{ "model": { "rank": 6371, "code": "thing-q180586", "model_id": "vr.tr.zener-diode", "name": "Zener diode", "purpose": "Enable an AI agent to recognise a Zener diode, assess its electrical and thermal condition, and decide whether it can be tested, installed or used for a specified voltage-control role.", "family": "Thing Registry", "category": "Physical world and living systems", "status": "research-draft", "kind": "thing", "plane": "PHY", "domain": "PHY.OBJ", "industry": "", "version": "", "url": "/models/thing/q180586/", "tier": 2, "score": 61, "payload": { "layer": "wikidata", "aliases": [ "1N4742A", "1N5349" ], "aliasCount": 2, "merged": 2, "knownIn": 61, "facets": null, "markers": [], "lexicalClass": "", "senseRank": null, "alsoRegisteredAs": null, "source": { "dataset": "wikidata", "item": "Q180586", "url": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180586", "license": "CC0 1.0" } }, "research": { "vercy": "1.0-draft", "publication": { "status": "research-draft", "adjudicationStatus": "unreviewed", "publishableCanonical": false, "generatedAt": "2026-09-07T14:05:28Z", "providers": [ "Codex", "Grok" ], "missingProviders": [], "pass": 2, "cost": { "grok": { "usd": 0.00959548, "turns": 1, "seconds": 141.9, "error": null }, "codex": { "seconds": 87.3, "error": "Reading additional input from stdin...\nOpenAI Codex v0.153.3\n--------\nworkdir: R:\\02_PROJECTS\\02_Meta_Models_Platforms\\Ver.cy\\current\\thing-registry-backlog\nmodel: gpt-6-astra\nprovider: openai\napproval: never\nsandbox: read-only\nreasoning effort: none\nreasoning summaries: none\nsession id: 01a07c2b-d51d-7b22-bb51-2456c00a9543\n--------\nuser\nYou are drafting a Vercy meta-model for one registered thing. Answer as JSON only, no prose around it.\n\nThing: Zener diode\nRegistry id: vr.tr.zener-diode\nPlane / domain: PHY / PHY.OBJ\nRegistry definition: (none recorded)\nNames folded into this entry: (none)\n\nA" } } }, "metaModel": { "id": "THING-Q180586", "registryId": "vr.tr.zener-diode", "name": "Zener diode", "version": "0.1.0-research.1", "entryKind": "thing", "family": "Thing Registry", "domain": [ "PHY.OBJ" ], "status": "research-draft" }, "canonicalUrl": "https://ver.cy/models/thing/q180586/", "model": { "registry_id": "vr.tr.zener-diode", "name": "Zener diode", "purpose": "Enable an AI agent to recognise a Zener diode, assess its electrical and thermal condition, and decide whether it can be tested, installed or used for a specified voltage-control role.", "definition": "A Zener diode is a two-terminal p-n junction device manufactured and specified so that reverse-bias breakdown occurs at a stated voltage Vz and is intended to be operated in that region as a shunt regulator, voltage reference or clamp; below about 5-6 V the mechanism is quantum tunneling (true Zener breakdown) and above it avalanche multiplication, though both are sold as Zener diodes.", "scope_statement": "This model owns the identity, terminal behaviour, operating limits, observed condition and application suitability of a Zener diode registered as vr.tr.zener-diode in PHY / PHY.OBJ, while linking to its surrounding circuit and manufacturer documentation.", "in_scope": [ "Device identity, voltage grade, package and anode-cathode mapping", "Reverse-breakdown behaviour under stated current and temperature conditions", "Forward conduction, reverse leakage and relevant small-signal behaviour", "Continuous and transient electrical and thermal limits", "Measured condition and suitability for a specified circuit role" ], "out_of_scope": [ "Complete regulator, reference or protection circuit design", "Power-supply and load behaviour beyond conditions imposed on the diode", "Transient-voltage-suppressor devices whose identity requires a neighbouring model", "Active voltage-reference and shunt-regulator integrated circuits", "Semiconductor fabrication processes and production equipment" ], "distinguishing_features": [ "Check whether the identified part is specified for voltage regulation in reverse breakdown; a diode symbol or forward diode-test reading alone does not establish Zener identity. [Nexperia Zener diodes](https://www.nexperia.com/products/diodes/zener-diodes/)", "Look for a specified reverse voltage at a defined test current, then compare a current-limited measurement under matching conditions; a breakdown measurement alone does not establish the part's intended use. [Nexperia diode handbook](https://www.nexperia.com/dam/jcr%3A05f224d4-6db3-4459-95fb-bbdf8a2c3cc3/Nexperia_document_book_DiodeApplicationHandbook_2022.pdf)", "Distinguish a Zener from a TVS by manufacturer designation and the applicable continuous-regulation or pulse-protection specifications; package appearance alone is insufficient.", "Distinguish it from an active shunt regulator by checking