[sebhc] The 8-bit Runt of the Litter: ET-3400

[Barry Watzman]

There are really subtle things like on-off switching times, reverse leakage
current, that matter only in very rare, very critical applications.

But for most applications, all that matters is type (Si or Ge), PIV and
current, plus case style.

Probably more than 95% of diode applications can be filled with less than 50
part numbers, when there are, I think, thousands and thousands of them.



-----Original Message-----
From: sebhc at sebhc.org [mailto:sebhc at sebhc.org] On Behalf Of Dwight K. Elvey
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 9:09 PM
To: sebhc at sebhc.org
Subject: RE: [sebhc] The 8-bit Runt of the Litter: ET-3400

>From: "Barry Watzman" <Watzman at neo.rr.com>
>
>It may be important that you replace it with the same general type of
diode,
>silicon with silicon, germanium with germanium.  But that's not an issue,
>there are hundreds if not thousands of diodes of each type (why???).  So,

Hi
 I'd often wondered why myself. A 1N4148 is spec by spec
identical with a 1N914. I looked into this and found that
the difference was in the process used to create the diode.
Both have the same PIV, max current, reverse biased capacitance
and what ever. I suspect that I'd been just as happy if they
sold the newer part under the old number but maybe there
is something like life expectancy or something that I missed.
It does make it fun for the engineer that has to choose which
one to put in the next circuit.
 Under a microscope, you'd see they were made differently. In
a circuit, you'd never know.
Dwight

>within that context, and PIV and current capacity, almost anything should
>work unless it's a very unusual and critical application.
>
---snip---


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