Quad NAND gate with open-collector outputs — what it means for the bus
The TI SN74ALS38BNSR is a quad 2-input NAND gate from the 74ALS family, but the key detail is the open-collector output stage. That means each of the four gates can only sink current — rated at 24 mA per output — and cannot source any. This is the part you pick when you need to wire-AND multiple outputs onto a shared bus line, drive a relay coil, or pull down a LED anode. The 33 ns propagation delay at 5V and 50 pF load is typical for the ALS series; it's fast enough for control logic and address decoding at moderate clock rates, but not for high-speed datapath switching where a 74F or 74AC part would be a better fit.
Sourcing and availability
The SN74ALS38BNSR is listed as Active and ROHS3 compliant. No end-of-life notice is in effect. This part is sourced through independent distribution and quoted to order against an RFQ.