Anybody know the the typical inverse beta (positive base current, negative collector current) of a typical NPN gumdrop transistor, like a BCX70 maybe? I suppose I could get off my swivel chair and measure it.
I want to be sure that a signal stays near ground during powerup, so an NPN with some positive base current could clamp it to ground. The signal source impedance could be high, 5 or 10K maybe, and it wants to swing from maybe -5 to +12 volts. After things settle I could pull the base to -5 to let things run.
I guess a jfet could do it, but we don't have a single jfet in stock.
Making sure that things power up safe can be tricky.