Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory
Boylestad
pnpn and other Devices
Chapter 17
Ch.17 Summary
pnpn Devices
SCR—silicon-controlled rectifier
SCS – silicon-controlled switch
GTO – gate turn-off switch
LASCR – Light-Activated SCR
Shockley diode
Diac
Triac
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Ch.17 Summary
Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
The SCR is a switching device for high-
voltage and high-current operations.
Like an ordinary rectifier, an SCR
conducts in one direction
The terminals are called the anode,
the cathode, and the gate.
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR Operation
To switch an SCR on:
• Forward bias the anode-
cathode terminals (VF),
and
• Apply sufficient gate
voltage (Vgate) and gate
current (IGT) Holding current (IH): The minimum
required current from anode to
Once an SCR is switched on, it cathode
remains latched on, even when
Reverse breakdown voltage: The
the gate signal is removed.
maximum reverse bias voltage for the
SCR
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR Operation
To switch an SCR off:
• Remove the power source
the anode and cathode
terminals
OR
• Reverse bias the anode
and cathode terminals Commutation circuitry can be
used for satisfying either of the
An SCR cannot be switched off by conditions for switching off an
simply removing the gate voltage. SCR.
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR Commutation
Commutation circuitry is simply a class
of switching devices connected in
parallel with an SCR.
A control signal activates the switching
circuitry and provides a low impedance
bypass for the anode to cathode
current. This momentary loss of current
through the SCR turns it off.
The switching circuitry can also apply a
reverse bias voltage across the SCR,
which also will turn off the SCR.
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Ch.17 Summary
False Triggering
An SCR can receive a false trigger under several conditions
that must be avoided:
Excessively high voltage from anode to cathode
High frequency signal from gate to cathode
High operating temperature
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR Phase Control
The gate can be set to trigger an SCR at any point in the AC cycle.
In this example, the SCR
triggers as soon as the
AC input crosses 0 V.
Therefore it acts like a
half-wave rectifier.
In this example, the SCR
triggers later – at the 90
point on the positive half-
cycle.
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR Applications
In these applications, the SCR gate circuit is used
to monitor a situation and trigger the SCR to turn
on some portion of the circuit:
Battery-charging regulator
Temperature controller circuit
Emergency-lighting system
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Ch.17 Summary
Silicon-Controlled Switch (SCS)
An SCS is like an SCR, except that
it has two gates: a cathode gate
and an anode gate.
Either gate can trigger the SCS
• A positive pulse or voltage on the cathode gate
• A negative pulse or voltage on the anode gate
Either gate can switch the SCS off
• A negative pulse or voltage on the Cathode gate
• A positive pulse or voltage on the anode gate
Note: The anode gate requires higher voltages than the cathode gate.
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Ch.17 Summary
SCR’s vs. SCS’s
Comparison of the SCR and SCS:
• The SCS has a much lower power capability
compared to the SCR
• The SCS has faster switching times than the SCR
• The SCS can be switched off by gate control
Pin Identification
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Ch.17 Summary
Gate Turn-Off Switch (GTO)
GTOs are similar to SCRs, except
that the gate can turn the GTO on
and off.
It conducts only in one direction.
Applications:
Counters
Pulse generators
Oscillators
Voltage regulators
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Ch.17 Summary
GTO’s vs. SCS’s
Comparison of the GTO and SCS:
• The GTO is a low power device
• The gate signal necessary to fire the GTO is larger than
the SCR gate signal.
• The gate signal necessary to turn the GTO off is similar to
that of SCS
• The switching rate for turning the GTO off is much faster
than the SCR
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Ch.17 Summary
Light-Activated SCR (LASCR)
The LASCR is an SCR that is fired by a
light beam striking the gate-cathode
junction or by applying a gate voltage.
Applications:
Optical light controls
Relays
Phase control
Motor control
Computer applications
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Ch.17 Summary
Shockley Diode
The Shockley diode conducts once
the breakover voltage is reached. It
only conducts in one direction.
The Shockley diode must be
forward biased. Once the forward
voltage reaches the breakover
level, it will conduct. Like an SCR,
it only conducts in one direction.
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Ch.17 Summary
Diac
The Diac is a breakover type
device.
Once the breakover voltage is
reached the Diac conducts. The
Diac, however, can conduct in
both directions. The positive and
negative breakover voltages are
very nearly symmetrical.
Applications:
• Trigger circuit for the
Triac
• Proximity sensor circuit
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Ch.17 Summary
Triac
A triac is like a diac with a gate terminal.
When fired by the gate or by exceeding the
breakover voltage, a triac conducts in both
directions.
Application:
AC power control circuits
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Ch.17 Summary
Triac Terminal Identification
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Ch.17 Summary
The Unijunction Transistor (UJT)
The unijunction transistor (UJT)
has two base terminals (B1 and
B2) and an emitter terminal (E).
The UJT symbol resembles the
FET symbol. The emitter
terminal is angled as shown.
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Ch.17 Summary
UJT Equivalent Circuit
The interbase resistance
(RBB) is the total resistance
between the two base
terminals when IE = 0 A.
The intrinsic standoff
ratio (η) is the ratio of
RB1 to RBB when IE = 0
A.
Conduction through the emitter
terminal begins when the emitter
voltage reaches the firing potential, VP ηVBB VD
given as:
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Ch.17 Summary
UJT Negative Resistance Region
After a UJT fires,
emitter voltage
decreases as emitter
current increases.
The negative
resistance region of
operation is defined by
the peak point (VP) and
the valley point (VV).
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Ch.17 Summary
UJT Emitter Curves
The UJT emitter
curves show the effect
of VBB on UJT firing
voltage (VP).
The higher the value of
VBB, the higher the
value of (VP) required
to fire the component.
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
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Ch.17 Summary
Using a UJT to Trigger an SCR
The UJT is commonly used as a triggering device for another
breakover device, like an SCR.
The SCR shown is
triggered when the UJT
emitter circuit conducts.
As the capacitor charges, VE
increases. When it reaches
VP, the UJT fires. The voltage
developed across R2 triggers
the SCR.
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Ch.17 Summary
Using a UJT to Trigger an SCR
The VE and VR2
waveforms for the SCR
triggering circuit (below)
are shown.
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Ch.17 Summary
The Phototransistor
The phototransistor is a light-
controlled transistor. The current
through the collector and emitter
circuits is controlled by the light
input at the base.
The collector current is the product
of the transistor current gain (hfe)
and the light induced base current
(Iλ).
IC hfeI λ
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Ch.17 Summary
Phototransistor IC Package
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Ch.17 Summary
Opto-Isolators
Photodiode
Photo-Darlington Photo-SCR
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Ch.17 Summary
Programmable UJT (PUT)
Characteristics
In some of its operating
characteristics, a PUT is more
like an SCR.
Like the UJT, the PUT has a
negative resistance region. But
this region is unstable in the
PUT. The PUT is operated
between the on and off states.
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Ch.17 Summary
PUT Firing
Reducing or removing the gate
voltage does not turn off the
PUT. Instead, like an SCR, the
anode to cathode voltage (VAK)
must drop sufficiently to reduce
the current below a holding level.
The gate voltage required to
turn the PUT on is determined
by external components, and
not by specifications of the
device as in the value for the RB 1
VG VBB ηVBB
UJT. RB 1 RB 2
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
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