diode on Bald Engineerhttps://www.baldengineer.com/tag/diodeRecent content in diode on Bald EngineerHugoen-USThu, 31 Mar 2022 03:55:08 +0000DCA Pro Transistor Tester Review | Workbench Wednesdayshttps://www.baldengineer.com/dca-pro-review-tests-transistors.htmlWed, 07 Aug 2019 14:19:09 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?post_type=link&p=7940When it comes to transistors, there are only so many things a multimeter can measure. The DCA Pro from PEAK Electronics makes short work of testing parts like a transistor. This small device can determine pinout, component type, and essential parameters in a matter of seconds. Not only that but it can be connected to a (Windows) PC and draw parameter curves. Check out the video review to see how the device and software work. Then head over to the element14 page where you can download a zip file full of example parts I measured for you. Use the free DCA Pro software to open them.

DCA Pro Transistor Tester Review | Workbench Wednesdays

Zener diode makes for a lousy regulatorhttps://www.baldengineer.com/zener-diode-regulators.htmlWed, 20 Sep 2017 12:57:08 +0000https://www.baldengineer.com/?p=6737The Zener diode is often used to create a reference voltage. In tutorials and even college texts, there are mentions of creating a Zener diode based regulator. The idea is that the Zener maintains a known voltage drop. The problem is that current matters. This post looks a quick Zener diode overview and shows what happened when I tried to power a microcontroller using a “Zener diode regulator.” Zener diodes overview Just a brief overview if you are not familiar with Zener diodes. Like typical diodes, Zeners have low forward voltages. Typically you voltages are around 0.7. However, different material sets can offer different forward voltages.

Zener diode makes for a lousy regulator