10 Jul
2007
10 Jul
'07
10:54 a.m.
On Tuesday 10 July 2007, der Mouse wrote:
There's no reason that you can't use a reverse-biased Si diode at its
breakdown (avalanche) voltage, as long as you kept the current to a
sane level (not a whole lot more than the current rating of the diode,
that is).
That's basically what a Zener diode is, anyways, just a silicon diode
with a precise breakdown voltage.
The main problem would be that a reverse-biased diode doesn't have the
same characteristics as a neon bulb... once you're back below the
avalanche voltage, it'll stop conducting in the reverse direction.
If you wanted to use something that was made of silicon, I'd suggest
using an SCR to do this. Use a zener or reverse-biased diode to set
the "turn on" voltage, and it'll turn itself off once the voltage gets
low enough across it.
Wow, I'm actually applying some of that "electrical engineering" stuff I
was taught in my undergraduate career. :)
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
It's an
oscillator built around a capacitor and something with a
breakdown voltage, a neon lamp for example.
With a breakdown voltage, a (lower) extinction voltage, and such that
breakdown does not harm it (in contrast to, say, a reverse-biased
silicon diode, which would likely fry in such a circuit).