TIP120 is an NPN Darlington Transistor that can switch loads at a continuous current of 5A and a peak current of 8A. The loads can be up to 60V. This feature makes it best for high and medium power electronics like high-power LEDs and solenoids.
It works like an ordinary NPN transistor, but the Darlington pair in it makes it have a current gain of 1000 and a collector current rating of 5A. It can be used to drive heavy loads since its collector-emitter can withstand 60V loads.
Since it is known for its high current gain, it is mainly used in applications needing high amplification or controlling loads with high current. However, it has a low base-emitter voltage and can be controlled by microcontrollers.
TIP120 datasheet
According to its datasheet, some of the main specs of the chip are:
- The peak load current of 8A
- Base current of 120mA
- Emitter Base Voltage of 5V
- Collector Base Voltage of 60V
- Collector-Emitter Voltage of 60V
- Continuous Collector Current or 5A
- The current gain of 1000
The following are the key application areas for the chip:
- Medium power switches
- Controlling the speed of motors
- In high amplification areas
- Switching high current loads
TIP120 pinout
TIP120 has three pins. The base pin is the first pin, and it is used to turn the transistor in and off. The second one is the collector pin, and it is where the current flows through. The last pin is the emitter pin, and it is where the existing drain out through. The collector pin is connected to the load, while the emitter pin is connected to the ground.
Have a look at the TIP120 pinout diagram above.
TIP120 Equivalents and Replacement Details
TIP120 is a NPN Epitaxial Darlington Transistor. Equivalent transistors to TIP120 are KSD460, BDT63, TIP127, 2SD1415, and 2N5306. The transistor is a monolithic Darlington configuration and is mounted in the Jedec T0-220 package.
