Favourite Power MOSFET

Sorry - book research again.

I have a favorite power MOSFET. The FQP33N10. They cost about 80p / $1 each, are ok for logic level switching and generally rock.

However, while Mouser and Digikey do sell them, they don't seem to be that commonly used in the US.

Any one got a nice logic level N-channel Power MOSFET recommendation?

MOSFET, N, TO-220
Continuous Drain Current Id: 33A
Drain Source Voltage Vds: 100V
On Resistance Rds(on): 52mohm
Threshold Voltage Vgs Typ: 4V
Power Dissipation Pd: 127W
Current Id Max: 33A
Pulse Current Idm: 132A

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-PCS-RFD3055LE-RFD3055-IC-BOX-86-/160768659447?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item256e8f0ff7

RFD3055LE

Drain to Source Voltage (Vdss) - 60V
Current - Continuous Drain (Id) @ 25° C - 11A
Rds On (Max) @ Id, Vgs - 107 mOhm @ 8A, 5V
Vgs(th) (Max) @ Id - 3V @ 250µA
Gate Charge (Qg) @ Vgs - 11.3nC @ 10V
Input Capacitance (Ciss) @ Vds - 350pF @ 25V
Power - Max - 38W

I'm loving these for switching power LED's. About forty cents each in ten quantity, including shipping. Remind me to order some more next week, will ya?

I've run these pulling nearly 6A at 12v and they barely get warm. At 2A, they don't even get above room temp. I don't bother with a gate to source resistor, as I understand the internal resistance in the microcontroller is more than enough to discharge the gate (and I've had no problems with shutoff delay to indicate otherwise). I was intimidated by MOSFETs far too long, these are easier to use and more efficient than any bipolar transistor.

Right now I have three of them on a vectorboard next to me, providing PWM for a five meter RGB LED strip light (24 watts per color), controlled by the arduino of course... they are also the MOSFET I am using for the LED flash. Can't seem to find fault with them, even seem to be relatively static tolerant, to the point of a nice carpet-spark discharge to one I went to solder not causing any apparent harm.

I was previously a fan of Darlington NPN's for switching (like TIP120), and for low power I still will use ULN2003 line - can't beat them for ease of use. However, for anything over a couple hundred milliamps... these here MOSFETs are the bee's knees. If there's an equivalent MOSFET array to the ULN Darlington arrays, that would be perfection (assuming it also cost only a buck or so each, that is...)

RFD3055LE

You can't really argue with 20c a transistor!

Nice.

Dangit, I couldn't make myself wait. Just ordered another twenty of the suckers. Seven dollars including shipping, and the last time I ordered them, they were here in three days. They really seem to be a clearinghouse for bulk surplus parts, so I don't know how long their supply will last. I've bought a couple of things from this vendor, and been really happy overall..

When run through Octopart I see prices ranging from 30 to 60 cents per unit, even that is a pretty good price. (I only price out through hole. I am still SMD phobic)
http://octopart.com/partsearch#search/requestData&q=RFD3055LE&start=0&sortby[]=avg_price&sortby[]=asc

This mean I get a signed copy of the new book? :grin:

@retrolefty has recommended one several times. I'll see if I can find it...

I think this is the one...

IRF510, not sure why, might be because I bought hundred a few years ago.

IRFB9N60A
4V operation and 9.5A
$2.52 each
Using them on an ATtiny2313 controlled Step/Direction Unipolar Stepper driver.

IRLS3036-7PPbF 1.5mOhm typical at 10V, 1.7mOhm at 5V. Continuous current package limited at 240A, pulsed current limit 1000A. gate capacitance 11nF(!) D2PAK with 6 legs.

Having said that I haven't found a use for it yet!

MarkT:
IRLS3036-7PPbF 1.5mOhm typical at 10V, 1.7mOhm at 5V. Continuous current package limited at 240A, pulsed current limit 1000A. gate capacitance 11nF(!) D2PAK with 6 legs.

Okay - $7.62 qty 1
But how do you hook up a surface mount device that size and then run 240 Amps through it???

Hi!
My arduino runs on 3.3v and I would like to switch ON/OFF the GSM module (v3.4 to v4.4), which N-MOSFET do you recommend?

For Amps, I'm not sure but I think up to 3A. I power the project with 3.7v (fully charged 4.2, 4000mA)

I have found these:
RFP30N06LE N-Channel MOSFET 60V 30A - COM-10213 - SparkFun Electronics
TP60NF06 P60NF06 MOSFET TO-220 10pcs STP60NF06 P60NF06 MOSFET TO-220 | eBay

Which is the best choice?

There are loads of excellent power MOSFET's available these days... some mentioned above. I quite like the IRL1104.

I reckon they beat the pants out of bipolars for switching. But concur with the above comments - how can such a tiny bit of lead cope with such huge currents? Look at the starter leads on a car rated at 200 amps or so.

Answer - not for long!

But for high voltage I'd look at IGBT's

Allan.

"how can such a tiny bit of lead cope with such huge currents? "

1 inch of 22AWG copper is .002 ohms.

.

So at 100A it dissipates 20 watts - how long will it last?

Look at a 20W power resistor - it's surface area is MUCH bigger. And it's probably wound with nichrome, which will withstand a much higher temperature before it melts ...

Allan

There will be other components in the circuit that will be much more than .002 ohms so you will never get near 20 watts.

.

If there's 100A flowing down that wire, however it gets there, it will get hot. But not for long.

If you look at the specs for these amazing devices, their 'continuous' rating is actually for pulses.

Imagine the size of their bondwires! They fail before the external leads.

When you get it wrong ( I have) it blows the package to bits.

And emits the infamous magic smoke.

Allan

Let's say Rds on was .008 ohms at 100 amps.
That would be 80watts, you would need huge heat sinking to keep the package from melting and remember the leads are physically connected and dissipate heat to the device.

.

They're great devices.. but ...

caveat emptor when it comes to the current ratings...

Allan

"caveat emptor when it comes to the current ratings..."
Quite true.

I derate by 1/2 or more when high current raises its ugly head.

BTW, I hate heat sinks.

.

I know it's not though hole but I bought more psmn2r4-30 mosfets than anything else. About 50 cents a peice 2.4mOhm and a 3.3mm package. Takes about the same size on a board as a sot-23. A very fast recovery diode too for motor driving. Great for small speed controllers.