1 x 3:8 decoder/demux in 16-SOIC
The Texas Instruments CD74HC238M96 is a 1-of-8 decoder/demultiplexer from the 74HC logic family, configured as a single 3-line to 8-line circuit. It accepts three binary address inputs and provides eight mutually exclusive active-high outputs, making it the standard choice for memory-chip select decoding, LED-matrix row selection, or any application needing to route a signal to one of eight destinations.
In practice, the 125°C ceiling covers under-hood automotive, industrial oven-adjacent control, and outdoor telecom cabinets where the enclosure internal air can hit 105°C on a hot day. The 74HC family's CMOS construction keeps quiescent current in the microamp range across this span, so self-heating does not eat into the thermal budget.
Output drive and active production
Each output sources or sinks 5.2 mA at the rated supply voltage — enough to drive a standard TTL input, an LED with a series resistor, or the clock-enable pin on a neighbouring IC. For heavier loads (relay coils, high-current indicators), an external buffer is needed; the 5.2 mA figure is the CMOS output's capability, not a load limit for the whole device.