Device Families: TTL (74xx) True TTL 74L Low power 74S Schottky 74H High speed 74LS Low power - Schottky 74AS Advanced - Schottky 74ALS Advanced - Low power - Schottky 74F(AST) Fast - (Advanced - Schottky) 74C CMOS...................check Vcc levels 74HC (U) High speed - CMOS (Unbuffered output) 74HCT High speed - CMOS - TTL inputs 74AHC Advanced - High speed - CMOS 74AHCT Advanced - High speed - CMOS - TTL inputs 74FCT (-A) Fast - CMOS - TTL inputs (speed variations) 74FCT (-T, -AT) Fast - CMOS - TTL inputs (speed variations) 74AC Advanced - CMOS 74ACT Advanced - CMOS - TTL inputs 74FACT AC, ACT (Q) series 74ACQ Advanced - CMOS - Quiet outputs 74ACTQ Advanced - CMOS - TTL inputs - Quiet outputs Bus Driver Families 74ABT Advanced - BiCMOS - Technology 74ABTE ABT - Enhanced Transceiver Logic 74ABTH Advanced - BiCMOS - Technology - bus Hold 74BCT BiCMOS - TTL inputs 74BTL Backplane - Transceiver - Logic 74GTL Gunning - Transceiver - Logic 74GTLP GTL Plus Low Voltage Families 74ALB Advanced - Low Voltage - BiCMOS 74LV (U) Low - Voltage (Unbuffered output) 74LVC (R) (U) LV - CMOS (damping Resistor)(Unbuffered output) 74LVCH Low - Voltage - CMOS - bus Hold 74ALVC Advanced - Low - Voltage - CMOS 74LVT (R) (U) LV - TTL (damping Resistor(Unbuffered output) 74LVTZ Low - Voltage - TTL - High Impedance power-up 74ALVC (R) ALV - CMOS (bus Hold) (damping Resistor) 74ALVCH Advanced - Low - Voltage - CMOS - bus Hold 74LCX LV - CMOS (operates with 3v & 5v supplies) 74VCX LV - CMOS (operates with 1.8v & 3.6v supplies 4000 True CMOS (non-TTL levels) If we compare the logic levels; LSTTL, compatible with TTL HCT, compatible with TTL HC, not compatible with TTL difference between cmos 74hc and 74 hct series HC - High-speed CMOS AC - Advanced CMOS ( higher speeds that HC ) HCT - High-speed CMOS, TTL compatible (voltage levels compatible with TTL logic levels) ACT - Advanced CMOS, TTL compatible (same) If you need high speed (check the actual datasheets for numerical values) use ACT. Otherwise you can safely stick to HCT.