July 2012
Beginner
576 pages
9h 46m
English
Content preview from Complete Electronics Self-Teaching Guide with Projects
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Summary
At this point, it's useful to compare the properties of a mechanical switch with the properties of both types of transistors, as summarized in the following table.
| Switch | BJT | JFET |
| OFF (or open) | ||
| No current. | No collector current. | No drain current. |
| Full voltage across terminals. | Full supply voltage between collector and emitter. | Full supply voltage between drain and source. |
| ON (or closed) | ||
| Full current. | Full circuit current. | Full circuit current. |
| No voltage across terminals. | Collector to emitter voltage is 0 volts. | Drain to source voltage is 0 volts. |
The terms ON and OFF are used in digital electronics to describe the two transistor conditions you just encountered. Their similarity to a mechanical switch is useful in many electronic circuits.
In Chapter 4 you learn about the transistor switch in more detail. This is the first step toward an understanding of digital electronics. In Chapter 8 you examine the operation of the transistor when it is biased at a point falling between the two conditions, ON and OFF. In this mode, the transistor can be viewed as a variable resistance and used as an amplifier.
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