Through-hole octal buffer for 5 V buses
The Texas Instruments CD74ACT241E is a 74ACT-series octal buffer with non-inverting logic and 3-state outputs, packaged in a 20-pin DIP for through-hole assembly. Each of the two 4-bit elements can sink or source 24 mA per output, making it a solid choice for driving address or data buses on legacy 5 V backplanes, or for buffering control signals in industrial PLC I/O modules.
Package and mounting
The 24 mA symmetric output drive handles standard TTL fan-out of ten loads or drives a 5 V relay coil with a series resistor. At 5 V supply, the 3-state outputs float to high impedance when the output-enable pins are asserted, letting multiple buffers share a bus without contention. The 74ACT family's faster edge rates compared to 74LS mean you should keep trace lengths under a few inches to avoid ringing — a 33 Ω series resistor at each output cleans that up on a prototype.
Active lifecycle — no LTB scramble
The through-hole DIP package is socket-friendly, which matters for field-service swaps — you can pull a failed buffer and seat a replacement without a hot-air station.