SIMPLEST TRANSISTOR TEST

The simplest transistor tester uses a 9v battery, 1k resistor and a LED (any colour).
Keep trying a transistor in all different combinations until you get one of the circuits
below. When you push on the two leads, the LED will get brighter.
The transistor will be NPN or PNP and the leads will be identified:

The leads of some transistors will need to be bent so the pins are in the same positions

as shown in the diagrams. This helps you see how the transistor is being turned on.

This works with NPN, PNP transistors and Darlington transistors.

TESTING A TRANSISTOR ON A DIGITAL METER

Testing a transistor with a Digital Meter must be done on the "DIODE" setting as a
digital meter does not deliver a current through the probes on some of the resistance
settings and will not produce an accurate reading.
The "DIODE" setting must be used for diodes and transistors. It should also be called a
"TRANSISTOR" setting.
TESTING AN unknown TRANSISTOR
The first thing you may want to do is test an unknown transistor for COLLECTOR, BASE
AND EMITTER. You also want to perform a test to find out if it is NPN or PNP.
That's what this test will provide.
You need a cheap multimeter called an ANALOGUE METER - a multimeter with a scale
and pointer (needle).
It will measure resistance values (normally used to test resistors) - (you can also test
other components) and Voltage and Current. We use the resistance settings. It may
have ranges such as "x10" "x100" "x1k" "x10"
Look at the resistance scale on the meter. It will be the top scale.
The scale starts at zero on the right and the high values are on the left. This is
opposite to all the other scales.
When the two probes are touched together, the needle swings FULL SCALE and reads
"ZERO." Adjust the pot on the side of the meter to make the pointer read exactly zero.
How to read: "x10" "x100" "x1k" "x10"
Up-scale from the zero mark is "1"
When the needle swings to this position on the "x10" setting, the value is 10 ohms.
When the needle swings to "1" on the "x100" setting, the value is 100 ohms.
When the needle swings to "1" on the "x1k" setting, the value is 1,000 ohms = 1k.
When the needle swings to "1" on the "x10k" setting, the value is 10,000 ohms = 10k.
Use this to work out all the other values on the scale.
Resistance values get very close-together (and very inaccurate) at the high end of the
scale. [This is just a point to note and does not affect testing a transistor.]
Step 1 - FINDING THE BASE and determining NPN or PNP
Get an unknown transistor and test it with a multimeter set to "x10"
Try the 6 combinations and when you have the black probe on a pin and the red probe
touches the other pins and the meter swings nearly full scale, you have an NPN
transistor. The black probe is BASE
If the red probe touches a pin and the black probe produces a swing on the other two
pins, you have a PNP transistor. The red probe is BASE
If the needle swings FULL SCALE or if it swings for more than 2 readings, the transistor

is FAULTY.

Step 2 - FINDING THE COLLECTOR and EMITTER

Set the meter to "x10k."

For an NPN transistor, place the leads on the transistor and when you press hard on
the two leads shown in the diagram below, the needle will swing almost full scale.

For a PNP transistor, set the meter to "x10k" place the leads on the transistor and

when you press hard on the two leads shown in the diagram below, the needle will

swing almost full scale.

TESTING AN OPTO COUPLER

Most multimeters cannot test the LED on the input of an opto-coupler because the
ohms range does not have a voltage high enough to activate the LED with at least
2mA.
You need to set-up the test-circuit shown below with a 1k resistor on the input and
1k5 on the output. When the 1k is connected to 12v, the output LED will illuminate.
The opto-coupler should be removed from circuit to perform this test.

TESTING OF DIODES

Diodes can have 4 different faults.
1. Open circuit in both directions.
2. Low resistance in both directions.
3. Leaky.
4. Breakdown under load.

TESTING A DIODE ON AN ANALOGUE METER
Testing a diode with an Analogue Multimeter can be done on any of the resistance
ranges. [The high resistance range is best - it sometimes has a high voltage battery
for this range but this does not affect our testing]
There are two things you must remember.
1. When the diode is measured in one direction, the needle will not move at all. The
technical term for this is the diode is reverse biased. It will not allow any current to
flow. Thus the needle will not move.
When the diode is connected around the other way, the needle will swing to the right
(move up scale) to about 80% of the scale. This position represents the voltage drop
across the junction of the diode and is NOT a resistance value. If you change the
resistance range, the needle will move to a slightly different position due to the
resistances inside the meter. The technical term for this is the diode is forward
biased. This indicates the diode is not faulty.
The needle will swing to a slightly different position for a "normal diode" compared to a
Schottky diode. This is due to the different junction voltage drops.
However we are only testing the diode at very low voltage and it may break-down
when fitted to a circuit due to a higher voltage being present or due to a high current
flowing.
2. The leads of an Analogue Multimeter have the positive of the battery connected
to the black probe and the readings of a "good diode" are shown in the following two

diagrams:

The diode is REVERSE BIASED in the

diagram above and diodes not conduct.