the internal device description and pin functions for a reference or control terminal.", "Do not exclude a voltage-regulator diode merely because avalanche breakdown dominates: commercial Zener terminology covers both breakdown mechanisms. [Nexperia Zener basics](https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/understanding-the-basics-of-zener-diodes)" ], "characteristics": [ { "name": "Part identity and voltage grade", "kind": "relation", "unit_or_values": "Manufacturer, complete part number, grade suffix and applicable datasheet revision", "why_it_matters": "Determines which specifications apply to the observed device." }, { "name": "Terminal and package mapping", "kind": "category", "unit_or_values": "Package designation; anode and cathode mapped to pins, pads or leads; verified or unresolved", "why_it_matters": "Controls installation polarity and interpretation of measurements." }, { "name": "Zener voltage and tolerance", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "V and minimum-maximum bounds or %, with test current and temperature", "why_it_matters": "Makes voltage comparisons meaningful under specified conditions." }, { "name": "Reverse operating current", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "A, with steady-state value or waveform and supported operating interval", "why_it_matters": "Supports assessment of voltage regulation and electrical stress." }, { "name": "Differential resistance", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "Ω, with bias current and measurement conditions", "why_it_matters": "Describes voltage sensitivity to current changes. [Nexperia diode handbook](https://www.nexperia.com/dam/jcr%3A05f224d4-6db3-4459-95fb-bbdf8a2c3cc3/Nexperia_document_book_DiodeApplicationHandbook_2022.pdf)" }, { "name": "Reverse leakage", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "A at stated reverse voltage and temperature", "why_it_matters": "Supports assessment of below-breakdown loading and abnormal leakage." }, { "name": "Forward voltage", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "V at stated forward current and temperature", "why_it_matters": "Supports polarity checks and evaluation of forward-biased operation." }, { "name": "Voltage temperature coefficient", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "mV/K or %/K, with bias current and temperature interval", "why_it_matters": "Supports assessment of voltage drift over the intended temperature range." }, { "name": "Dissipation and thermal conditions", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "W, °C and K/W, with mounting conditions and applicable derating", "why_it_matters": "Prevents treating a package power rating as independent of its thermal environment." }, { "name": "Transient capability", "kind": "measurement", "unit_or_values": "Manufacturer-specified pulse current or power, duration, waveform and repetition conditions; unknown if absent", "why_it_matters": "Determines whether a particular transient exposure is supported." }, { "name": "Operating and health assessment", "kind": "state", "unit_or_values": "Operating: unpowered, reverse blocking, reverse breakdown, forward conducting or unknown; health: unassessed, within tested limits, suspect, failed open or failed short", "why_it_matters": "Separates the present conduction regime from evidence of damage." }, { "name": "Installed circuit role", "kind": "relation", "unit_or_values": "Connected circuit, node pair, current-limiting path and intended voltage-control function", "why_it_matters": "Makes suitability conditional on actual circuit demands." } ], "affordances": [ "Identify the applicable voltage grade and terminal orientation from markings and documentation.", "Plan and perform a current-limited electrical check within supported device limits.", "Assess voltage-control suitability over a specified current and temperature range.", "Evaluate continuous dissipation and documented transient capability against circuit exposure.", "Diagnose suspected leakage, voltage drift, open-circuit or short-circuit failure using contextual measurements.", "Compare replacement candidates against electrical, thermal and mounting requirements." ] }, "sources": [ { "id": "wikipedia-zener-diode", "title": "Zener diode", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zener_diode", "what_it_supports": "Device definition, tunneling versus avalanche mechanisms, typical applications, and the commercial practice of calling both breakdown modes Zener diodes.", "url_status": "live" }, { "id": "iec-60747-3", "title": "IEC 60747-3: Semiconductor devices - Part 3: Discrete devices: Signal, switching and regulator diodes", "url": "", "what_it_supports": "International product-family classification and rating vocabulary for voltage-regulator (Zener) diodes as discrete semiconductor devices." }, { "id": "horowitz-hill-aoe", "title": "The Art of Electronics, 3rd edition (Horowitz and Hill)", "url": "", "what_it_supports": "Practical use as shunt regulators and references, dynamic impedance, temperature coefficient versus Vz, noise, and why precision work moved to bandgap and buried-Zener ICs." }, { "id": "jedec-1n-registration", "title": "JEDEC registered type listings for silicon voltage-regulator diodes (1N746, 1N4728A, 1N5221B and related series)", "url": "", "what_it_supports": "Industry type-number schemes, standard Vz steps, test currents and power ratings used in discrete Zener catalogues." } ], "structure": { "bundles": [ { "id": "zener-identity", "name": "Zener identity", "description": "Establish which voltage-regulator diode is present and which evidence supports that identification.", "rationale": "Appearance and a nominal voltage label cannot establish the applicable device limits.", "layers": [ { "id": "part-and-grade", "name": "Part and grade", "description": "Resolve markings to a manufacturer part and voltage selection.", "findings": [ { "id": "identity-evidence", "name": "Identity evidence", "description": "Record the identification claim, its supporting documentation and unresolved ambiguity.", "questions": [ { "text": "Which complete part number and voltage-grade suffix do the markings support?", "kind": "definition", "id": "identity-evidence-q01" }, { "text": "Which manufacturer document and revision support that interpretation?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "identity-evidence-q02" }, { "text": "What evidence distinguishes this part from a rectifier, TVS or active shunt regulator?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "identity-evidence-q03" } ] } ] }, { "id": "terminal-configuration", "name": "Terminal configuration", "description": "Resolve physical connections to the diode's electrical terminals.", "findings": [ { "id": "polarity-and-junctions", "name": "Polarity and junctions", "description": "Record anode-cathode mapping and whether the package contains additional junctions.", "questions": [ { "text": "Which physical lead or pad is the cathode, and what verifies that mapping?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "polarity-and-junctions-q01" }, { "text": "Does the package contain one Zener junction or an arrangement requiring a linked assembly model?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "polarity-and-junctions-q02" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "reverse-voltage-behaviour", "name": "Reverse voltage behaviour", "description": "Describe the conditions under which the diode provides the required reverse voltage.", "rationale": "The nominal Zener voltage alone does not establish voltage accuracy at the intended operating point.", "layers": [ { "id": "specified-voltage", "name": "Specified voltage", "description": "Keep voltage values attached to their test conditions and evidence status.", "findings": [ { "id": "voltage-at-test-current", "name": "Voltage at test current", "description": "Distinguish guaranteed bounds, typical curves and measured values.", "questions": [ { "text": "What voltage bounds are specified at which reverse current and temperature?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "voltage-at-test-current-q01" }, { "text": "Is each recorded value a guaranteed limit, typical characteristic or observation of this device?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "voltage-at-test-current-q02" } ] } ] }, { "id": "current-and-temperature-sensitivity", "name": "Current and temperature sensitivity", "description": "Assess how voltage changes across the intended operating conditions.", "findings": [ { "id": "usable-voltage-range", "name": "Usable voltage range", "description": "Record the evidence supporting voltage performance beyond the nominal test point.", "questions": [ { "text": "What measured or documented voltage variation and differential resistance apply across the intended current range?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "usable-voltage-range-q01" }, { "text": "What temperature dependence is supported at the intended bias current?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "usable-voltage-range-q02" }, { "text": "At which operating conditions does the voltage leave the application's accepted interval?