Hippogriff
Member
Hi all,
I have a circuit where I use 3 x BC337 transistors to drive / switch an RGB LED strip from 12v... I find transistors very finicky to work with, with their stupid little legs and potential for getting too hot with my inept soldering, and, when soldering them, they're always the pieces that I dread working on... resistors are fine, PICs are fine, but the transistors are a pain.
Obviously I should work around this with practice and grow to love them. However, what I wanted to ask - is there anything that can replace my three transistors in my circuit, like - for example - an IC? Is there an IC that is, basically, able to take on the part of several transistors and provide 12v to an RGB LED strip? A transistor understudy, waiting in the wings?
I would much prefer to use a small, cheap, IC in place of these transistors, but - again - I just don't know what I don't know until I ask. Would such an IC (if the concept even exists) need to be programmed, or would the transistor 'functionality' already be in it? Does the question even make sense?
I can scribble a diagram if need be...
I have a circuit where I use 3 x BC337 transistors to drive / switch an RGB LED strip from 12v... I find transistors very finicky to work with, with their stupid little legs and potential for getting too hot with my inept soldering, and, when soldering them, they're always the pieces that I dread working on... resistors are fine, PICs are fine, but the transistors are a pain.
Obviously I should work around this with practice and grow to love them. However, what I wanted to ask - is there anything that can replace my three transistors in my circuit, like - for example - an IC? Is there an IC that is, basically, able to take on the part of several transistors and provide 12v to an RGB LED strip? A transistor understudy, waiting in the wings?
I would much prefer to use a small, cheap, IC in place of these transistors, but - again - I just don't know what I don't know until I ask. Would such an IC (if the concept even exists) need to be programmed, or would the transistor 'functionality' already be in it? Does the question even make sense?
I can scribble a diagram if need be...