PN2907A — General-Purpose PNP BJT (Plastic TO-92 2N2907A)

Overview

The PN2907A (and PN2907) is a high-speed general-purpose PNP bipolar junction transistor manufactured by onsemi, Fairchild, and STMicroelectronics. Housed in a through-hole TO-92 plastic package with Emitter - Base - Collector (E-B-C) pinout, it represents the modern, breadboard-friendly plastic encapsulation of the historic 2N2907A metal-can (TO-18) transistor.

Rated for a collector-emitter breakdown voltage ( $V_{CEO}$ ) of $-60\text{V}$ , a maximum continuous collector current of $-600\text{ mA}$ ( $-1.0\text{A}$ pulsed peak), and a transition frequency ( $f_T$ ) of $200\text{ MHz}$ , the PN2907A is the official PNP complement to the PN2222A. It is widely stocked in maker starter kits and university labs for high-side relay switching, lamp drivers, audio preamplifiers, complementary push-pull output stages, and discrete logic gates.

Quick reference


Transistor Type	High-Speed General-Purpose Silicon PNP BJT
Package	TO-92 (3-pin through-hole)
Collector-Emitter Breakdown ( $V_{CEO}$ )	$-60\text{ V}$ max
Collector-Base Breakdown ( $V_{CBO}$ )	$-60\text{ V}$ max
Continuous Collector Current ( $I_C$ )	$-600\text{ mA}$ max ( $-1.0\text{ A}$ pulsed)
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$100$ to $300$ ( $I_C = -150\text{mA}, V_{CE} = -10\text{V}$ ) / $\ge 50$ at $-500\text{mA}$
Transition Frequency ( $f_T$ )	$200\text{ MHz}$ min
Total Power Dissipation ( $P_D$ )	$625\text{ mW}$ ( $T_A = 25^\circ\text{C}$ )
Operating Temperature Range	$-55^\circ\text{C}$ to $+150^\circ\text{C}$
Complementary NPN Pair	PN2222A / 2N2222A

Pinout (TO-92 Package - E-B-C Standard)

Looking at the flat front face with leads pointing downward:

text

        ┌──────────┐
        │  TO-92   │
        │ PN2907A  │
        └─┬───┬───┬┘
          1   2   3
          E   B   C

Pin	Name	Type	Description
1	`EMITTER (E)`	Emitter Terminal	Emitter (Connect to positive supply rail / $V_{CC}$ )
2	`BASE (B)`	Base Terminal	Base control input (Driven with base current via series resistor)
3	`COLLECTOR (C)`	Collector Terminal	Collector output (Connected to high-side switched DC load)

Specifications

Parameter	Symbol	Min	Typ	Max	Unit	Conditions
Collector-Emitter Breakdown	$V_{(BR)CEO}$	-60	—	—	V	$I_C = -10\text{mA}, I_B = 0$
Collector-Base Breakdown	$V_{(BR)CBO}$	-60	—	—	V	$I_C = -10\ \mu\text{A}, I_E = 0$
Emitter-Base Breakdown	$V_{(BR)EBO}$	-5.0	—	—	V	$I_E = -10\ \mu\text{A}, I_C = 0$
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$h_{FE}$	35	—	—	—	$I_C = -0.1\text{mA}, V_{CE} = -10\text{V}$
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$h_{FE}$	100	—	300	—	$I_C = -150\text{mA}, V_{CE} = -10\text{V}$
DC Current Gain ( $h_{FE}$ )	$h_{FE}$	50	—	—	—	$I_C = -500\text{mA}, V_{CE} = -10\text{V}$
Collector Saturation Voltage	$V_{CE(sat)}$	—	—	-0.40	V	$I_C = -150\text{mA}, I_B = -15\text{mA}$
Collector Saturation Voltage	$V_{CE(sat)}$	—	—	-1.60	V	$I_C = -500\text{mA}, I_B = -50\text{mA}$
Base Saturation Voltage	$V_{BE(sat)}$	—	—	-1.30	V	$I_C = -150\text{mA}, I_B = -15\text{mA}$

Typical Application Circuit: High-Side 5V Power Gate with NPN Driver

text

  +5V DC System Rail ─────────────────────────────┬─────────► [Pin 1: EMITTER]
                                                  │              PN2907A (PNP)
                                           [ 10kΩ Pull-Up ]      [Pin 3: COLLECTOR] ──► Switched +5V Power to Module
                                                  │                 │
                                                  ├─────────► [Pin 2: BASE]
                                                  │
                                            [ COLLECTOR ]
  MCU GPIO (3.3V / 5V) ───[ 1kΩ Resistor ]──► Base of PN2222A (NPN)
                                            [ EMITTER ]
                                                  │
  Common Ground (0V) ─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────► Ground

Part Number & Package Equivalencies

Part Number	Package	Notes
2N2907A	TO-18 (Metal Can)	Historic JEDEC metal hermetic package
PN2907A	TO-92 (Plastic)	Traditional plastic through-hole package
MMBT2907A	SOT-23 (SMD)	Surface-mount equivalent

Common mistakes

Assuming base resistor for 2N3906 is adequate at 500mA: When switching higher current loads ( $300\text{mA} \dots 500\text{mA}$ ), a standard $10\text{k}\Omega$ base resistor provides insufficient base drive ( $I_B < 0.5\text{mA}$ ), keeping the transistor in active/linear mode. Ensure base drive is $I_B \approx I_C / 10$ to achieve full saturation.

Notes

Suffix Guide: PN2907 is rated for $-40\text{V}$ ; PN2907A is the upgraded $-60\text{V}$ high-voltage part.