How to read this mosfet datasheet parameter

"fasf"

** You have to read all the notes, see page 2: " On Characteristics ( Note 1) ".

.... Phil

The maximum on 1st page is maximum continuous drain current, and they caution that you may need continuous drain current to be limited to even less to not exceed the power dissipation limit. The power dissipation limit varies with ambient temperature, and Rds(on) varies highly directly with junction temperature, and the nominal maximum Rds(on) is specified at junction temperature of 25 C.

The Page 3 Fig. 5 higher drain currents appear to me to be ones that are surviveable only briefly and intermittently.

I do find this datasheet lacking what I see in most transistor and power MOSFET datasheets - how long a pulse at whatever power dissipation with whatever duty cycle (often either 10% or one shot) allows how much current or power dissipation.

Bipolar power transistor datasheets usually show "safe operating area" "envelopes" for different pulse durations (non-repetitive) as well as continuous operation, and they often show another multi-trace graph for effective thermal resistance from junction to case as a function of pulse duration and duty cycle.

My guess is that this particular device can pass 1.8 amps at some low duty cycle at most 10%, maybe less, with pulse duration either low enough to get repetition rate every second or maybe faster, or maybe 1.8 amp pulses are limited to however many milliseconds (??? 100 or less for non-repetitive, 10 or 1 milliseconds if repeated with duty cycle 5% or more???)

--
 - Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)