Ryan Pogge wrote:
> its a IFR510
> what the heck is this thing for?

Russell gave a good answer, Ryan, but I'll add a bit from my perspective
... I've only just learned about these things in the past few months.

They are sort of like a transistor, in that they switch current on and
off, but they are most often used for solid on-off, sort of like how a
relay works, rather than partial on-off like a transistor.

How useful is it to you?  Think of any case where you want to use a
relay to switch DC, and try out the MOSFET in it's place.  Quieter, more
reliable, no moving parts, and much easier to destroy.

--
James Cameron                              (james.cameron@digital.com)
Digital Equipment Corporation (Australia) Pty. Ltd. A.C.N. 000 446 800