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "usable-voltage-range-q03" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "other-conduction-and-signal-effects", "name": "Other conduction and signal effects", "description": "Capture behaviour outside steady reverse regulation and its effect on connected signals.", "rationale": "A diode acceptable at one reverse operating point may still load, distort or conduct unexpectedly elsewhere.", "layers": [ { "id": "blocking-and-forward-conduction", "name": "Blocking and forward conduction", "description": "Record below-breakdown leakage and forward-biased behaviour.", "findings": [ { "id": "off-state-and-forward-path", "name": "Off-state and forward path", "description": "Assess the diode's alternative conduction paths under actual terminal conditions.", "questions": [ { "text": "What reverse leakage is specified or measured at the relevant voltage and temperature?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "off-state-and-forward-path-q01" }, { "text": "What forward voltage and current apply if the connected nodes reverse polarity?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "off-state-and-forward-path-q02" }, { "text": "Which circuit conditions would place this diode in forward conduction?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "off-state-and-forward-path-q03" } ] } ] }, { "id": "signal-loading", "name": "Signal loading", "description": "Assess capacitance and noise where the connected circuit makes them relevant.", "findings": [ { "id": "dynamic-signal-suitability", "name": "Dynamic signal suitability", "description": "Record application-relevant signal effects without assuming unspecified performance.", "questions": [ { "text": "What junction-capacitance evidence exists at the relevant bias and frequency?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "dynamic-signal-suitability-q01" }, { "text": "What noise measurement or specification exists at the intended current and bandwidth?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "dynamic-signal-suitability-q02" }, { "text": "Do these effects require a circuit-level assessment before this diode can be accepted?", "kind": "action", "id": "dynamic-signal-suitability-q03" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "electrothermal-operating-envelope", "name": "Electrothermal operating envelope", "description": "Relate electrical exposure to temperature, mounting and supported stress limits.", "rationale": "A voltage-compatible diode may be unsuitable because of dissipation or transient exposure.", "layers": [ { "id": "continuous-operation", "name": "Continuous operation", "description": "Assess sustained operation using the installed thermal conditions.", "findings": [ { "id": "dissipation-and-junction-temperature", "name": "Dissipation and junction temperature", "description": "Record operating dissipation, thermal assumptions and margin to applicable limits.", "questions": [ { "text": "What dissipation follows from the diode's operating voltage and current across the required conditions?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "dissipation-and-junction-temperature-q01" }, { "text": "Which mounting conditions, thermal data and derating rules support the junction-temperature estimate?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "dissipation-and-junction-temperature-q02" }, { "text": "Does the estimated operating range remain within the applicable thermal and electrical limits?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "dissipation-and-junction-temperature-q03" } ] } ] }, { "id": "transient-exposure", "name": "Transient exposure", "description": "Evaluate pulses separately from continuous operating ratings.", "findings": [ { "id": "pulse-compatibility", "name": "Pulse compatibility", "description": "Match a proposed or observed transient to documented pulse conditions.", "questions": [ { "text": "What peak current, voltage, duration and repetition describe the transient exposure?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "pulse-compatibility-q01" }, { "text": "Which manufacturer pulse specification supports that exposure, including initial temperature?", "kind": "provenance", "id": "pulse-compatibility-q02" }, { "text": "If matching pulse evidence is absent, what qualification or alternative device is required?", "kind": "action", "id": "pulse-compatibility-q03" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "condition-and-test-evidence", "name": "Condition and test evidence", "description": "Determine what observations establish about this diode's present condition.", "rationale": "Circuit effects and unmatched test conditions can be mistaken for a damaged Zener.", "layers": [ { "id": "controlled-characterisation", "name": "Controlled characterisation", "description": "Make electrical checks interpretable and bounded by known device limits.", "findings": [ { "id": "test-validity", "name": "Test validity", "description": "Record the setup, current limitation and conditions needed to interpret a result.", "questions": [ { "text": "What current limit, voltage ceiling and test duration are justified by the identified part's limits?", "kind": "action", "id": "test-validity-q01" }, { "text": "Was the measurement made in circuit or isolated, and what parallel paths could affect it?