Today, I'm going to give you a thorough overview of the General Purpose Diode. This blog is the continuous blog of the series of Diodes so if you wish to read about any other diodes or basic's of diode then you may visit our website. In this blog, we will be discussing the Definition, Symbol, Characteristics, Materials from which a diode is made, How to choose a perfect diode, Applications, a Few General Purpose diodes model number with their personal applications and so on.
GENERAL PURPOSE DIODE
General-purpose diodes are electronic components with two terminals that enable current to flow exclusively in one direction, from an anode (+) to a cathode (-). PN junctions have a positive or P-region with positive ions and a negative or N-region with negative electrons in these basic semiconductors.
When a forward voltage is applied to the PN junction, electrons from the N-region fill "holes" in the P-region, causing the current to flow solely in one direction. The diodes reverse voltage cannot flow because of the potential barrier that prevents current to flow in the opposite direction.
Diode Characteristics
These are the diodes characteristics.
-
Forward voltage (VF) is the voltage between the diode terminals that causes a significant increase in forward current.
-
Forward Current (IF) When the forward voltage is supplied, the current flows in the direction of lower resistance through the diode.
-
Reverse current (IR) or leakage current, is the current value when the reverse voltage is applied, and it measures the current that flows through a semiconductor junction during reverse bias condition.
-
Reverse voltage (VR)is the highest reverse voltage that can be applied repeatedly.
-
Breakdown voltage (VBR) is the reverse voltage at which a little voltage increase causes a large increase in reverse current during reverse bias.
-
Junction operating temperature (Tj) is the range of temperatures at which the diode is designed to operate.
Applications
General-purpose diodes are often used in any application that does not require a specialized function or power requirements. Some of the applications include- Voltage regulators
- Switching applications
- Clamping circuits
- Power supplies
- DC-DC converters
- AC-DC converters
- Signal rectifiers
- Signal modulators/demodulators
General Purpose Diode Parameters
A list of parameters to consider when selecting a diode for your next electronics project may be found below:
|
Parameters |
Description |
|
Application |
You should be clear about where you have to use your diode as per the project so accordingly, you will be choosing the diode. |
|
Forward Voltage Drop |
The forward voltage drop for a given current may be found in any component specification. |
|
Reverse Leakage Current |
The reverse leakage current of a diode increases dramatically as the temperature of the diode rises. This is a critical element to keep in mind if you want to keep your device's integrity. |
|
Reverse Recovery Time |
The amount of charge that flows during the transition from on to off state is described by this parameter. |
|
Reverse Breakdown |
To figure out when the diode will allow current to flow in reverse, look for factors like Peak Reverse Voltage or Maximum Blocking DC Voltage. |
|
Working temperature |
The junction temperature of a basic diode must be kept between 125 and 175 degrees Celsius. When working on heat distribution for your product, keep this number in mind. |
General Purpose Diodes with their applications
Lets us study a few diodes, their specifications as well as their applications, this will help the reader to choose the perfect diode.
1N400X Series
The 1N400x (or 1N4001 or 1N4000) series is a family of popular one-ampere general-purpose silicon rectifiers diodes commonly used in AC adapters for common household appliances. Its blocking voltage varies from 50 volts (1N4001) to 1000 volts (1N4007). Diodes with similar ratings are available in SMA and MELF surface-mount packages (in other part number series).
These are fairly low-speed rectifier diodes, being inefficient for square waves of more than 15 kHz. They are not designed for switching applications
Specifications
|
Ratings |
1N4001 |
1N4002 |
1N4003 |
1N4004 |
1N4005 |
1N4006 |
1N4007 |
|
Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
|
DC Blocking Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
|
RMS Reverse Voltage |
35 |
70 |
140 |
280 |
420 |
560 |
700 |
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC(common characteristics for 1N4001 to 7)
|
Forward Voltage Drop |
0.8 |
|
Reverse Current |
30uA |
|
Average Rectified Forward Current |
1A |
|
Operating and Storage Junction temperature |
– 65 to +175C |
|
Non–Repetitive Peak Surge Current |
30A |
Where to Use 1N400X
1N400X can be used in a variety of circuits, it is normally built for general purpose rectification purposes but it can also be used in any circuit where there is a need for voltage blocking, blocking voltage spikes etc. It can also be used in digital logic circuits.
