Understanding Bipolar

Transistor Switches
by Lewis Loflin

This will present a broad introduction of PNP and NPN switching

transistors oriented towards common 5-volt micro-controllers.
Bipolar transistors consist of two semiconductor junctions (thus
the bipolar) that serve a broad number of electronic uses from
audio amplifiers to digital circuits.

Here we are only interested their use as electronics switches to

drive loads such as relays, lamps, motors, etc. They come in a
number of packages and case styles.
 Plate 2

In plate 2 above we have the electronic symbols for both NPN and
NPN. They work exactly the same except have opposite electrical
polarities. If a set of transistors have exact electrical properties
but opposite polarities they are called a complimentary pair.

Another type of transistors are known as MOSFETS or metal-oxide

semiconductor field-effect transistors, which will be covered
separately.
 Plate 3

Plate 3 illustrates the typical electrical connections for both PNP

and NPN bipolar transistors on a negative ground micro-controller
system. Note current flow in these illustrations is from negative to
positive.

Note the arrows dictating current flow - with the PNP the collector
current (Ic) is from collector (C) to emitter (E) while the NPN Ic is
emitter to collector.

Note the position of the transistors in relation to GND, the +12-

volts, and the load in this case DC motors. Operating as a switch
to turn the motor ON-OFF the PNP transistor is located in the +Vcc
side of the load and will source the current.

With the NPN transistor on the right the switch is in the ground
side of the load and is said to sink the current.
Sink and source are important to know when connecting
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used to control machinery
in industry.

Push switch Sw1 current flows from GND through R1 and forward

biases the base (B) with respect to the emitter. This combines
with the collector current to produce the emitter current back to
the 12-volt supply.

Push Sw2 this allows current from GND through the emitter that
spits to form Ib and Ic for the NPN transistor. This too forward
biases the base-emitter junction. The relationship for both is as
follows:

Ie = Ic + Ib;
hfe = Ic / Ib.
The values hfe represents DC gain - a small base-emitter current
creates a larger emitter-collector current.

When used as switches the transistors are used in the saturation

mode where additional base-emitter current will produce no
additional collector emitter current.
 Plate 4

Plate four illustrates how to check a PN semiconductor junction. A

diode is the most basic semiconductor junction where current will
flow in one direction only. The digital volt meter (DVM) has to
diode check function that supplies enough voltage to forward bias
the diode when the cathode side is negative and the anode side is
positive.

If the DVM leads are reversed no current flow takes place. The
voltage drop across a forward biased PN junction is approximately
0.6V
 Plate 5

Plate 5 illustrates how the two PN junctions in bipolar transistors

act as back-to back diodes. (Note the opposite polarities!) There's
no way current can flow from emitter-collector or collector-
emitter. When the base-emitter junction is forward biased current
flows though the reversed biased base-collector junction.
 Plate 6

In plate 6 we are using a TIP41 NPN transistor rated at 6 amps

with a minimum hfe of 20. Always assume the lowest hfe from the
transistor spec sheets!

Our load (an LED) requires 100mA to find the need base-emitter
current Ib = Ic / hfe = 0.1A / 20 = 5mA. I'll assume an Ib of 10mA to
make sure the TIP41 fully cuts on (saturation).

With 5V input from an Arduino, PIC, etc. subtract 0.6V for the base-
emitter voltage then divide 4.4V / 10mA = 440 ohms.

Note the emitter-collector voltage across a transistor at saturation

is 0.5V.
 Plate 7

The 2N3055 is a very high power transistor designed to supply

heavy current. In this case we are driving a 10 amp motor. Divide
10 amps by an hfe of 20 we need at least 500mA. There is no way
this will work because Arduino, PIC, etc. I/O pin simply can't
supply that level of drive current.
 Plate 8

Illustrated in plate 8 we have a what is known as a Darlington

configuration where the collect-emitter current of one transistor
supplies the base-emitter current of a second transistor. The
values of hfe from each transistor is multiplied together to
produce a massive current gain in this example 2000.

Q2 would also be known as pre-driver.

 Plate 9

Plate 9 illustrates how to connect a PNP transistor to an Arduino

or similar micro-controller. Because of the high voltage of 11-volts
on the base of Q1 will destroy the I/O pin (limited to 5-volts) we
must use a NPN transistor switch (Q2) as a pre-driver.
 Plate 10

In plate 10 we use a high-power Mj2955 (the compliment to the

earlier 2N3055) with a TIP42 PNP transistor to form a Darlington
transistor. Once again we use an NPN pre-driver to protect the
micro-controller I/O pin from the high base voltage of Q2.

I hope the series was helpful. Any corrections, suggestions etc. e-

mail me at lewis@bvu.net.

 ULN2003A Darlington Transistor Array with Circuit Examples

 Tutorial Using TIP120 and TIP125 Power Darlington Transistors
 Driving 2N3055-MJ2955 Power Transistors with Darlington Transistors
 Understanding Bipolar Transistor Switches
 N-Channel Power MOSFET Switching Tutorial
 P-Channel Power MOSFET Switch Tutorial
 H-Bridge Motor Control with Power MOSFETS
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 Build a High Power Transistor H-Bridge Motor Control

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 ULN2003A Darlington Transistor Array with Circuit Examples
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Arduino YouTube
 Tutorial Using TIP120 and TIP125 Power Darlington Transistors
 Driving 2N3055-MJ2955 Power Transistors with Darlington Transistors
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 Using Power MOSFETS with Arduino YouTube
 N-Channel Power MOSFET Switching Tutorial
 P-Channel Power MOSFET Switch Tutorial
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 Using PNP Bipolar Transistors with Arduino, PIC YouTube
 Using NPN Biploar Transistors with Arduino, PIC YouTube
 Understanding Bipolar Transistor Switches
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 How to build a Transistor H-Bridge for Arduino, PIC YouTube
 Build a High Power Transistor H-Bridge Motor Control
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 Build a Power MOSFET H-Bridge for Arduino, PIC YouTube
 H-Bridge Motor Control with Power MOSFETS
 More Power MOSFET H-Bridge Circuit Examples

 Basic Triacs and SCRs

 Constant Current Circuits with the LM334
 LM334 CCS Circuits with Thermistors, Photocells
 LM317 Constant Current Source Circuits
 TA8050P H-Bridge Motor Control
 All NPN Transistor H-Bridge Motor Control
 Basic Triacs and SCRs
 Comparator Theory Circuits Tutorial

 Constant Current Circuits with the LM334

 LM334 Constant Current Source with Resistive Sensors
 LM317 Constant Current Source Circuits
 Introduction Hall Effect Switches, Sensors, and Circuits
 Using Ratiometric Hall Effect Sensors
 Pulse Width Modulation Power Control for Microcontrollers
 Introduction to PIC12F683 Programming
 Basic Transistor Driver Circuits for Micro-Controllers
 Opto-Isolated Transistor Drivers for Micro-Controllers

 Comparator Theory Circuits Tutorial

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