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How a transistor works

Ben Eater · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Electronics & circuit designSemiconductors & chip manufacturing

What it is

Ben Eater gives a detailed look at how an NPN bipolar junction transistor works and what it does. It is an eleven-minute explanation aimed at building real understanding of the device.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters prefer it over other transistor explanations as an enlightening starting point that leads into building logic gates and a CPU.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2023

What HN commenters said

  1. “Knowing how transistors work helps a lot”

    Helped the commenter understand how transistors work.

    news_to_me, 2020-08 · Recommendation · in “Black silicon photodetector breaks the 100% efficiency limit”

  2. “I prefer the one by Ben Eater”

    Preferred explanation of how transistors work.

    ceronman, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “How Transistors Work [video]”

  3. “I found Ben Eater's videos on how semiconductors work and how transistors work interesting and enlightening.”

    Interesting, enlightening transistor explanation for non-engineers.

    npilk, 2022-11 · Recommendation · in “How do transistors work, anyway?”

  4. “Once you've got transistors, his videos walk you through making gates.”

    Starting point for building up from transistors to gates and CPU.

    1000100_1000101, 2023-12 · Recommendation · in “From Nand to Tetris (2017)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: transistor, bjt, npn, electronics, ben eater

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