Intersil ICL8038

File:ICL8038 Waveform Generator IC.jpg

File:Intersil ICL8038 - operation.svg

The ICL8038 waveform generator was an Integrated circuit by Intersil designed to generate sine, square and triangular waveforms,{{cite web |last1=Santo |first1=Brian |title=25 Microchips That Shook the World |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/25-microchips-that-shook-the-world |website=IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News |access-date=7 January 2019 |language=en |date=1 May 2009 |publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} based on bipolar monolithic technology involving Schottky barrier diodes.{{cite web |title=Precision Waveform Generator/Voltage Controlled Oscillator |url=http://www.intersil.com/products/deviceinfo.asp?pn=ICL8038 |accessdate=7 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412145309/http://www.intersil.com/products/deviceinfo.asp?pn=ICL8038| archive-date=12 April 2012}} ICL8038 was a voltage-controlled oscillator{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Paul |author1-link=Paul Horowitz |last2=Hill |first2=Winfield |author2-link=Winfield Hill |title=The art of electronics |date=9 April 2015 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521809269 |edition=Third}}{{rp|434}} capable of producing frequencies between a millihertz and 100 kHz.,{{rp|2}} some specimens capable of reaching 300 kHz.{{rp|1}} The device has been discontinued by Intersil in 2002.{{cite web |title=ICL8038 Datasheet |url=http://www.intersil.com/data/fn/fn2864.pdf |accessdate=7 January 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205071737/http://www.intersil.com/data/fn/fn2864.pdf |archivedate=5 February 2012 |format=PDF |date=5 February 2012}}{{rp|1}}

Triangular waves were produced by charging and discharging a capacitor with constant currents. The triangular waves were converted to sine waves involving a non-linear network.{{rp|4}} The output frequency was set either by resistors or the external control voltage.{{rp|6}} The temperature drift could be optimized to less than 250ppm/°C by combining it with a PLL.{{rp|1}}

{{citation needed span |date=January 2019 |text=Maxim designed a copy of the ICL8038 and marketed it as the MAX038. Both devices have since been discontinued. |reason=MAX038 is hardly a clone of ICL8038 with the 100mHz to 20MHz range}}