Texas Instruments NE555P Timer IC 8-Pin DIP Vintage NOS Tarnished Pins

NE555P timer IC in an 8-lead plastic DIP - unused vintage Texas Instruments stock with tarnished leads

Condition

Unused NOS vintage Texas Instruments NE555P. The photographs show a black 8-lead plastic dual inline package, top surface reading M745 above the Texas Instruments outline logo and NE555P, with the pin 1 dimple molded into the lower left corner. Against the millimeter scale in the first photo the body measures approximately 9 to 10 mm along its long axis. The four leads visible in the macro photo are straight and full length with no cuts or bends; the opposite row is shown only from above, at the shoulders, so we cannot speak to those tips. The macro photo shows the tarnish plainly: the tinned lead surfaces carry heavy tarnish, dull and patchy with brown discoloration and pitting, crusted worst at the shoulders where each lead leaves the body. Evaluation: visual inspection only. Function testing not performed. Sourced from an electronics distributor that was consolidating inventory. Covered by the PartsMine Satisfaction Guarantee.

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Product Overview

The Texas Instruments NE555P is the through-hole version of the 555 timer, the general purpose timing device used for delays, pulse generation, and free-running oscillators in monostable and astable configurations. This one is an 8-lead plastic DIP, confirmed from the photographs rather than assumed, so it drops straight into a standard 8-pin DIP socket or a solderless breadboard. The package carries a two-line top marking, M745 over the Texas Instruments logo and NE555P, and the molded pin 1 dimple is clearly visible for orientation. Sold under the part number NE555P and cross-shopped as NE555, 555 timer, and DIP-8 timer IC. Electrical ratings are not confirmed here - check the Texas Instruments datasheet for the NE555 before you design around it.

Key Features

• Brand: Texas Instruments
• Part number: NE555P
• Component type: general purpose timer IC
• Package: 8-lead plastic DIP, confirmed from the photographs
• Top marking: M745 over the Texas Instruments logo and NE555P
• Body length: approximately 9 to 10 mm against the millimeter scale in the photo
• Leads: the four shown in the macro are straight and full length; heavy tarnish with pitting, worst at the shoulders
• Condition: unused NOS, visual inspection only, not function tested
• Electrical specifications: Not confirmed - verify against the Texas Instruments datasheet before use

Applications

• Hobbyist breadboarding an astable blinker or tone generator who wants a real through-hole 555 instead of a surface mount part
• Restorer rebuilding a 1970s or 1980s board that calls for an NE555P in an 8-pin socket
• Bench technician putting together a one-shot delay or a simple pulse source for a test fixture
• Instructor or club stocking a classroom kit with parts students can hold, orient by the pin 1 dimple, and solder by hand

Frequently Asked Questions

What package is this, and will it fit a standard socket?

It is an 8-lead plastic DIP, visible in both photographs. Against the millimeter scale the body runs approximately 9 to 10 mm long. It seats in a standard 8-pin DIP socket or a solderless breadboard, and the molded dimple marks the pin 1 end.

How bad is the tarnish, and will the leads still solder?

Look at the macro photo and judge for yourself: the plating is heavily tarnished, dull and blotchy with brown crusting and distinct pits, worst near the shoulders. That is surface oxidation from age and storage, not damage to the package. Plan on cleaning the leads and using fresh flux. A soak in citric acid and water is the method suggested for these vintage IC pins. We have not confirmed solderability on this unit.

Has this NE555P been function tested?

No. Evaluation was visual inspection only. No power was applied and no timing behavior was measured.

What are the supply voltage and timing ratings?

Not confirmed. Nothing on the package states them and we did not measure them. Verify against the Texas Instruments NE555 datasheet before you build around it.

So what am I actually buying with a tarnished, untested vintage 555?

You are buying exactly what the two photographs show: an unused NE555P that was never installed in anything, carrying heavy age tarnish and pitting on its leads, checked by eye and not on a bench. The photos are the spec, and you are taking on the cleanup and the function check yourself. The upside is that you get to see the actual leads before you order instead of guessing from a stock image, and the PartsMine Satisfaction Guarantee is behind it either way. Shipping is $8 flat rate and free once your order passes $28, with orders leaving our Idaho warehouse the same or next business day.

The 555 has been marking time in blinkers, one-shots, and bench experiments since the early 1970s, and this one sat out most of that run in a distributor's bin instead of on a board. Clean the leads, drop it in a socket, and let it start counting.