This isn't particularly cursed. I mean we've had avalanche pulse generators for well over half a century easily. It's just exploiting semiconductor characteristics they don't teach you in the usual garbage undergrad textbooks.
Garbage -> Sedra and Smith particularly - hate it, anything which kicks you in the nuts right up front with Laplace and networks abstractions, anything from Pearson - have never seen a good one.
Good -> Razavi (Fundamentals of Microelectronics), Art of Electronics, most Jim Williams stuff (AN's and articles), Bowick RF Circuit design. They're actually useful.
I wonder how consistent the breakdown voltages are between manufacturers?
I mean, I am sure there is some spec, but is it not just a minimum in this case?
You can even use it to make a simple audio synth: https://www.lookmumnocomputer.com/simplest-oscillator
The man is a treasure
This isn't particularly cursed. I mean we've had avalanche pulse generators for well over half a century easily. It's just exploiting semiconductor characteristics they don't teach you in the usual garbage undergrad textbooks.
> the usual garbage undergrad textbooks
Out of interest, please could you give some examples of textbooks you consider garbage, and some you consider not to be (undergrad or otherwise)?
Garbage -> Sedra and Smith particularly - hate it, anything which kicks you in the nuts right up front with Laplace and networks abstractions, anything from Pearson - have never seen a good one.
Good -> Razavi (Fundamentals of Microelectronics), Art of Electronics, most Jim Williams stuff (AN's and articles), Bowick RF Circuit design. They're actually useful.
Delightfully cursed.
I wonder how consistent the breakdown voltages are between manufacturers? I mean, I am sure there is some spec, but is it not just a minimum in this case?