Monday, 19 September 2016

The Transistor Explained By ArduinoPak

The Transistor is a semiconductor device which is sued to switch electronic signals and electrical power. It has a semiconductor material that consists of usually three terminals for connection to an external circuit. These are used to create computer memories, microprocessors and more complex IC's.

Symbols, Pins and Construction
Transistors is a three terminal device. The bi-polar junction transistor has three pins labeled collector (C), base (B) and emitter (E). These have their own symbols:



NPN and PNP has a difference regarding the direction of the arrow of the emitter. The arrow on an NPN points outwards while the PNP points inwards. The best way to remember this is through this awesome mnemonic:

NPN: NOT POINTING IN

Construction:

Transistors rely on semiconductors to work. And a semiconductor is a material which is not a pure conductor thus its name 'semi' and it is also not a pure insulator. Its conductivity or the ease of flow depends on variables like temperature or the presence of electrons.

A Transistor as two diodes

Transistors are like extensions of another semiconductor called diodes and we could say that transistors are two diodes with their cathodes or anodes tied together. The emitter is important, it matches the direction of the arrow on the schematic symbol and it tells us where the current is flowing. 



Structure and Operation

Transistors are built by stacking three different layers of semiconductor material together and these layers have extra electrons by a process known as doping but some materials have electrons removed. The extra electrons is called an n-type (N is for Negative) and the ones that have electrons removed are p-types (P is for Positive). 
Transistors are created by stacking an n on top of a p or vice versa. 


What does a transistor actually do?Now let us get to that question you keep asking. Well, a transistor works as an amplifier and it takes in a tiny electric current at one end known as the input and produces a bigger electric current at the other end which is the output. We can say that the transistor is a current booster and it is used in various things like hearing aids.

They also work as switches by switching to bigger electric current . This is how computer chips work. A memory chip for instance contains hundred or even billions of transistors that can be switched on or off and because each transistor can be in two distinct state, it can store two numbers, 0 and 1.

We sell almost everything in the electronics market, Micro-Controllers, Resistor, Capacitors, Transistor, Opto-couplers, Diodes, LEDs, Relays, Crystals, PCB Terminal blocks, Heat sinks, Header Rows, Push button switches, Water Heaters, UPS, Stabilizers, Contactors, ATS, ULN2003, Bridge rectifier DB104 and so much more. The list would go on.


If you need anything, a Resistor, a Transistor, an IC, an Arduino Board, a Raspberry Pi or whatever it is, if it is electrical, we would have it. So visit our site today and get buying.

www.arduinopak.com



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