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Figure 12-1
Vceo is -100V. That is well above the 12V that drives the load. It can handle 3A of
collector current which is well above the load current, so it looks like a good
candidate. The next step is to determine what it will take to drive a TIP32.
-100V
Ic
-3A
Vce(sat)
-1.2V
Vbe(sat)
-1.8V
HFE (I c =3 A)
10
40V
Ic
ma
600
Vce(sat)
.3 V
Vbe(sat)
1.2V
Table 1
Since 198 ohms is not a standard resistor value we will use a 220 ohm resistor. I might
A good rule of thumb would be to make R3 at least 10 times the value of R2. This will not increase the current
through Q1 and R2 much. We already checked to see that we are not near the maximum collector current for Q1, so
a bit more wont harm anything.
The final resistor is R4. When the system is turned on, there might be a some transient currents though P0 which
could turn on Q1 and ultimately the load. If the load is a motor or other device that could cause damage if the load is
turned on until the micro is in full control, R4 would help prevent (but not guarantee) Q1 from being turned on. If the
load is an LED or other device where a brief flash would not cause problems, R4 can be left off. A rule of thumb of
around 10X the value of R1 will be a good starting point for this resistor.
Finally, there is D1. As explained in earlier sections, we want to put the diode in the circuit if the load is inductive to
protect the switching transistors. Motors, solenoids, and relays are all inductive loads. If the load is purely resistive,
D1 can be skipped.
Summary
Sometimes the design requirements require more than a single transistor when the load requires more voltage
and/or current than the micro is capable of handling. Using an NPN transistor to drive a PNP transistor will allow
driving a grounded load with higher voltages and currents.
Gotcha List
1. Be sure both transistors can handle the voltage
supplying the load.
2. Ensure the PNP transistor can handle the current
required by the load.
3. Pick a PNP transistor with good gain to minimize
base current requirements and excessive power
consumption.
4. Protect the transistor with a snubbing diode if the
load is a relay, solenoid, motor or otherwise
inductive.