The Esaki Effect - LED Flasher, one transistor

The Esaki effect takes advantage of the fact that a bipolar transistor has a PN junction between its collector and emitter. When connected in reverse biased at 12V the PN junction breaks down, (like a zener doide) and dumps the charge stored in the cap.
Thereby producing a flash. This will work with virtually any general bipolar NPN transistor.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Esaki
• effect
• Zener
• Diode
• PN
• junction

[thatoneguy99100]

will a 50k work in place of a 40k pot?

[chilliqueen2007]

@thatoneguy99100 Yes.

[jangcy80]

Did you use "standard" 3V LED or 12V (if exist). It is possible to use high bright LED. How big should be first resistor (40k on diagram) to get something like 1 flash every 3 secs?

Thanks

[cooler671]

mine worked with 9V

[nicholasgonzalez]

Good work, clear and formal. Thumbs up from me.

[milesbennet]

Experiment:

1. Capacitor is NOT connected -> LED is working

2. Capacitor is connected -> LED is working, but...

3. Capacitor is full and then it discharges itself through transistor and this results in voltage gain on transistor (negative resistance is coming)

4. Transistor voltage is greater than 12 Volts and its bigger resistance shuts LED off.

5. Capacitor is empty and process continues

Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

Cheers

[acmefixer1]

The Esaki or tunnel diode, which works in the forward biased mode, has nothing in common with this circuit, which works in the reverse biased avalanche breakdown mode.

[100roberthenry]

negistor!... :)

[vambreace]

THANKS FOR POST!. i was researching for a simple circuit for make a led flashing without using many components like two 2n3904 famous led flashing circuit or 555 circuit, this is simple to do and the video is very intuitive about the negative resistance of pn junction transistor. THANKS AGAIN!!!!