LM358

The LM358 is one of the most widely deployed dual operational amplifiers in the industry, and for good reason: it combines two independent, high-gain, internally frequency-compensated amplifiers in a single 8-pin package while drawing only a few hundred microamps of supply current. Unlike many op-amps that require symmetrical rails, the LM358 was designed from the ground up for single-supply operation between 3V and 32V, and its common-mode input range extends to ground (V-), which lets you sense small signals referenced to the negative rail without a charge pump or negative supply. This is exactly why it became the default choice for sensor front-ends, current-shunt amplifiers, and battery-powered instrumentation.

Inside each amplifier you get a typical gain-bandwidth product of 1.2 MHz and a slew rate of about 0.5 V/µs, which places it firmly in the "general-purpose DC to low-audio-frequency" category. It is not a precision part — input offset voltage can reach 7 mV over temperature on the standard grade — but for closed-loop gains of 10 to 100 with a stable reference, that error is often acceptable and can be trimmed out in firmware if needed. Output stage is a classic Class-AB with NPN pull-up and current-source pull-down, so the output can swing close to ground (a few millivolts) but needs at least 1.5 V of headroom to the positive rail; if you need rail-to-rail output, look at the LMV358 or TLV2372.

For B2B sourcing, the LM358 is available from Texas Instruments (LM358A, LM358B grades for tighter offset), STMicroelectronics (LM358ST), onsemi, and many Asian second sources. All are pin-compatible and functionally equivalent, but the electrical spec sheet differs — TI's "B" grade offers 1 mV max Vos at 25 °C versus 7 mV for the standard part. Choose based on your accuracy budget rather than price alone. Shenzhen stock is deep, MOQ typically 2,500 pcs on tape-and-reel for the SOP-8 version.