glossary:diode
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
| Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision | ||
|
glossary:diode [2013/01/11 23:48] 127.0.0.1 external edit |
glossary:diode [2013/04/07 15:01] Bob Vetterlein |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
| The Zener diode is a special junction-type diode, using silicon, in which the voltage across the junction is independent of the current through the junction. Because of this characteristic, Zener diodes are used as voltage regulators. (Try our Zener Diode Calculator.) Another special junction-type diode is used in solar cells; a voltage appears spontaneously when the junction is illuminated. In light-emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs, the exact opposite happens. A voltage applied to the semiconductor junction results in the emission of light energy. LEDs are used in numerical displays such as those on electronic digital watches and pocket calculators. They are usually in one of two shapes, bars or dots, and come in various sizes. Bars are placed in a particular pattern to form letters or numbers; when they are letters, they are called an alpha display. When the are numbers, they are called a numeric display. In many cases, they can be either and are known as an alpha-numeric display. | The Zener diode is a special junction-type diode, using silicon, in which the voltage across the junction is independent of the current through the junction. Because of this characteristic, Zener diodes are used as voltage regulators. (Try our Zener Diode Calculator.) Another special junction-type diode is used in solar cells; a voltage appears spontaneously when the junction is illuminated. In light-emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs, the exact opposite happens. A voltage applied to the semiconductor junction results in the emission of light energy. LEDs are used in numerical displays such as those on electronic digital watches and pocket calculators. They are usually in one of two shapes, bars or dots, and come in various sizes. Bars are placed in a particular pattern to form letters or numbers; when they are letters, they are called an alpha display. When the are numbers, they are called a numeric display. In many cases, they can be either and are known as an alpha-numeric display. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The LEDs in an alpha-numeric display form a [[:helpsystem:matrix#Strobed matrix for LEDs|Diode Matrix]]. | ||
glossary/diode.txt ยท Last modified: 2014/11/11 13:29 (external edit)
