At 10/24/2007 10:55, you wrote: >Gary, > >Might be correct about a light bulb. Some would say it is active, hi. >However, its material is not changed, just heated up. The amp meter does >not change its parameters, just reacts to a signal similar to an inductor. > >A diode's atoms change and react to applied signal unlike a resistor, >inductor or capacitor.
...which makes it nonlinear, but not active. > In a diode it must be excited by a signal to behave as a diode. Hmmm... Well, a capacitor must be excited by some signal to make it behave like a capacitor too. If you just put DC on it, it acts like an open circuit. > Just setting around it will not have diode properties unlike a resistor > that has it resistance no matter what. This is the difference. No difference. Because of its nonlinear characteristic it has more properties like Io, Rs, Vknee, etc. But it can be described just like a resistor is characterized by its resistance. > A diode changes and activity affects the performance and > conditions/state of a circuit. ...practically the definition of a nonlinear device. > Like in a power supply it changes its operation from forward to reverse > bias. A bipolar transistor is 2 diodes exhibiting the same changes as a > diode junction. Just like to operate in a controlled range. 2 diodes wired back-to-back does NOT make a transistor!!! >As all know a diode can be used to detect a RF signal and also generate RF >mixing producing inter mod or other signal producing elements. ...which makes it nonlinear. But not an active device. >Maybe we've beat this to death. I guess we just leave it to what each believe. Unfortunately your definition is virtually yours alone, while the vast majority of the engineering community accepts that of Jeff D. et al. Bob NO6B
