00:00Hashtag Top 5 Darlington Transistor Arrays for Relay Drivers
00:04Hey, what's going on everybody?
00:07So if you've been working on a project where you need to drive relays, stepper motors,
00:11or really any kind of inductive load, you already know that a good Darlington
00:15transistor array is absolutely essential. I spent way too long digging through listings,
00:20comparing specs, reading reviews, and I've narrowed it down to the top 5 Darlington
00:24transistor arrays for relay drivers that are actually worth your money.
00:28Let's jump right in.
00:30Kicking things off at number 5, we've got the ULN2003AG in the SOIC16 package.
00:37This is a 7-channel NPN Darlington array rated at 500mA per channel and 50V,
00:43which is honestly the sweet spot for most relay driving applications.
00:47It's got built-in flyback diodes too, so you don't need to add external protection for your
00:51inductive loads. At just $2.99, nearly 5,000 people have grabbed this one, and it's sitting
00:58at a solid 4.7-star rating. If you just need a single chip to get your project going, this
01:04is a
01:05fantastic no-brainer starting point. Coming in at number 4, we have the 50-piece
01:10slot of ULN2003D1013TR from STMicroelectronics. Now, if you're doing any kind of batch production
01:18or you just like to keep your parts been stocked, this is where it gets interesting.
01:2250 pieces for $6.39, that's roughly 13 cents per chip, which is insane value.
01:29Over 4,000 sold with a 4.8-star rating, so buyers are clearly happy.
01:34These are surface-mounted SOIC 16 packages, perfect for PCB designs, and at that price
01:40per unit, you really can't go wrong stocking up. At number 3, we've got a 10-piece slot of
01:45the ULN2003D1013TR in the SOP16 package. Now, this one comes in at $7.43 for 10 pieces,
01:54so the per unit cost is a bit higher than our last pick. But here's the thing, if you don't
01:59need 50
02:00of them and you just want a reasonable quantity for a handful of projects, this is a nice middle
02:04ground. It's got a 4.5-star rating with nearly 4,000 units sold, so it's a proven, reliable option.
02:12Same great STMicroelectronics chip, same performance, just a more manageable quantity
02:17for hobbyists and smaller builds. Number 2 is the ULN2003D1013TR sold as a single unit,
02:25brand new and factory original, in the SOIC 16 package. Now, at $8.36 for a single chip,
02:32this is obviously the premium option on the list. But here's why it's worth mentioning,
02:37this one carries a 4.9-star rating, which is nearly perfect, and it's guaranteed factory original.
02:43If you're working on a critical application, maybe a commercial product or something where
02:48component authenticity really matters, this is the one you want.
02:52You're paying for peace of mind and verified quality, and sometimes that's worth every penny.
02:58Alright folks, there you have it, the top 5 Darlington transistor arrays for relay drivers.
03:03I've put links to every single one of these in the description down below so you can grab
03:07whichever one fits your project best. If this video helped you out, smash that like button,
03:13subscribe if you haven't already, and I'll catch you in the next one.
03:17Happy building!
