra-low Vcesat specification were disappearing, one company whose name escapes me decided to advertise itself as a continuing source of germanium products. To do this, the company's CEO, a somewhat filled out man with a long grey beard, donned a Roman toga, put a laurel wreath on his head, struck a noble senatorial pose and was shown to say "I speak for Germanium."
A photocell company took a picture of a wide-eyed owl staring at the reader and gave it the caption "Can't beat him for light sensitivity, but what a packaging problem."
An LED maker took a photograph of a small, Uriah Heep looking man with beady looking eyes who stared menacingly at the reader while reciting "Would you give gallium arsenide to your wife?"
Arthur C. Clarke wrote a famous novel called "Childhood's End".
Is that what happened?
The MBA's invaded the industry and took the fun out of it.
Posted by: Dick LaRosa | December 17, 2011 at 06:18 PM
I liked the serious full page specification sheet of the Zero Ohm resistor which had a tolerance and full set of parameters.
NSC always had good technical writers in the 70's. Although, my recollection of the funniest technical writing was found in book about a programming language called Forth, used in my Cambrian Disk tester in the 80's.
Maybe it was lawyer's that took the fun out of it.
Posted by: tony stewart | December 18, 2011 at 09:47 AM
I remember when I was just getting started in electronics and saw the Damn Fast Buffer in a data book. At the time I wondered if it had some special meaning.
Posted by: rickman | December 18, 2011 at 02:15 PM
I was looking for the Moben diode the other day.
Anyone know if there is still a data sheet around?
Posted by: hedley rokos | December 19, 2011 at 07:32 AM