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I’m going to post the unpopular opinion here and say that this is OK in my book. This archive is distributing out of date documentation without making it clear

I’m going to post the unpopular opinion here and say that this is OK in my book. This archive is distributing out of date documentation without making it clear that it’s out of date. This could cause a major problem for someone that uses it. The documentation for the same chip is perfectly available on TIs website, although to get older datasheets you’ll need to dig further (by design). There’s a ton of sites mirroring datasheets, and they weren’t DMCA. It looks like someone at TIs legal got creative about how control this sites to update their info.

phendrenad2 6y ago
It's possible, and would also mean that TI didn't attempt to talk to bitsavers to get a new page added to the front of the old datasheet, which says "this is severely outdated and we have a nicer newer datasheet at ti.com - sincerely, Person McHuman, TI writer" and instead went right for takedown.
tsomctl 6y ago
It's a perfect example of the general shittiness of life. Just little things that, in of themselves, aren't bad, but they add up to make everything more difficult. Once an IC is designed, the datasheet doesn't substantially change. It isn't a computer program that gets continuous updates every couple of months. They might add some errata for some corner cases or clarification. What happens when the IC is discontinued? I still need the datasheet, so I can understand the circuit when finding a replacement IC.
- xondono 6y ago
  The datasheets in question are from parts like 555 and logic, parts that are functionally generic. No one has a doubt about how it works, but details like timmings specification and other small print parameters have had a lot of changes, because the design has been ported along each time the manufacturing process has changed. It’s cases like the one you mention when you want to know that the new parts have different parameters and you might need to change other components to compensate.

phendrenad2 6y ago

It's possible, and would also mean that TI didn't attempt to talk to bitsavers to get a new page added to the front of the old datasheet, which says "this is severely outdated and we have a nicer newer datasheet at ti.com - sincerely, Person McHuman, TI writer" and instead went right for takedown.

tsomctl 6y ago

It's a perfect example of the general shittiness of life. Just little things that, in of themselves, aren't bad, but they add up to make everything more difficult. Once an IC is designed, the datasheet doesn't substantially change. It isn't a computer program that gets continuous updates every couple of months. They might add some errata for some corner cases or clarification. What happens when the IC is discontinued? I still need the datasheet, so I can understand the circuit when finding a replacement IC.

xondono 6y ago
The datasheets in question are from parts like 555 and logic, parts that are functionally generic. No one has a doubt about how it works, but details like timmings specification and other small print parameters have had a lot of changes, because the design has been ported along each time the manufacturing process has changed. It’s cases like the one you mention when you want to know that the new parts have different parameters and you might need to change other components to compensate.