Transistor Circuit Units
Transistor Oscilloscope Trace
Transistor Demo Setup

 

Code Number: 5M10.65

Demo Title: Transistors

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Complex circuits and Amplifiers

Area of Study: Electricity & Magnetism

Equipment: 

Transistor Circuit Units, + or - 0 to 20 volt DC Power Supply, Oscilloscope (Tektronix 2235), Wave Generator (Wavetek).

Procedure:

NOTE: All the ground leads from the wave generator, power supply, and oscilloscope (both channels), must be connected to the ground post of the demo unit.

Plug the wave generator into the signal input post, channel 1 of the oscilloscope into the signal reference post and channel 2 of the oscilloscope into the output post.  Plug the power supply into the voltage post.  Care must be taken to be sure that you have the right voltage input.  For instance, the 3906 transistor is a PNP device and needs a -12 volts to the voltage post, and the 3904 transistor is a NPN device and needs a +12 volts.  This information is written on the demo units.  Both the 3904 and the 3906 will give about a 1 to 100 amplification.  The variable pots that are mounted on the boards are just to attenuate the signal input so that the transistors are not overdriven.

The oscilloscope may be replaced with volt meters.  A voltmeter on the input side can be set at millivolts, and the one on the output side can be set at volts.  Set the frequency of the signal generator to 1000 Hz.  As you turn the pot on the input side you can monitor the amplification through the transistor.

References:

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Semiconductors are discussed in tutorials in the history-themed "Transistorized"