[sdiy] New TI 5532

[mskala at northcoastsynthesis.com]

On Thu, 7 May 2026, Eric Honour wrote:

> I'm actually curious if it would be plausible to add an additional
> translation layer that allows a new part to behave like an old one.
> In software development, there's a pattern called an "anti-corruption layer"
> where you basically segregate legacy code apart from cleaner, more modern
> code.  I'm basically envisioning a hardware version of this, but inverted -
> a "re-corruption layer".

Probably hard to do in this particular case because the new part has lower
power supply voltage (and therefore possible output swing) and slew rate.
If you really needed those particular specifications, then in order to
"translate" the new part's behaviour, you would need to add some kind of
faster, higher-voltage amplifier on the output... and then that
translating amplifier itself could probably just replace the 5532
directly, making the involvement of the new 5532 superfluous.  (Never mind
any possible need for translation on the input side as well.)

More generally, there are certainly cases where something like that might
be done.  For instance, lots of people have developed replacements for the
much-missed uA726 heated matched pair.  Most often these replacements are
*not* actually heated matched pairs like the original, let alone on a
single chip like the original, but they're at least capable of dropping
into the same circuits, and they may be good enough if other measures are
taken to keep the two sides of the pair at the same temperature.

-- 
Matthew Skala
North Coast Synthesis Ltd.