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I'm trying to drive a relay according to a 5 V digital signal, using this circuit: It works for a while, but then the transistor fails. When I replace the transistor, it works for a while again, ...
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relay
#1: Initial revision
I'm trying to drive a relay according to a 5 V digital signal, using this circuit: ![Image alt text](https://electrical.codidact.com/uploads/jaoSLhmqwQB4NuE6jKBLknxS) It works for a while, but then the transistor fails. When I replace the transistor, it works for a while again, then fails again. The transistor is rated for 600 mA and 40 V. I'm only running 63 mA thru it, and the supply is only 5 V. The base current is about 2.9 mA. I'm only asking for a gain of 22, when the gain should be at least 40 at this current according to the datasheet. What's going on?