A
Alan Samet
- Jan 1, 1970
- 0
I have a simple circuit where I have a solenoid connected to the drain
of an N-channel MOSFET. Right now, I'm using a clamp diode for
protection, which I would like to eliminate. There are a lot of
MOSFETs with Avalanche Energy ratings. I don't know the
characteristics, other than voltage and power consumption, of the
solenoid. I've seen a couple white papers with vague mathematical
formulas for dealing with Avalanche Energy. My question is this:
Is there a simple way to determine whether a particular MOSFET can
safely support my solenoid without a clamp diode? For instance, if I
cycle the circuit at 100 Hz for a few seconds or minutes and it still
works, is this acceptable?
Is there a way to *measure* the actual Avalanche Energy the MOSFET
should expect to encounter from the solenoid? All I have access to is
an oscilloscope, a multifunction meter, and components that I can use
to build test drivers.
What should I look for?
-Alan
http://www.htmlwindows.net/
of an N-channel MOSFET. Right now, I'm using a clamp diode for
protection, which I would like to eliminate. There are a lot of
MOSFETs with Avalanche Energy ratings. I don't know the
characteristics, other than voltage and power consumption, of the
solenoid. I've seen a couple white papers with vague mathematical
formulas for dealing with Avalanche Energy. My question is this:
Is there a simple way to determine whether a particular MOSFET can
safely support my solenoid without a clamp diode? For instance, if I
cycle the circuit at 100 Hz for a few seconds or minutes and it still
works, is this acceptable?
Is there a way to *measure* the actual Avalanche Energy the MOSFET
should expect to encounter from the solenoid? All I have access to is
an oscilloscope, a multifunction meter, and components that I can use
to build test drivers.
What should I look for?
-Alan
http://www.htmlwindows.net/