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "test-validity-q02" }, { "text": "What temperature, instrument uncertainty and actual current accompany the measured voltage?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "test-validity-q03" } ] } ] }, { "id": "failure-assessment", "name": "Failure assessment", "description": "Separate measured abnormality from a proposed failure explanation.", "findings": [ { "id": "health-verdict", "name": "Health verdict", "description": "Record the supported condition assessment and its limits.", "questions": [ { "text": "Which observations support excessive leakage, shifted Zener voltage, an open circuit or a short circuit?", "kind": "measurement", "id": "health-verdict-q01" }, { "text": "Could incorrect identity, polarity, bias or self-heating explain the discrepancy?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "health-verdict-q02" }, { "text": "Should the diode remain in service, undergo further testing or be replaced based on that evidence?", "kind": "action", "id": "health-verdict-q03" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "application-and-substitution", "name": "Application and substitution", "description": "Connect the diode's demonstrated capabilities to a specific installation or replacement decision.", "rationale": "Suitability depends on the circuit's demands and cannot be inferred from nominal voltage alone.", "layers": [ { "id": "installed-voltage-control", "name": "Installed voltage control", "description": "Record the diode's role and the conditions imposed by its surrounding circuit.", "findings": [ { "id": "role-and-bias-adequacy", "name": "Role and bias adequacy", "description": "Assess whether the circuit provides suitable bias while respecting the diode's limits.", "questions": [ { "text": "Which node pair does the diode connect, in what orientation and for what voltage-control function?", "kind": "definition", "id": "role-and-bias-adequacy-q01" }, { "text": "What circuit element or source characteristic limits diode current during normal operation and relevant faults?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "role-and-bias-adequacy-q02" }, { "text": "Across supply and load extremes, does the resulting diode current support the required voltage without exceeding its limits?", "kind": "action", "id": "role-and-bias-adequacy-q03" } ] } ] }, { "id": "replacement-compatibility", "name": "Replacement compatibility", "description": "Assess a candidate against the requirements of the actual installation.", "findings": [ { "id": "substitution-decision", "name": "Substitution decision", "description": "Record supported equivalence, material differences and required verification.", "questions": [ { "text": "Does the candidate meet voltage accuracy, leakage and temperature requirements at the actual operating currents?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "substitution-decision-q01" }, { "text": "Are its polarity, footprint, thermal requirements and documented pulse capability compatible with the installation?", "kind": "boundary", "id": "substitution-decision-q02" }, { "text": "Which remaining differences require a measurement or circuit review before substitution?", "kind": "action", "id": "substitution-decision-q03" } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "evidence-and-external-alignment", "name": "Evidence and external alignment", "description": "What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.", "rationale": "A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.", "layers": [ { "id": "reported-evidence", "name": "Reported evidence", "description": "Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.", "findings": [ { "id": "evidence-kinds", "name": "Kinds and varieties", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ "Low-voltage (true Zener / tunneling) regulator diodes, typically 2.4-5.6 V", "Avalanche regulator diodes, typically 6.2 V and above", "Temperature-compensated precision reference Zeners (1N821-1N829 class and equivalents)", "Power and stud-mounted regulator Zeners (about 1 W to tens of watts)", "Small-signal through-hole and surface-mount chip Zeners", "Bidirectional (series-opposing) Zener clamps", "Buried-Zener structures inside monolithic voltage-reference ICs", "Automotive-qualified discrete Zeners (AEC-Q101)" ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-kinds-q01", "text": "Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-identifiers", "name": "Identifiers and schemes", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ { "scheme": "Wikidata", "value_or_pattern": "Q192851", "note": "Item