BrownDog Adapters

AZG

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#1
Hey fellas, so I've been reading up on the business of upgrading to modern opamps and obviously the BrownDog adapters are a big help with a lot of these IC swaps. I've seen people using both the 060601 (red) and the 070401 (green) adapter when doing an upgrade on a 4136. After looking at the schematics, it is clear that there is a much different pin mapping between these two models, so how is it that they are able to be used interchangeably?

http://cimarrontechnology.com/\pdf\060601sch.pdf
http://cimarrontechnology.com/\pdf\070401sch.pdf

It looks like the 060601 is specifically for the RC4136 pinout and the 070401 is for the "standard" pinout.
 

laatsch55

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#2
The 4136 has a non-standard pin out. The BDA allows you to mount standard pin op-amps, say the OPA 2134, to a 4136 location.
 

AZG

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#3
The 4136 has a non-standard pin out. The BDA allows you to mount standard pin op-amps, say the OPA 2134, to a 4136 location.
Right, I understand the reason for using the adapter mount. But for instance, when you upgraded Cory's PL2000 and used the BrownDog adapter, you used the green one (which I assume was the 070401)...and when I upgraded mine, I used the red one. I have seen photos of people's upgrades and it seems like both colors are being used. Could it be that BrownDog used to make the 060601 in green and then switched to red to make it easier to distinguish the two?

Furthermore, if you wanted to upgrade a different opamp that was not the 4136, you would use the standard 070401 correct?
 

laatsch55

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#4
If it had a standard pin out you wouldn't need an adapter. I don't think the colors are significant.
 

AZG

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#6
Can you get mounted or unmounted in either color??
Lee,
It doesn't look like you are able to pick a color. It looks like the 070401 comes only in green and the 060601 comes only in red. If Browndog used to make 060601's in green, then that would make sense, but it's just confusing for someone like myself to browse through older threads and see the green adapters being used to upgrade the 4136's.

For a standard 14 pin IC, you would still need an adapter (070401) to run a newer dual-to-quad 8 pin opamp config, correct?
 

laatsch55

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#7
That would depend on the original application. Why would you run a quad in.place of a dual??
 

AZG

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#8
That would depend on the original application. Why would you run a quad in.place of a dual??
Haha well that's why I'm asking...

Let's take the case of the 4136 in the PL2000. Is the original a quad? Because the "upgrade" is the 060601 adapter with 2 dual 2134's.

That being said, are all 4136's the same? (I'm new to this)
 

AZG

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#9
Ok so I think I am understanding.

The 4136 is a 4 channel quad amplifier.

The 2134 is a 2 channel (which is why you need two of them) but performs better than the 4136...hence the reason to upgrade.
 

WOPL Sniffer

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Gepetto

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#12
I have the brown dog Adaptors and the op-amps (OPA 134) to go on them if anybody is interested. Like these except I didn't get mine from China. I can even solder the SOIC's in if your hands are shaky and your eyes are bad. I also have the sockets for the boards if needed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1X-OPA134UA...hash=item1c28ae60f6:m:mD3TIk4NvaikkK3KEqJI58g
As Perry says, be careful what you get from China sources, hard to tell if it is real or not. There are a few commodities where China does have a leading position these days, such as lighting components and solar panel components where it is all about production volume.

Other than that, you really don't ever see any new technology IP coming out of China do you??

Advice is to stick to trusted, franchised distributors for parts...
 

WOPL Sniffer

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#13
I second that Joe.... I bought them for reworking the original 700B/700 series II boards but the boards suck quality wise and condition wise that they aren't worth my time to restore.
 
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#14
Right, I understand the reason for using the adapter mount. But for instance, when you upgraded Cory's PL2000 and used the BrownDog adapter, you used the green one (which I assume was the 070401)...and when I upgraded mine, I used the red one. I have seen photos of people's upgrades and it seems like both colors are being used. Could it be that BrownDog used to make the 060601 in green and then switched to red to make it easier to distinguish the two?

Furthermore, if you wanted to upgrade a different opamp that was not the 4136, you would use the standard 070401 correct?
I cannot speak to past colors but it appears as though there is a standard 14 pin layout which is the 070401 and the 14 pin configuration that is specifically for the 4136 IC which is the 060601.
At least I hope this is the case because I just ordered a 060601 with dual 2134's on it.
 

George S.

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#16


adapter arrived, installed a socket and shes good to go! sounds great!
.
Zombie thread, back from the dead. Is the above the best solution for upgrading the 2 RC4136s in a PL2000 or stay with the originals as designed? I have no issues soldering surface mount if needed but have no real test equipment other than a multimeter.
 

Gepetto

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#17
You can purchase the brown dogs with the devices already attached I believe.

I think RC4136s are close to the worst (it was the first quad op amp introduced to the market by Raytheon back in the late 70s, that is how old the design is), audio wise, but they do the job.

I used them for DC motor control in linear servo systems back then. Too bad they introduced an oddball pinout which makes direct substitution difficult
 
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