Frank Miles wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:00:32 -0600, Frnak McKenney wrote:

Hm... is there a way of testing ( say ) a BJT's BVce "gently", that is,
so that it doesn't _stay_ broken down?

Frank McKenney

Sure, a real BJT (perhaps excepting some RF exotica) can be pushed beyond
BVce so long as current is kept low. You can see this quite nicely on a
curve tracer if you have access to one. I haven't heard of any problems
with devices "abused" in this way, not even MTBF.

BVeb is another matter. Breaking down EB junctions reduces beta,
increasing noise and may lead to shortened MTBF. Supposedly forward
biasing "anneals", but I don't know if it's completely reversible.
IIRC its a function of total-reverse-charge, so you should be able to go
into a very limited breakdown for a short time without "significant"
damage - perfectly sufficient for a tester.

-F


Also how to tell you have a "digital" transistor in front of you?