linear IC suffixes

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

<< Several of the circuits I'm looking at call for linear IC's, however the
parts list usually only calls for a 'TL071', 'TL082', 'TL084', etc.,
with no suffix.  Consulting my Mouser catalog, I find that there are at
least three different types of each of these (not counting the surface
mount types) with suffixes like 'ACN', 'CN', and 'IN'.  What do these
suffixes mean?  I would readily spend $1.10 for an 'ACN' type if I
thought it performed better than a .60 'CN' type. >>

Usually, you should just buy the cheapest one that's available.  The suffixes
usually denote two things:  Package type (form factor and material), and
usable temperature range.  The more expensive ones are spec'd for reliability
at higher and lower temperatures than the cheap ones, and generally made
specifically for military use.  You will not likely get any performance gain
from using these types.

However, sometimes there are versions available that will operate over higher
rail-to-rail power supply voltages.  Sometimes the suffix denotes something
about this, but usually not.

<< Also, now that I have looked in a few different places, I'm beggining to
think that the  'LM1448' is hard to find.  Anyone know offhand where to
get one, or is there a good substitution for this? >>

I've never seen the number before, but I'm guessing that if it's an IC, it's
some kind of quad opamp, probably a quad version of the old 748 dual op amps
(they were sort of like dual 741's).  If it is an opamp, once you figure out
the pinout, almost any bipolar opamp could replace it (and do a better job).

If it's a diode, it's just a different number for a garden-variety
small-signal diode (1N1448).