18 Jan
2010
18 Jan
'10
5:30 p.m.
dwight elvey wrote:
I suspect that Lambda wanted to take advantage of two
things.
2.5 volts is a typical output of a band-gap reference and the
lower voltage meant that two less resistors were needed for
voltages below 7 volts.
I believe the original 723 design used zeners as references
and these are a little more process dependent than the band-gap
that depends more on physical geometry.
It would have been nice if they used another name, something
like 723-2.5.
Just as an addendum to the discussion, the 1981 IC Master lists Lambda
Semiconductor as producing a bunch of voltage regulator ICs. The LAS723 and
LAS723B are listed separately from the group list of manufacturers producing
the 723 (the difference between them is not specified, however).
Rather poor that they didn't modify the part number, as you say.