Testing FET's

[Guitar Dude]

Hey,
How do you find the pinouts of FET's? I know everyone says 'look at a datasheet' but I've had bad experiences with datasheets, I trust my DMM. Surely if a DMM can test transitors, presumably it can test field-effect-transistors...what's the difference, by the way?

Tim

[Jay Doyle]

DMMs don't test FETs only BJTs.

It is normally right on the front page of the datasheet, by far the easiest and best way to learn the pinouts.

Bad experience with datasheets? What, lots of paper cuts?

[Guitar Dude]

Lol, the problem I have with datasheets is that heaps of companies seem to make the same...models? e.g Fairchild and *Insert big electronics corporation here* all make 2Nxxxx's and from what I've seen (I may just be blind) they all give them their own unique pinouts...Is this true or did I just dream it? I mean, it'd make sense if they were all the same wouldn't it? But then again, big corporations love to screw the little guy...I can see those fatcat bastards laughing at me right now (Metaphorically).

Tim