# Op amps, Microchips & Mergers - Narquois Nerd Nescience - Narquois Nerd Nescience

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2011-09-27
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 62
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-62-narquois-nerd-nescience/

## Summary

Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the recent merger of Texas Instruments and National Semiconductor, analyzing the challenges engineers face when replacing legacy op-amps with TI equivalents due to subtle performance differences. They review new Microchip PIC microcontrollers featuring integrated reconfigurable logic and power management peripherals, and debate the practical viability of printable organic electronics versus standard silicon components. The episode also covers the Linear Technology LT1512 buck-boost battery charger, open-source logic analyzer projects, and the history of radar.

## Chapters

- [0:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=28) Introduction and MIT Career Fair
- [23:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=1391) TI and National Semiconductor Merger
- [28:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=1731) Microchip PIC with Reconfigurable Logic
- [35:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=2109) Printable Organic Electronics
- [39:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=2347) Linear Technology LT1512 Charger
- [48:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=2917) Open Source Logic Analyzers and Breadboarding
- [59:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience#t=3560) History of Radar

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Texas Instruments (company)
- National Semiconductor (company)
- Microchip (company)
- Linear Technology (company)
- LT1512 (chip)
- Freetronics (company)
- Protostack (company)
- Sump (product)
- King of the Nerds (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [EP 372: Pop Tubers, Shifty Semiconductors, and Shelving Shelf Labels](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-06-05-ep-372-pop-tubers-shifty-semiconductors-and-shelving-shelf-labels) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-10-21-the-spark-gap-episode-42) (The Spark Gap)
- [216: Bavarian Folk Metal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-09-22-216-bavarian-folk-metal) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-05-06-the-spark-gap-episode-32) (The Spark Gap)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2016-10-19-the-spark-gap-episode-49) (The Spark Gap)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-09-27-op-amps-microchips-mergers-narquois-nerd-nescience-narquois-nerd-nescience. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.