N-Channel MOSFET
A voltage-controlled transistor where gate voltage controls drain–source current. N-channel MOSFETs turn on when gate voltage exceeds the threshold, making them ideal for low-side switching, motor drivers, and power converters.
Properties
| Property | Description | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vgs_th | Gate–source threshold voltage — minimum gate voltage to turn on (V) | 2.5 V | 0.5 V – 6 V |
| Id_max | Maximum continuous drain current (A) | 10 A | 0.1 A – 500 A |
| Vds_max | Maximum drain–source voltage (V) | 60 V | 5 V – 1 200 V |
| Rds_on | On-state drain–source resistance when fully enhanced (Ω) | 0.1 Ω | 0.001 Ω – 10 Ω |
Simulation behavior
When Vgs >= Vgs_th the MOSFET enters the on state and the drain–source path is modeled as Rds_on. When Vgs < Vgs_th the device is off and no current flows (except leakage, which is not modeled).
Failure is triggered when Id > Id_max or Vds > Vds_max. Power dissipation in the on state is Id² × Rds_on.
Tips
- A logic-level MOSFET has a low Vgs_th (1–2 V) and can be driven directly from a 3.3 V or 5 V microcontroller output without a gate driver.
- Lower
Rds_onreduces conduction losses — important for high-current applications. Set it to 10 mΩ to model a modern power MOSFET. - The gate draws no DC current (infinite input impedance), so no gate resistor is required for DC operation — but a small resistor (10–100 Ω) is good practice to damp oscillations.