The diode is FORWARD BIASED in the

diagram above and it conducts

TESTING A DIODE ON A DIGITAL METER

Testing a diode with a Digital Meter must be done on the "DIODE" setting as a digital

meter does not deliver a current through the probes on some of the resistance settings

and will not produce an accurate reading.

The best thing to do with a "suspect" diode is to replace it. This is because a diode has

a number of characteristics that cannot be tested with simple equipment. Some diodes

have a fast recovery for use in high frequency circuits. They conduct very quickly and

turn off very quickly so the waveform is processed accurately and efficiently.

If the diode is replaced with an ordinary diode, it will heat up as does not have the

high-speed characteristic.

Other diodes have a low drop across them and if an ordinary is used, it will heat up.

Most diodes fail by going: SHORT-CIRCUIT. This can be detected by a low resistance

(x1 or x10 Ohms range) in both directions.

A diode can also go OPEN CIRCUIT. To locate this fault, place an identical diode across

the diode being tested.

A leaky diode can be detected by a low reading in one direction and a slight reading

the other direction.

However this type of fault can only be detected when the circuit is working. The output

of the circuit will be low and sometimes the diode heats up (more than normal).

A diode can go open under full load conditions and perform intermittently.

Diodes come in pairs in surface-mount packages and 4 diodes can be found in a

bridge.

They are also available in pairs that look like a 3-leaded transistor.

The line on the end of the body of a diode indicates the cathode and you cannot say

"this is the positive lead." The correct way to describe the leads is to say the "cathode

lead." The other lead is the anode. The cathode is defined as the electrode (or lead)

through which an electric current flows out of a device.

The following diagrams show different types of diodes:

TESTING SWITCHES and RELAYS

Switches and relays have contacts that open and close mechanically and you can test
them for CONTINUITY. However these components can become intermittent due to dirt
or pitting of the surface of the contacts due to arcing as the switch is opened.
It is best to test these items when the operating voltage and current is present as they
quite often fail due to the arcing. A switch can work 49 times then fail on each 50th
operation. The same with a relay. It can fail one time in 50 due to CONTACT WEAR.
If the contacts do not touch each other with a large amount of force and with a large
amount of the metal touching, the current flowing through the contacts will create
HEAT and this will damage the metal and sometimes reduce the pressure holding the
contact together.
This causes more arcing and eventually the switch heats up and starts to burn.
Switches are the biggest causes of fire in electrical equipment and households.
A relay also has a set of contacts that can cause problems.
There are many different types of relays and basically they can be put into two groups.
1. An electromagnetic relay is a switch operated by magnetic force. This force is
generated by current through a coil. The relay opens and closes a set of contacts.
The contacts allow a current to flow and this current can damage the contacts. Connect
5v or 12v to the coil (or 24v) and listen for the "click" of the points closing. Measure
the resistance across the points to see if they are closing.
You really need to put a load on the points to see if they are clean and can carry a
current.
The coil will work in either direction.
If not, the relay is possibly a CMOS relay or Solid State relay.
2. An electronic relay (Solid State Relay) does not have a winding. It works on the
principle of an opto-coupler and uses a LED and Light Activated SCR or Opto-TRIAC to
produce a low resistance on the output. The two pins that energise the relay (the two
input pins) must be connected to 5v (or 12v) around the correct way as the voltage is
driving a LED (with series resistor). The LED illuminates and activates a light-sensitive
device.

MEASURING AND TESTING INDUCTORS

Inductors are measured with an INDUCTANCE METER but the value of some inductors
is very small and some Inductance Meters do not give an accurate reading.
The solution is to measure a larger inductor and note the reading. Now put the two
inductors in SERIES and the values ADD UP - just like resistors in SERIES. This way
you can measure very small inductors. VERY CLEVER!

TESTING COILS, INDUCTORS and YOKES

Coils inductors and yokes are just an extension of a length of wire. The wire may be
wrapped around a core made of iron or ferrite.
It is labeled "L" on a circuit board.
You can test this component for continuity between the ends of the winding and also
make sure there is no continuity between the winding and the core.
The winding can be less than one ohm, or greater than 100 ohms, however a coil of
wire is also called an INDUCTOR and it might look like a very simple component, but it
can operate in a very complex way.
The way it works is a discussion for another eBook. It is important to understand the
turns are insulated but a slight fracture in the insulation can cause two turns to touch
each other and this is called a "SHORTED TURN" or you can say the inductor has
"SHORTED TURNS."
When this happens, the inductor allows the circuit to draw MORE CURRENT. This
causes the fuse to "blow."
The quickest way to check an inductor is to replace it, but if you want to measure the
inductance, you can use an INDUCTANCE METER. You can then compare the
inductance with a known good component.
An inductor with a shorted turn will have a very low or zero inductance, however you
may not be able to detect the fault when it is not working in a circuit as the fault may
be created by a high voltage generated between two of the turns.
Faulty yokes (both horizontal and vertical windings) can cause the picture to reduce in
size and/or bend or produce a single horizontal line.
A TV or monitor screen is the best piece of Test Equipment as it has identified the
fault. It is pointless trying to test the windings further as you will not be able to test
them under full operating conditions.