1998-05-06 , E/DS-1012/13

Philips Semiconductors, the largest European semiconductor manufacturer, has extended its line-up of power semiconductors for use in domestic appliances by introducing a new range of high-sensitivity 1 A triacs in a space-saving industry-standard TO92 package.

Featuring maximum gate trigger currents of 3 mA and 5 mA respectively, BT131-Series and BT132-D Series triacs can be driven directly from the outputs of low-power microcontrollers or logic ICs - simplifying drive circuit design and reducing component and assembly costs. They are suitable for controlling continuous load currents up to 0.5 A without additional heatsinking or loads up to 1 A with a simple clip-on heatsink. Applications for these versatile triacs include small motor, heater and solenoid control in appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and extractor fans. They can also be used as a gate-driver for larger, less sensitive triacs.

"With the introduction of these sensitive 1 A triacs, we can now offer domestic appliance manufacturers a complete portfolio of products that covers all their solid-state switching requirements," said product marketing manager Tyron Hill. "We'll not only support these products with comprehensive quality assurance and application engineering programs, we'll also be able to sell them at highly competitive prices," he added.

BT131 and BT132-D triacs are available with repetitive peak off-state voltage ratings of 500 V or 600 V. In addition to handling continuous load currents up to 1 A, they can also withstand single-cycle non-repetitive peak currents as high as 16 A at 50 Hz. To facilitate their use as direct replacements for existing triacs, Philips Semiconductors can supply them with their leads pre-formed in a variety of different configurations.

Philips Semiconductors, a division of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the ninth largest semiconductor supplier in the world and the fourth largest supplier of discretes in the world. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by systems labs.