What Is the C106? SCR (Thyristor): Terminals, SCR vs Triac and Uses
The C106 (TIC106) is a sensitive-gate thyristor (SCR). Unlike a triac it conducts in one direction; a small gate current turns it on, and it conducts until the anode current falls below the holding current. It is used in DC switching, over-voltage protection (crowbar) and latch circuits. Its terminals are A/K/Gate; the TO-220 pin order can vary by manufacturer — verify the datasheet.
The C106 (TIC106) is a sensitive-gate thyristor (SCR — silicon-controlled rectifier). Unlike a triac it conducts in one direction only (DC/half-wave). A small gate current turns it on, and it conducts until the anode current falls below the holding current. For the concept, see what is a thyristor/SCR.
What is the C106 used for?
DC switching, over-voltage protection (crowbar), trigger circuits, alarm latches and phase control on rectified AC. Its sensitive gate can be driven with a low trigger current.
Terminals and pinout
The C106 has three terminals: Anode (A), Cathode (K), Gate. ⚠️ The TO-220 pin order can vary by manufacturer/version — verify the pinout in the datasheet of your exact part before wiring.
SCR or triac?
An SCR (C106) is unidirectional, a triac (BT136 etc.) is bidirectional. For driving an AC load in both half-cycles use a triac; for DC/one-way/latch use an SCR.
Equivalents
- TIC106: a drop-in equivalent.
- MCR100: a small sensitive SCR.
- TYN612: a higher-current SCR.
Find it in our catalog
Use the C106 search.