UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Hecht, Kenneth 
   c/o Unitrode Corporation
   7 Continental Boulevard
   Merrimack, NH  03054
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Unitrode Corporation
   (UTR)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   
4. Statement for Month/Year
   December, 1996
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
   
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Month     |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                        <C>    <C>  <C><C>               <C> <C>         <C>                 <C>    <C>
Common Stock               |12/26/|G   |V|1,100             |D  |           |21,266             |D*    |                           |
                           |96    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |50,754             |I**   |By general                 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |partnership                |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Month       |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                   <C>      <C>   <C>  <C><C>        <C> <C>   <C>   <C>          <C>     <C>     <C>          <C> <C>
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
*  Shares are held in a living trust over which Mr. Hecht retains investment 
control for the benefit of Mr. Hecht 
and his spouse.
**  These securities are held by Juntos Partnership, a general partnership, of 
which the reporting person is a 
general partner.  The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these 
securities except to the extent of 
his pecuniary interest 
therein.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Kenneth Hecht
DATE
January 20, 1997
[{"type": "4", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 4 - DECEMBER, 1996", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5962}]
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Hecht, Kenneth 
   c/o Unitrode Corporation
   7 Continental Boulevard
   Merrimack, NH  03054
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Unitrode Corporation
   (UTR)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   
4. Statement for Month/Year
   December, 1996
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
   
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Month     |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Common Stock               |12/26/|G   |V|1,100             |D  |           |21,266             |D*    |                           |
                           |96    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |50,754             |I**   |By general                 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |partnership                |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Month       |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
|        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Explanation of Responses:
*  Shares are held in a living trust over which Mr. Hecht retains investment 
control for the benefit of Mr. Hecht 
and his spouse.
**  These securities are held by Juntos Partnership, a general partnership, of 
which the reporting person is a 
general partner.  The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these 
securities except to the extent of 
his pecuniary interest 
therein.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Kenneth Hecht
DATE
January 20, 1997