BC547 NPN Transistor

BC547 is a general purpose NPN bipolar junction transistor (BJT) that can allow a maximum Collector current of 100mA, Collector to Emitter voltage is 50V, and has a power dissipation of 500mW in a TO-92 package. Usually, it can be used as Switch or Amplifier.

Before using the BC547 transistor in a project or electronic circuit, you should know its pinout configuration, features, equivalents, and more. So, here is the detailed information about the BC547.

Pinout of BC547

The pinout configuration of the BC547 transistor is as follows:

Pin Number	Pin Name	Description
1	Collector	Current flows in through collector pin.
2	Base	Base pin controls the biasing of the transistor.
3	Emitter	Current Drains out through emitter pin.

Features of BC547

Type: Bi-Polar NPN Transistor
Material: Si
Maximum Emitter to Base voltage, or V_EB: 6V
Maximum Collector to Base voltage, or V_CB: 50V
Maximum Collector to Emitter voltage, or V_CE: 50V
Maximum Collector Current, I_C: 100mA
Maximum Base Current, I_B: 5mA
Maximum Collector Power Dissipation, P_D: 500mW
Maximum Operating Junction Temperature, T_j: 150 °C
Frequency, f_t: 300 MHz
Collector Capacitance, C_C: 6 pF
Forward Current Transfer Ratio, or h_FE: 110 to 800
Maximum Noise Figure, d_B: Low
Package: TO-92

BC547 Equivalent & Complementary

The transistor BC547 equivalent is BC546 and the complementary PNP transistors are BC556, BC557, BC558. BC559, BC560.

The pin configuration of some transistors is different from the BC547, check pin configuration before replacing in a circuit.

How to use BC547 transistor?

To get the best performance with the BC547 Bi-Polar NPN transistor, you should not drive the load more than 0.1A, and the collector-emitter voltage of the transistor must in under 50V.

Use a suitable base resistor (R_B), which provides the required current at the base of the BC547. The value for this resistor can be calculated using the formula: R_B = V_EB / I_B. Where the BC547 transistor value of V_EB should be 6V, and the Base current I_B depends on the Collector current I_C.

The value of I_B should not exceed 5mA. Also, you should not operate this transistor below -65 °C and above +150 °C.