Applications:
Sensor
Audio amplifiers for radios
Amplifier for computers, mp3 players and other music playing devices
Toys
Sensor Circuits
Audio frequency signal Amplifications
Audio preamplifiers
Replacement / Equivalent / Other Part Numbers:
Some alternative ICs you can use are LM380, TDA2822M, NJM2073 and MC34119. The ICs mentioned here are not accurate replacement of LM386 because their internal and external circuitry is different, but if you are looking for 8 pin dip ICs which work on same voltage and require low external parts and also provide same output then you can look for these ICs.
How to Safely Long Run in a Circuit:
To get long term and stable performance from LM386 it is recommended to not operate the IC with more than 18V DC. Always check twice the connection in the circuit to save from accidental short circuit, white soldering make sure that the IC will not get more than recommended soldering heat. Make sure to connect the IC’s power connections in right polarity, do not operate the IC below 0 centigrade and above +70 centigrade and always store the IC above -65 centigrade and below +150 centigrade.
Application Circuit :
The figure below shows an audio amplifier circuit built using the LM386 audio frequency amplifier IC. The circuit can be operated from a 9V battery or you can also use a 12V battery. The pin 1 and 8 is connected through the 10uF capacitor to increase gain of the circuit to 200, you can also replace this 10uF capacitor with a 1K variable resistor to get the required gain value between 20 to 200. The audio input points are also shown in the circuit from which you can connected the audio you want to amplify, the 10K variable resistor connected with the pin3, audio input and ground is used to adjust the audio of the circuit. An 8 ohms speaker is connected with the pin5 of the IC through a 220uF capacitor used as a filter.
LM386 Description:
LM386 is a widely used audio amplifier IC manufactured in 8 pin dip, VSSOP, SOIC and other packages. The IC is basically designed for low voltage commercial applications, apart from commercial applications it is also a famous IC among electronic hobbyists and experimenters. The internal gain of the IC is set to 20 but it can be adjusted by connecting a resistor and a capacitor in series between the pin number 1 and 8, by this procedure the user can adjust the gain between 20 to 200. Due to the small size, low quiescent current and low voltage requirements this IC is ideal to use in wide variety of portable battery operated applications and devices.
LM386 Audio amplifier features and specifications
Supply Voltage: 4-15V
Quiescent Power: 24mW @ 6V
Analog input voltage 0.4V (maximum)
Voltage Gain: 20 to 200 (26dB to 46dB)
PSRR: 50dB
Speaker impedance 4Ω
Available in 8-Pin PDIP,SOIC and VSSOP packages
More technical details and LM386 specifications can be found in the LM386 datasheet attached at the bottom of the article.
LM386 Equivalent IC
LM380
Alternatives Audio Amplifiers
LM4871, AD620, IC6283, JRC4558,
Where to use the LM386 Audio Amplifier
The LM386 is a low power audio frequency amplifier which is very commonly used in small audio amplifiers. The IC consumes very less power and hence can be operated using a 9V battery easily. It can easily drive an 8-ohm speaker with a variable gain of 20 to200. Volume control and gain control is also possible in this. The IC comes in a 8-pin PDIP package and requires very less components to function hence it is highly easy to use.
So, if you are looking for an audio amplifier IC which can be powered using a battery for a portable application to drive an 8-ohm speaker then this IC might be the right choice for you. For driving heavy speakers you have to use the power amplifier ICs.
How to use LM386 IC
The LM386 only requires a couple of capacitors and resistors to start working. A very basic commonly used LM386 circuit is shown below.
The IC is powered using the pin 6 (typically 5 or 9V) and the ground pin 4 is connected to the ground. The inverting pin (pin 2) is normally grounded and the Non-inverting pin (pin 3) is provided with the Audio signal. This audio signal can be from a microphone or even from a 3.5mm jack. The 10k resistor is added in series with the audio signal to act as a volume control. You can ignore this potentiometer if you want to operate in full volume.
The pin 1 and pin 8 are used to set the gain of the Amplifier. If there is nothing connected between these pins then the default gain will be 26 dB, but we can connect a 10 uF capacitor across it to get the maximum ain of the IC which is 46dB. The pin 7 is used to connect a filtering capacitor (0.1uf) for our amplifier IC to avoid unnecessary oscillations. The amplified audio signal can be obtained from the pin 5 which is connected to a 8-ohm speaker through a filtering capacitor. The RC network with 0.05uF and 10k resistor is optional.
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