Suitable Diode 14N48 Replacement?

[Craig332]

Hi,

I'm gathering the parts for this Gakken Synthesizer Arduino MIDI hack that some of you may have seen: http://mrbook.org/blog/2009/06/18/gakken-sx-150-arduino-hack-number-two-adding-midi-and-audio-out/

One part he lists is a Diode 14N48 (http://www.futurlec.com/Diodes/1N4148.shtml). I'm trying to get all of my parts through http://canada.newark.com/ but I can't find any diodes with the same specifications.

I was hoping that maybe a good Samaritan would point a less electronics inclined guy like me towards a suitable replacement on that site... 

If you would, I would be very grateful.

Cheers

[limbo]

You can follow Richard's answer...

But if you insist to use diodes I think you can find lot of these diodes easily. http://www.findchips.com/avail?part=1n4148

FYI:
1N4148 is a very common diode type however you can replace it with any one of the following diodes:
1N914, IN914A, 1N914B, 1N916, 1N916A, 1N916B, 1N4448
These part have minor differences which is not critical in most circuits.
You can find more details here: http://www.ensc.sfu.ca/resources/technical/circuit/1N4148.PDF

[pluggy]

http://canada.newark.com/nte-electronics/1n4148/switching-diode-100v-300ma-do-35/dp/10M2940

I was thinking it can't be much of a company if it can't supply arguably the most common diode on the planet.....

[davekw7x]

I was thinking ....

Knowing what to search for may be a problem.  (It is for me sometimes.)  See Footnote.  I mean, no one was born knowing this stuff, right?

From the main page on canada.newark.com,  enter  1N4148 in the "Search" box at the top of the window.

Under the Semiconductors - Discretes heading, click the Diodes - Small Signal link and you get to a page where there are beaucoup entries for 1N4148.


Regards,

Dave

Footnote:
When I was a kid (there was no Internet, believe it or not) I would ask my mom how to spell a word and she would tell me to look it up in the dictionary!  Well, I learned how to spell a lot of words that I wasn't looking for, but usually it actually worked out OK.  I mean, think about "hiccough."  That wasn't too tough, but how about "pneumonia?"

I never did get "beaucoup," because that's a word that I learned from my big brother, and he pronounced it "bookoo," and I didn't even know it was French.  Go figure...

[Craig332]

Hi everybody,

This project is going to be my first foray into modifying electronics, so hopefully I'll be less green by the next time you see me.

Yeah, pluggy, the diode is on that site.  :*

In the specs that I linked to, I had read that it was a switching diode and that kind of led me down a garden path. It was filed under another heading. All's well that ends well, I suppose.

Thanks everyone.

[pwillard]

You should probably understand that the 1N4148 (or 914 for that matter) get selected for circuits more *because* they are readily available and not due to any specific traits.  They are the de facto low-cost logic switching/signal diode for using in circuits that work with less than 200ma current and less than 75 volts which were made popular by their use in military electronics starting in the late 60's.  They essentially are an item I would always keep in my parts stash.

[Grumpy_Mike]

I mean, no one was born knowing this stuff,

True but t does feel like it sometimes.

The thing to remember is that 95% of the time the actual component used in a circuit is not 100% critical. You might do some calculations that show you need a 1.1748K resistor but they don't make them and a 1.2K will do. Most of the time a 1K will do. Active filters are an exception to this.
The same with a diode unless you know the diode has to cope with something exceptional there are thousands of diodes that would work. The trick is knowing what is exceptional and what is not.
Sadly there are no easy answers and that is where experience comes in. And the process of acquiring that experience is called life so you might as well have fun doing it. Triumph and disaster come in equal measures, enjoy one and make the other into a story you tell.