Open-collector NAND in a 74F speed grade
The SN74F38D is a quad 2-input NAND gate built in the 74F bipolar family, but with open-collector outputs instead of the standard totem-pole stage. This means the output can only sink current — it pulls low actively, but relies on an external pull-up resistor to go high. That makes it useful for wired-OR connections, level translation to a higher voltage rail, or driving loads like indicator LEDs where the high-side current path is handled off-chip. Each of the four gates sinks up to 64 mA per output when low, which is well above the typical 20 mA of a standard 74F00 gate. The propagation delay is 12.5 ns max at 5 V into a 50 pF load — fast enough for most glue-logic bus interfaces running at tens of megahertz, but the open-collector rise time depends on the pull-up resistor value and load capacitance, not just the gate itself.
Supply, temperature, and package fit
The quiescent supply current is 7 mA max, which is modest for a bipolar gate. Operating temperature is 0°C to 70°C, so this part is specified for commercial/indoor equipment, not extended industrial or automotive environments. The tube packaging means it ships in anti-static tubes, not tape-and-reel — a detail that matters if your pick-and-place feeder setup expects reeled parts. The footprint matches any generic SOIC-14 land pattern; no special thermal pad or exposed paddle to worry about.