I'm trying to learn myself how transistors work now, and I have gotten so far that everywhere that i read it is stated that when you hold the transistor with the flat side towards yourself, the pins are collector - base - emitter, from left ti right. So when i started to play around with some other NPN transistors I had laying around I could't get them to work, as stated in the lessons i had read.

I thought they were broken or something, so I tried some other transistors, but with the same results, they acted wierd. Then I made a search at the chosen transistors and found out to my suprprize that the pins were in an different order!!

Emitter - Collector - Base (when the flat side is facing you)

I tested the transistors again, and now everything is working as expected. But why are the pins at some transistors in a different order? isn't there enough that there are both PNP and NPN?

I noticed that BC182 transistors were "right", while BC182L transistors were "wrong". what does the "L" means?

Cheers! Hope you can help me out here.
Lac.

 

Not all transistors have the same pinout. Rarely, But Sometimes not even for the same transistor made by different manufacturers.

Most common arrangements are ECB & BCE.

Same Goes for Fets, Not always the same pinout.

 

There are several variations of that transitor, the " L " have a pinout of ECB ( fairchild's do anyeways ) and the non-L is CBE. Many times its just to make different pin-outs available for ease of use during circuit board layout. Demand creates a supply. Sometimes there are minor variations in the characteristics of a part with different sub-letters after the main part number also, but its usually just pin-out or case changes.

 

If your unsure the datasheet almost always tells you the orientation of the pins.

 

ahmen to whoever said alway check the data sheet.

i once read that european/yankee parts were in the order BCE, and jap parts were ECB. Obviously there are some exceptions to this. I don't know wheather its true or not.

 

mm The parts I have a CBE it makes it really easy to put such a part in.

It could be by providing many a pin-out you can easily bodge somthing in