homemade transistor tester
Just a quick note for everyone's information. I have received several emails over the past few months asking for the article or schematic for Michel's transistor tester. If you've followed this thread, then you know that the article was removed at the request of the author (Michel) in fairness to the magazine in which it was published. So, to respect Michel's request, please do not ask to have the article emailed to you - the answer will be no. However, as you will notice, Michel has been very active in supporting this thread, and I am sure that if you were to ask him, he would make the schematic available to you.
Now for some good news - Michel has not quit on the development of this project. He has continued to expand the capabilities over the original version to where this can no longer be called just a transistor tester, but more a semiconductor analyzer. The new features include:
1 - Automatic component identification of:
Bipolar transistor, with or without protection diode
Darlington transistors
Enhancement mode MOSFETs
Junction FETs
Triac
Thyristors
Diodes
2 - Automatic pinout identification for all the above components.
3 - Gain measurement for transistors.
4 - Automatic recognition of semiconductor type for bipolar transistors (Si or Ge).
5 - Gate threshold voltage for MOSFETs.
6 - Gate threshold, Saturation current and RDSon resistance for JFETs.
7 - Diode forward voltage and test current measurements.
8 - Diode leakage current measurement.
9 - Short circuit semiconductor detection and short resistance measurement.
10 - current test display for bipolar/darlington/mosfet
11 - Better accuracy for mosfet threshold and better resolution for high beta transistors
12 - Measurement of Vbe/Ib for bipolar
13 - Measurement of collector leakage current for bipolar
14 - Indication of C-E protection diode in bipolar transistors
15 - Detection of unijunction transistor with pinout and Rbb measurement
and, as if that isn't enough, he is near completion in the development of an add-on board that will allow you to test opto-couplers as well!
In discussion with Michel, he has agreed to make programmed PICs available to anyone that wishes to purchase one. Price will be 12 Euros (plus postage). If you are interested, you can email him at
MWkit@aol.com. I also know that he has plans to make the semiconductor analyzer available as a kit in the near future but I will leave that to him to announce.
Mike