Some notes on transistors

UPDATE: the figure showing the internal diode-like connections of the transistor terminals had a mistake (the b-c one was backwards), now corrected at the same link below.

I just finished a first draft of. Two of the circuits discussed (current source, night light) are what we'll build in the lab on Wednesday. I mean build, not design - you aren't responsible for anything on these notes, you'll only be responsible for building working versions of the two circuits.

These notes are rough - I just wrote them tonight and haven't done much editing yet - but you might find them useful if you want to understand a bit more how transistor circuits work. The notes are not required reading, this transistor stuff isn't on any test or homework (and just one lab), it is merely ostensibly interesting and highly practical information. If you're curious, give them a read through. I have sections to add yet (how to build an amplifier and a few other bits), and I'll update the link as that happens.

For the actual lab on Wednesday, you don't need to read all of this or really know much about transistors at all. In fact, all you need to do is build them and measure there properties, which will be detailed in a lab procedure I'll post tomorrow. So, don't freak out, the lab itself will be entirely circuit construction and measurement (current vs voltage), no theory at all (but the circuits will do cool things). These notes are only if you want to figure out a bit more why the circuits behave the way they do, how they were designed, and how you can build your own.

As usual, if you notice mistakes or think something could be clearer, let me know. I plan to reuse these notes in later classes, so you would be helping future victims students.