2N3906 PNP Silicon Transistor - General Purpose Switching and Amplification BJT TO-92 Pack of 50

The 2N3906 PNP Silicon Transistor is a foundational semiconductor component utilized heavily by engineers, students, and hobbyists for a wide spectrum of analog and digital circuit designs. As a standard bipolar junction transistor, it excels in general-purpose amplification and medium-speed switching tasks. Whether you are building discrete logic gates, interfacing microcontrollers to higher-current loads, or constructing custom audio preamplifiers, the 2N3906 offers reliable, repeatable performance. Supplied in a convenient through-hole TO-92 package, this transistor is fully compatible with standard breadboards, stripboards, and printed circuit boards, ensuring effortless prototyping and permanent assembly.

Built on high-grade silicon semiconductor material, the 2N3906 is engineered to handle continuous collector currents up to 200mA with a peak pulse capability suited for transient loads. It features a collector-emitter breakdown voltage of 40V, collector-base voltage of 40V, and emitter-base voltage of 5V, providing robust operating margins for low-voltage DC circuits powered by 3.3V, 5V, 12V, or 24V rails. The device exhibits a high DC current gain (hFE) that remains stable across a broad collector current range, typically spanning from 0.1mA to 100mA. This ensures linear amplification with minimal signal degradation. Its transition frequency (fT) allows for reliable operation in small-signal radio frequency and high-frequency switching environments up to hundreds of megahertz. Thermal dissipation is managed through the standard TO-92 epoxy encapsulation, which handles up to 625mW of total device dissipation at standard room temperatures.

Type: PNP Silicon Bipolar Junction Transistor

Package Type: TO-92 Through-Hole

Collector-Emitter Voltage (VCEO):

• 40 VDC

Collector-Base Voltage (VCBO):

• 40 VDC

Emitter-Base Voltage (VEBO):

• 5 VDC

Continuous Collector Current (IC):

• 200 mADC

Total Device Dissipation (PD): 625 mW

Operating Junction Temperature Range (TJ):

• 55 to +150 degree Celsius

DC Current Gain (hFE): 100 to 300 at IC = -10 mA

Transition Frequency (fT): 250 MHz minimum

• Small-signal amplification in audio preamplifiers and analog sensor conditioning circuits
• Medium-speed digital switching for driving LEDs, relays, buzzers, and small DC motors from logic outputs
• Level shifting and signal inversion in microcontroller and microprocessor peripheral interfaces
• Complementary push-pull output stages in low-power audio amplifiers and signal generators
• Educational electronics laboratories, breadboard prototyping, and DIY STEM robotics kits

When integrating the 2N3906 into your circuit design, always verify the pinout configuration from the flat side of the TO-92 package, which typically follows the Emitter-Base-Collector (EBC) pin arrangement from left to right. Ensure that current-limiting resistors are placed in series with the base terminal to prevent excessive base-emitter current flow when driving the transistor into saturation from a 5V or 3.3V GPIO pin. For inductive loads such as small relays or solenoids, incorporate a flyback diode across the load terminals to protect the collector junction from voltage spikes during switching events. Proper heatsinking is generally unnecessary for low-power operation within the specified 625mW dissipation limit, but ensure adequate spacing on densely packed PCBs to maintain optimal thermal performance.

50 x 2N3906 PNP Silicon Transistors