Thyristors are similar to diodes with an extra terminal to turn the device on. It will stay on as long as there is a significant current flowing across it.
Thyristors are mainly used where high currents and voltages are involved, and are often used to control alternating current where the change of polarity of the current causes the device to automatically switch off – referred to as Zero Cross operation. The device can also be said to be in synchronous operation bcause, once the device is open, it conducts in phase with the voltage applied over its cathode-to-anode junction. This should not to be confused with symmetrical operation, because the output is unidirectional, flowing only from cathode to anode, and so is asymmetrical in nature.
The word thyristor is a combination of thyratron and transistor. A thyratron is a gas-filled tube providing similar electronic switching capabilities.
From our range of thyristors we can supply the latest technology in almost any package you may require:
