ws • A transistor can also be used as an electronic switch between its saturation and cut-
off regions to control devices such as lamps, motors and solenoids etc.
Transistor Tutorial about Bipolar and FET Transistors • Inductive loads such as DC motors, relays and solenoids require a reverse biased
6-7 minuti “Flywheel” diode placed across the load. This helps prevent any induced back emf’s
generated when the load is switched “OFF” from damaging the transistor.
Having looked at the construction and operation of NPN and PNP bipolar junctions
• The NPN transistor requires the Base to be more positive than the Emitter while the
transistors (BJT’s) as well as field effect transistors (FET’s), both junction and insulated gate,
PNP type requires that the Emitter is more positive than the Base.
we can summarise the main points of these transistor tutorials as outlined below:
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The Field Effect Transistor Chart
Differences between a FET and a Bipolar Transistor
Field Effect Transistors can be used to replace normal Bipolar Junction Transistors in
electronic circuits and a simple comparison between FET’s and Transistors stating both their
advantages and their disadvantages is given below.
Junction FET Metal Oxide Semiconductor FET 11 More expensive than bipolar Cheap
Type Depletion Depletion Enhancement 12 Difficult to bias Easy to bias
Mode Mode Mode
Bias ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
Below is a list of complementary bipolar transistors which can be used for the general–
N-channel 0V -ve 0V -ve +ve 0V
purpose switching of low-current relays, driving LED’s and lamps, and for amplifier and
P-channel 0V +ve 0V +ve -ve 0V
oscillator applications.
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