Best transistor tutorials?

[Mint.]

Once again I am stuck understanding how electronics work. This time it is transistors. Can anybody recommend any good tutorials that may help me out? Preferably from beginners who also had this problem.

[vk6zgo]

There are 3 different ways books or tutorials look at transistors:

(1) Go into some detail on the Physics involved,then tack a little bit on the end about how to use them .
The early books & courses were like this.
You came out of them with your head spinning about valency bonds & stuff,but not much wiser on how to use them.

(2) Skim over the Physics & get into the operational characteristics:-How to bias them,gain equations,hfe,etc.

(3)Try to do both.

I prefer (2),but that's probably because I am a Tech.
I am never going to build a transistor,I just want to use the things!

I would suggest you forsake the Internet tutorials & read some books on these devices.

[updatelee]

http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp_2.html

Im defn a beginner, but this tutorial combined with LTspice really helped me understand what was really going on.

Chris Lee

[Mechatrommer]

get into the operational characteristics:-How to bias them,gain equations,hfe,etc

and (4) do it on real circuit, look at it in the oscilloscope, make mistakes and had scratching, and alot of it. if you still cannot figure out why, (5) ask in the forum. if you dont get answer dont lose hope, do (4) and (5) indefinitely (infinite loop) until you find another better thing to do.

[vk6zgo]

get into the operational characteristics:-How to bias them,gain equations,hfe,etc

and (4) do it on real circuit, look at it in the oscilloscope, make mistakes and had scratching, and alot of it. if you still cannot figure out why, (5) ask in the forum. if you dont get answer dont lose hope, do (4) and (5) indefinitely (infinite loop) until you find another better thing to do.

The logical thing is probably to go back & find a new version of (1),(2),or (3),which may better answer your question.
The problem is,that if something goes wrong with a project,many people assume they have an error in construction,so they tear it apart & rebuild it over & over.
If there is a mistake in the design phase of the project,OR a faulty component,they get the same result each time.
The trick is knowing which problem you have.
It makes more sense to fault-find the first iteration,rather than going round in circles.

[electrode]

Here's a shorter version of a long article called How Transistors REALLY Work that I read some time ago.

Does any of that matter though? Or do you just want to look at how to use transistors, rather than how they work?

[Mint.]

Here's a shorter version of a long article called How Transistors REALLY Work that I read some time ago.

Does any of that matter though? Or do you just want to look at how to use transistors, rather than how they work?

Thanks for the article! I want to be able to be able to analyze circuits with transistors and understand how the work and what they do in the circuit, afterwards I want to be able to apply transistors to circuits.

[electrode]

In that case, the black box model of I_c = beta*I_b is a good starting point.

Once you know how to use a transistor as a switch or a crude amplifier, look at the 4-resistor common-emitter amplifier configuration and how it achieves a circuit gain independent of beta, how biasing and bypass caps work, DC/AC analysis, etc. Then look at the common-collector (emitter follower) circuits.

I found this just now, so I've only skimmed over it, but the content looks pretty good to understand the typical common-emitter amp and some basic characteristics.

[Blofeld]

You might try the chapter on BJTs (Bipolar Junction Transistors) in Tony Kuphaldt's allaboutcircuits:

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_4/index.html

Please don't get confused by the "This page requires proofreading" band at the top of the pages - they are just trying to remove some last typos. I have seen commercially available books that contained many more errors.

If you are not familiar with semiconductors and pn-junctions, first take a look at these 2 pages:

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_2/5.html
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_2/6.html

[DaveHardy]

In my opinion, the best book ever written on transistors is: "Design of Modern Transistor Circuits" by Maurice Yunik you can find them all over the web for about $5.00

[robrenz]

Lots of graphic and animated examples  http://williamson-labs.com/

[olsenn]

A few resources come to mind:
         
1) Electronics Club (http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/trancirc.htm): This is a great resource for learning the basics of how to use BJT transistors as switches. This is a great spot to start because it goes over the basics of operation and has some nice resources, like tables of current gain and maximum collector current etc of various common transistors.

2)  Art of Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957): This is a respected book that teaches (amongst other things) the basics of BJT, JFET, & MOSFET transistors, provides theory, useful configurations, and worked examples. It's a good resource for learning how to actually use transistors, not just as a switch.

3) Talking Electronics (http://www.talkingelectronics.com/te_interactive_index.html): This site contains hundreds if not thousands of example circuits which you can build; many of which are designed around transistors. Make sure to check out the free books:
                     * The Transistor Amplifier - http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/TheTransistorAmplifier/The%20Transistor%20Amplifier.pdf
                     * 1-100 Transistor Circuits - http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/200TrCcts/1-100TransistorCircuits.pdf
                     * 101-200 Transistor Circuits - http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/200TrCcts/101-200TransistorCircuits.pdf
 

[Mint.]

Thank you everybody for your replies, some links were more helpful than others. I would appreciate if anybody shares any more links.

[Deepak]

If you like youtube explanations I think this is a pretty good one:



Dunno if that's too basic for you, but I'm sure someone will get something out of it.

[veek]

Costs $300+ and just on Amazon - Yunik book

[rstofer]

w2aew videos 113 & 114 might help

Alan has many more videos on the topic, Google for 'w2aew transistor'

Dave has videos on the topic as well.  Google for 'eevblog transistor video' #748 is a start at the physics level.

[ledtester]

Thanks for the article! I want to be able to be able to analyze circuits with transistors and understand how the work and what they do in the circuit, afterwards I want to be able to apply transistors to circuits.

I'd suggest "Transistor Circuit Approximations" by Malvino. A very practical introduction to analyzing common transistor applications.