XL741

This page is the central documentation site for the "XL741" Discrete 741 Op-Amp kit from Evil Mad Scientist.

Main details about the XL741 kit

• Store page at Evil Mad Scientist.
• Announcement article for kit on the Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories blog.

Essential Documentation

• Kit v. 2.0 Data Sheet (1.9 MB PDF)
• Kit Assembly Instructions:
  • Current kit v. 2.0 Assembly Instructions (1.1 MB PDF)
  • Old revision: kit v. 1.0 Assembly Instructions (1.5 MB PDF)
• Principles of Operation (1 MB PDF). A detailed educational guide to the 741 kit, including theory of operation and questions to investigate.

Additional Resources

• The Wikipedia article on Operational Amplifiers is a great introduction, and has a wealth of information about 741 type op-amps.
• The Wikipedia article on Op-Amp Applications has a number of excellent example circuits.
• Introduction to the 741 at Circuits Today.
• Download the datasheet for a modern uA741 IC (PDF) from Texas Instruments.
• White paper on Understanding Operational Amplifier Specifications (PDF) from Texas Instruments.
• Original Fairchild 741 datasheet scan (PDF)
• Inside the ubiquitous 741 op amp, the circuits in silicon at Ken Shirriff's blog

• Tube Time, Web site of Eric Schlaepfer, designer of the XL741 circuit board

Places for questions, answers, and sharing experiences

• Support forum at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• Evil Mad Science Auxiliary Flickr Group where you can share photos of your giant 741's in action!