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There are many discrete semiconductors with names like 1N4148, 1N4007, 4N35 or 6N137... And they can be produced by many manufacturers. So it looks like it is not a marketing names.

Looks like 1N are diodes of any kind, 2N - transistors, 4N and 6N optocouplers...

How does they appeared hystorically?

What means the first digit and the N letter?

How is it possible that these devices have the same parameters while comming from different producers?

Answers for Numbering of Diodes and Transistors question does not explaining the meaning of 4N and 6Ns and does not explaining the background of these naming conventions. I'd like to have more reading on this. Reference to JEDEC made by winny is very useful. I think that I will be able to find something there.

Roman Matveev
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    It’s JEDEC naming convention. 1N for diodes and do in. Read more here: https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/electronic_components/transistor/transistor-codes-numbering.php – winny Sep 14 '19 at 16:32
  • RCA made a 3Nxxxx dual-gate MOSFET. – analogsystemsrf Sep 14 '19 at 16:50
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    @winny It does not seem to be very consistently followed, notwithstanding their MOSFET exemption. For example 2N5064 and 2N6028 are thyristors with 3 junctions and 2N2646 has only one junction. The JIS numbering system (eg. 2SKxxx) seems to have been more closely followed. The JEDEC standard was superceded by JESD370B apparently, but a quick search does not yield a PDF of that freely available (and perhaps it, too, is not really that respected). – Spehro Pefhany Sep 14 '19 at 17:07
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    @SpehroPefhany It's a very old convention and it's been around as long as I can remember and I'll be 76 next month. Therefore it is not surprising that various manufacturers have taken liberties with it over the years or argued that device X is really a 2N part when technically it isn't – Peter Jennings Sep 14 '19 at 17:44
  • @PeterJennings I imagine its related to the power that JEDEC has (soft or hard power) to enforce their standards vs. that of JIS. If they have no real authority, and companies think they will sell more SCRs by calling it a 2N5064 vs. a 3N5064 that's probably what they will do. – Spehro Pefhany Sep 14 '19 at 18:28
  • A standard is only standard until something does not fit and you have to deviate. – StainlessSteelRat Sep 14 '19 at 20:50

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