I've dabbled in electronics on and off ever since I was 12. Which means for 30 years now. That doesn't mean I'm an expert by any means...
Most recently I've started to delve into microcontrollers. For now, BASIC Stamps, since I have a couple handy, but down the road, will probably go the PIC route.
So where does my MOSFET question come in? I'd like to build a circuit that can be turned on and off using a momentary push-button. The idea being, the circuit being switched by a MOSFET, when I initially push the button, the button would apply voltage to the gate, turning the circuit on. Once the circuit switches on, the microcontroller would latch the MOSFET on using one of its output pins. Then to turn off, pressing the button again would tell the microcontroller to turn off the output pin controlling the MOSFET and wait for the button to be released, and the circuit will turn off.
I picked up a IRF510 at RadioShack (I wish they were like in the late 70s/early 80s when they carried lots more parts 'n stuff), and have been studying web posts and the datasheets, and I'm seeing that this MOSFET allegedly doesn't turn "fully" on unless the gate voltage is over 10 volts. The problems being, the microcontroller runs at 5 volts, and the entire circuit is being run from a 9 volt battery.
So, long story really short, what MOSFET should I be using. I anticipate the circuit won't draw much more than 200 mA peak, so I don't need a super high power one. Just one that reaches saturation at <5Vgs, I think is the term I'm looking for. (And from playing with CMOS ICs and op-amps, I always figured all MOSFETs required very low voltages to turn on...)
Also, where do you guys generally prefer to go for your parts 'n stuff? I'm guessing it will have to be online, since RatShack's part selection is dwindling and I have yet to find any semiconductors at the local pharmacy...
Most recently I've started to delve into microcontrollers. For now, BASIC Stamps, since I have a couple handy, but down the road, will probably go the PIC route.
So where does my MOSFET question come in? I'd like to build a circuit that can be turned on and off using a momentary push-button. The idea being, the circuit being switched by a MOSFET, when I initially push the button, the button would apply voltage to the gate, turning the circuit on. Once the circuit switches on, the microcontroller would latch the MOSFET on using one of its output pins. Then to turn off, pressing the button again would tell the microcontroller to turn off the output pin controlling the MOSFET and wait for the button to be released, and the circuit will turn off.
I picked up a IRF510 at RadioShack (I wish they were like in the late 70s/early 80s when they carried lots more parts 'n stuff), and have been studying web posts and the datasheets, and I'm seeing that this MOSFET allegedly doesn't turn "fully" on unless the gate voltage is over 10 volts. The problems being, the microcontroller runs at 5 volts, and the entire circuit is being run from a 9 volt battery.
So, long story really short, what MOSFET should I be using. I anticipate the circuit won't draw much more than 200 mA peak, so I don't need a super high power one. Just one that reaches saturation at <5Vgs, I think is the term I'm looking for. (And from playing with CMOS ICs and op-amps, I always figured all MOSFETs required very low voltages to turn on...)
Also, where do you guys generally prefer to go for your parts 'n stuff? I'm guessing it will have to be online, since RatShack's part selection is dwindling and I have yet to find any semiconductors at the local pharmacy...