Need to shed som eliught on transistor switches

Thread Starter

FrenchConnection67

Joined Sep 9, 2013
11
hi,

I was wondering why one of the motion sensors (HR100 hotron) that we use on auto doors which is fitted with a transistor switch NPN can handle both switching the negative and positive side of a circuit. The theory says that a npn can only switch to ground and pnp to positive but why when we wire that sensor's npn transistor to switch to positive, it works too.

I even emailed hotron about this and they confirmed that it is a npn transistor (so as the manual) and it could interface with door controllers with 24vdc signals.

????? now I am confused. why would we have two types of transistors with two specifics functions if one can actually perform both.

is there anything I am missing here? is there any specific wiring to make those transistors more flexible
perhaps?
thanks for your expertise
 
Last edited:

tindel

Joined Sep 16, 2012
936
I suspect the NPN is just completing the circular current flow of just the high-side or low-side of the circuit. Probably the low-side if there is only a single transistor. This is being used as a single pole - single throw switch.

I'm not aware of a single transistor being able to do a double pole - single throw switch.

Any answer is speculation without a schematic.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
It is all about direction of current, nothing more. PNP and NPN bipolar transistors are just the inverse of the other.
 

ScottWang

Joined Aug 23, 2012
7,397
If the high side output using PNP then the Vout = Vcc-0.2V
If the high side output using one stage of NPN then the Vout = Vcc-0.9V
If the high side output using two stages of NPN then the Vout = Vcc-1.5V
The output voltage similar as above, if using two stages of NPN and want to increasing the voltage close to Vcc, then it can be adding two bjts as npn and pnp and then the Vout will be as the first line.
 

Thread Starter

FrenchConnection67

Joined Sep 9, 2013
11
I suspect the NPN is just completing the circular current flow of just the high-side or low-side of the circuit. Probably the low-side if there is only a single transistor. This is being used as a single pole - single throw switch.

I'm not aware of a single transistor being able to do a double pole - single throw switch.

Any answer is speculation without a schematic.
thanks for your answer, please see below the explanation and diagram that hotron sent me:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=89277b39817fdfa2#cid=89277B39817FDFA2&id=89277B39817FDFA2!2291&v=3


let me know what you think
 

Thread Starter

FrenchConnection67

Joined Sep 9, 2013
11
so if I understood, we can wire a NPN transitor as switch on the high side of a circuit but the Vout will be decreased compared to a PNP transistor switch wired the same way. am I right???or I am still missing something
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
If the output transistor does not have its common connected to the load circuit but just has two wires connected to the load, then it can switch either side of the load with equal efficiency. It effect it would be rather operating as an opto coupler would.
 
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