1N53XX Series
The 1N53xx is a standard silicon rectifier diode with high current capability. It comes in a DO-15 package. The 1N5399 is widely used in product development, student experiments, maintenance, production, etc
Specifications
|
Ratings |
1N5391 |
1N5392 |
1N5393 |
1N5395 |
1N5397 |
1N5398 |
1N5399 |
|
Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
|
RMS Voltage |
35 |
70 |
140 |
280 |
420 |
560 |
700 |
|
Maximum DC Blocking Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC(common characteristics for 1N5391-99)
|
Maximum Instantaneous Forward Voltage |
1.4V |
|
Reverse Current |
30uA |
|
Average Rectified Forward Current |
1.5A |
|
Operating and Storage Junction temperature |
– 65 to +150C |
|
Peak Surge Current |
50A |
|
Typical Junction Capacitance |
50pF |
1N5399 Applications
-
General-purpose rectification of power supplies
-
Inverters
-
Converters
-
Freewheeling diodes
1N54XX Series
Lead mounted standard recovery rectifiers are designed for use in power supplies and other applications having need of a device with the following feature:
-
High Current to Small Size
-
High Surge Current Capability
-
Low Forward Voltage Drop
-
Void–Free Economical Plastic Package
Specifications
|
Ratings |
1N5400 |
1N5401 |
1N5402 |
1N5404 |
1N5406 |
1N5407 |
1N5408 |
|
Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
|
Maximum DC Blocking Voltage |
50 |
100 |
200 |
400 |
600 |
800 |
1000 |
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC(common characteristics for 1N5400-08)
|
Maximum Instantaneous Forward Voltage |
1.2V |
|
Average Reverse Current |
500uA |
|
Average Rectified Forward Current |
3A |
|
Operating and Storage Junction temperature |
– 65 to +175C |
|
Peak Surge Current |
200A |
Where to Use 1N54xx diode
As mentioned above, 1N54xx can be used in many applications, it is mainly build to perform rectification in battery chargers, power supplies, voltage boosters, etc. But other than that it can be used in any general-purpose applications that can block current in the desired direction in a circuit, block voltage spikes, etc.
1N914/16
The 1N914 is a small signal diode that can handle the low voltage and low current. The diode can switch at high speed and hence is normally used in switching applications and not in rectifier applications.
For IN914 Diode, the maximum current carrying capacity is 200mA it can withstand peaks up to 4A. The speciality of this diode is its fast recovery time of 8ns at a forward current of 10mA, hence this diode is used in places where fast switching is involved. The diode is very similar to the 1N4148 Diode except that this diode can withstand high reverse currents.
Specifications
|
Ratings |
1N914 |
1N916 |
|
Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage |
100V |
100V |
|
Breakdown V |
100 |
100 |
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC(common characteristics for 1N914/16)
|
Forward Voltage |
1V |
|
Average Reverse Current |
50μA |
|
Average Rectified Forward Current |
200mA |
|
Storage Junction temperature |
– 65 to +200C |
|
Peak Surge Current |
1A |
|
Reverse Recovery Time |
4ns |
Signal diode used for?
Signal diodes are typically used to process information (electrical signals) in circuits, so they are only required to pass small currents of up to 100mA
BAV20/21
The BAV20 and BAV21 are switching diodes fabricated in planar technology, and encapsulated in hermetically sealed leaded glass SOD27 (DO-35) packages
Specifications
|
Ratings |
BAV20 |
BAV21 |
|
Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage |
200V |
250V |
|
Continuous peak reverse voltage |
150V |
200V |
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTIC(common characteristics for 1N914/16)
|
Forward Voltage |
1V |
|
Average Reverse Current |
100μA |
|
Average Rectified Forward Current |
250mA |
|
Storage Junction temperature |
– 65 to +175C |
|
Peak Surge Current |
1A |
|
Reverse Recovery Time |
50ns |
APPLICATIONS
General purposes in industrial equipment e.g. oscilloscopes, digital voltmeters and video output stages in colour television.
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