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Testing Transistors with a Multimeter

A transistor consists of two diodes that share one end called the base. The other two ends are the emitter and collector. The collector accepts input current but cannot pass it through until allowed by the base. The emitter sends out current only if allowed by the base. The base acts as a gate, allowing a large current to flow from the collector to the emitter when a small current is applied to the base. Transistors can operate by junctions or fields and come in NPN or PNP types that differ in their semiconductor material configurations and polarity conventions for their diagrams. A multimeter can be used to test transistors by checking the resistance readings between leads with the probes attached to different combinations of the base, emit

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139 views2 pages

Testing Transistors with a Multimeter

A transistor consists of two diodes that share one end called the base. The other two ends are the emitter and collector. The collector accepts input current but cannot pass it through until allowed by the base. The emitter sends out current only if allowed by the base. The base acts as a gate, allowing a large current to flow from the collector to the emitter when a small current is applied to the base. Transistors can operate by junctions or fields and come in NPN or PNP types that differ in their semiconductor material configurations and polarity conventions for their diagrams. A multimeter can be used to test transistors by checking the resistance readings between leads with the probes attached to different combinations of the base, emit

Uploaded by

jordan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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1

A transistor is basically 2 diodes that share one end. The shared end is called the base
and the other 2 ends are called the emitter and collector.
The collector accepts an input current from the circuit, but it can't send the current
through the transistor until allowed to by the base.
The emitter sends a current out into the circuit, but only if the base allows the
collector to pass the current through the transistor to the emitter.
The base acts like a gate. When a small current is applied to the base, the gate
opens and a large current can flow from the collector to the emitter.
Transistors may operate by junctions or field effects, but both come in two basic
types.
An NPN transistor uses a positive semiconductor material (P-type) for the base
and negative semiconductor material (N-type) for the collector and emitter. On a
circuit diagram, an NPN transistor shows an emitter with the arrow pointing out
("Never Points iN" aids remembering).
A PNP transistor uses an N-type material for the base and P-type material for the
emitter and collector. The PNP transistor show an emitter with the arrow pointing
in ("Points iN Permanently" is the memorizer).

DMM

Method 2 of 4: Setting Up the Multimeter


1. Insert the probes into the multimeter. The black probe goes into the common
terminal and the red probe goes into the terminal marked for testing diodes.
2. Turn the selector knob to the diode test function.
3. Replace the probe tips with alligator clamps.
1. Determine which leads are the base, emitter and collector. The leads are round
or flat wires extending from the bottom of the transistor. They may be labeled on
some transistors or you may be able to determine which lead is the base by
studying the circuit diagram. Method 3 of 4: Testing When You Know the Base,
Emitter and Collector
2. Clamp the black probe to the base of the transistor.
3. Touch the red probe to the emitter. Read the display on the multimeter and note
whether the resistance is high or low.
4. Move the red probe to the collector. The display should give the same reading
as when you touched the probe to the emitter.
5. Remove the black probe and clamp the red probe to the base.

3. Touch the black probe to the emitter and collector. Compare the reading on the
multimeter's display to the readings you got previously.
6. If the previous readings were both high and the current readings are both low, the
transistor is good.
7. If the previous readings were both low and the current readings are both high, the
transistor is good.
8. If both readings you receive with the red probe are not the same, both readings
with the black probe are not the same, or the readings don't change when
switching probes, the transistor is bad.

Method 4 of 4: Testing When You Don't Know the Base, Emitter and
Collector

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