BC549 Transistor Pinout, Features and Equivalents

The BC549 is a general purpose NPN bipolar transistor used in signal amplification circuit, low noise stage and switching applications. This transistor comes from the family of BC546 to BC549 with same pinout and different characteristics. 

Pinout Configuration

BC549 Pinout

The BC549 NPN transistor comes in a TO-92 package, and its pin configuration is:

  • Pin 1: Collector (C)
  • Pin 2: Base (B)
  • Pin 3: Emitter (E)

Features

  • Type: NPN
  • Max Collector Current (IC): 100 mA
  • Max Collector-Emitter Voltage (VCEO): 30 V
  • Max Collector-Base Voltage (VCBO): 30 V
  • Max Emitter-Base Voltage (VEBO): 5 V
  • Power Dissipation: 500 mW
  • DC Current Gain (hFE) for :
    • BC549A: 110โ€“220
    • BC549B: 200โ€“450
    • BC549C: 420โ€“800
  • Transition Frequency (fT): ~300 MHz
  • Low noise figure: ~2 dB typical
  • Operating Temperature Range: โ€“55ยฐC to +150ยฐC

Equivalent & Complementary Transistors

NPN Equivalents:

  • BC546
  • BC547
  • BC548
  • 2N3904
  • 2N2222 (for higher current but similar use)

Complementary PNP Transistors

  • BC556
  • BC557
  • BC558
  • BC559

Applications

  • Used in audio preamplifiers circuit
  • Signal processing
  • Low-noise amplifiers
  • General-purpose switching
  • Analog circuit design

Conclusion

The BC549 transistor is a very useful electronic component and widely used in major electronic circuits. The availability of this transistor is easy. Any local market you can buy this transistor.