Spis treści:
Transistors
have taken on new shapes and specifications since their invention, and actually surprise all the time. Among the popular transistors
MOSFETS
(from Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) an honorable place is occupied by the
IRFZ44N
from International Rectifier, which is now part of Infineon Technologies. This transistor is widely used in power electronics and control, especially in circuits requiring high currents and voltages. Let’s take a look at why.
Technical data IRFZ44N, price
IRFZ44N
as
N-channel MOSFET transistor
is best known for its use in high drain current circuits. It works well for switching circuits, since its Rds value is low. The usual N-channel MOSFET IRFZ44N transistor uses a low gate voltage of 4 V.
However, a threshold voltage of up to 10 V is needed to maintain the maximum drain current. This is why a gate driver circuit is needed to achieve full transistor switching. N-channel MOSFETs are often found in conjunction with microcontrollers such as the Arduino, although alternatively IRLZ44N MOSFETs appear there as well.
Like other counterparts, the IRFZ44N offers a wide range of applications. When you need to adjust the speed of the motor or the intensity of the lighting, the transistor
IRFZ44N
will certainly be a recommendable solution available at
Botland
:
- Maximum VDSS drain-source voltage: 55 V
- Channel resistance Rds: 0.0175 Ω
- Power: 83 W
- Housing: TO-220
- Mounting: through-hole THT
The TO-220 package is widely preferred for all commercial-industrial applications with power dissipation up to about 50 W. The low thermal resistance and low cost of the TO-220 package contributes to its wide acceptance throughout the industry. The price of five pieces in a set does not exceed 20 zlotys. There is no great surprise here, as the prices of the N-MOSFETs available at Botland do not exceed this threshold by much, and range from a dozen to a maximum of PLN 30 for a package of 5 units.
IRFZ44N configuration
The IRFZ44N N-MOSFET transistor consists of three main pins/terminals.
| Name | Description | |
| 1 | Gate (gate) | This terminal is responsible for the controlled polarization of the MOSFET transistor. |
| 2 | Drain (drain) | In this section, the terminal controls the flow of electricity. |
| 3 | Source | At this end, the current flows out. |
IRFZ44N N-MOSFET transistor - opinions.
Although these devices function like conventional transistors, they are specific to voltage control. To start, simply apply the appropriate gate threshold voltage, VGth, to disable or enable the MOSFET transistor. The source and drain terminals are open by default with no gate threshold voltage. However, applying a voltage to the gate closes the source and drain. In most cases, to trigger the gate of the N channel of a MOSFET transistor, you need an
Arduino
. In other cases, you may need a driver circuit for the N channel of a MOSFET transistor if you plan to work on circuits that require high-power switching and amplification.
Other real-world applications
IRF-Z44N
include connecting/disconnecting a power source to a building. Perhaps the most significant advantage of the IRFZ44N N-channel MOSFET is the automation of the switching process; using electrical signals, the user has control over the load. The usual solution is to use a relay or a classic switch. It is worth bearing in mind that the first safety measure to take is to avoid using the device at maximum ratings. Any device that runs at maximum capacity all the time can eventually fail – the strain on the device from using maximum ratings weakens the circuits.
It is often recommended not to exceed 80% of the maximum rated capacity, and in practice this means that you should exclude 20% from the full specification when using the component. The N-channel MOSFET IRFZ44 transistor is no different. If the drain current rating of the MOSFET amplifier is a maximum of 49 amps, avoid using a load above 39 amps. In addition, always try to keep the transistor between -55°C and 175°C. These practices are a guarantee of proper use, including in the proposed applications we have collected below:
- Battery chargers,
- Solar battery operation and charging,
- UPS (uninterruptible power supply),
- Motor controller circuits,
- LED flashlights and dimmers,
- Typical applications requiring fast switching.
IRFZ44N vs IRLZ44N - differences
The difference is only in one letter, so easy to overlook, and although sometimes used as a substitute, IRLZ44N and IRFZ44N are fundamentally different. The IRLZ44N is a logic-level MOSFET transistor. This version uses a gate threshold voltage of 5V. In other words, triggering this MOSFET transistor requires little effort, and therefore no driver IC is needed for this purpose. The IRFZ44N is different. Instead, the MOSFET IC must work with a gate driver and microcontroller. In this way, the MOSFET transistor can be completely triggered. Otherwise, we get only partial turn-on time through the I/O pin when using a direct 5 V supply. And since there was a mention of microcontrollers, we are getting closer to efficient, functional operation here, for example, the indispensable Arduino Uno or the multifunctional Raspberry Pi.