for the Zener diode as a device class." }, { "scheme": "JEDEC 1N type registration", "value_or_pattern": "1N746-1N759, 1N4370-1N4372, 1N4728A-1N4764A, 1N5221B-1N5281B, 1N957B-1N986B, 1N821-1N829", "note": "Registered silicon voltage-regulator and compensated-reference families; suffix letters encode tolerance and process revisions." }, { "scheme": "Pro Electron / European type", "value_or_pattern": "BZXss[C]vv (e.g. BZX55C5V1, BZX84-C12, BZX85C24, BZX79)", "note": "Package/power family in the letters and digits after BZX; C usually means ±5 % Vz; voltage encoded as 5V1 or as 12." }, { "scheme": "JIS / Japanese commercial series", "value_or_pattern": "RDvv (e.g. RD5.1, RD12) and related maker series", "note": "Common in Japanese catalogues; voltage is part of the type." }, { "scheme": "Harmonized System", "value_or_pattern": "8541.10", "note": "Diodes other than photosensitive or light-emitting devices; Zener diodes are classified here, not as a separate HS heading." } ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-identifiers-q01", "text": "Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-standards-and-regulation", "name": "Standards and regulation", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ "IEC 60747-3 (IEC) - ratings, characteristics and terminology for discrete regulator diodes", "JEDEC registered-device system / JESD publications for silicon voltage-regulator diodes (JEDEC)", "MIL-PRF-19500 (U.S. DoD) - general specification covering qualified semiconductor diodes, including JAN/JANTX Zener types", "AEC-Q101 (Automotive Electronics Council) - stress-qualification of discrete semiconductors used as automotive Zeners", "IEC 61000-4-5 and related EMC surge standards (IEC) - govern surge-clamp use; TVS parts, not DC Zeners, are the usual compliance devices", "EU RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH (European Union) - material restrictions on commercial diode packages" ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01", "text": "Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-real-world-use", "name": "Real-world use", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ "Shunt voltage regulator: a series resistor (or current source) feeds the load in parallel with the Zener, which holds the node near Vz", "Crude voltage reference for comparators, ADCs, analog meters and bias networks where a few percent and modest tempco are acceptable", "Gate-oxide and base-emitter clamp on MOSFET gates and bipolar inputs, often a 12-18 V Zener from gate to source", "DC overvoltage clamp and simple crowbar sense on low-power rails (distinct from pulse-rated TVS service)", "Level-shift, waveform clipper and analog limiter in signal paths", "Temperature-compensated 6.2-6.5 V references (Zener plus forward diodes) in older instrumentation before bandgap ICs", "On-chip buried-Zener references inside precision voltage-reference and regulator ICs" ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-real-world-use-q01", "text": "Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-measurements", "name": "Typical measurements", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ { "quantity": "Zener (breakdown) voltage Vz at specified Izt", "typical_range": "2.4 to 200 (catalogue discrete parts; 3.3, 5.1, 12 and 15 are common)", "unit": "V" }, { "quantity": "Total power dissipation Ptot", "typical_range": "0.25 to 5 for ordinary discretes; stud parts to about 50", "unit": "W" }, { "quantity": "Test current Izt", "typical_range": "1 to 20 for 0.4-0.5 W parts; higher for 1 W and power types", "unit": "mA" }, { "quantity": "Dynamic impedance Zzt at Izt", "typical_range": "2 to 100 typical; much higher near the knee", "unit": "Ω" }, { "quantity": "Temperature coefficient of Vz", "typical_range": "about −3.5 at 3.3 V to +10 at 12 V; near zero around 5-6 V", "unit": "mV/°C" }, { "quantity": "Vz tolerance grade", "typical_range": "±1 to ±20; ±5 most common in commodity parts", "unit": "%" }, { "quantity": "Knee / low-current regulation current Izk", "typical_range": "0.25 to 1 typical on small-signal parts", "unit": "mA" } ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-measurements-q01", "text": "Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards", "name": "Failure modes and hazards", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ "Exceeding Ptot overheats the junction; the usual overstress end-state is a short, sometimes followed by an open if the bond wire fuses", "Low-Vz (negative tempco) parts can thermal-runaway unless the source is current-limited by enough series resistance", "Below Izk the knee is soft: Vz is poorly defined and the node does not regulate", "Avalanche operation is electrically noisy; this can corrupt references and analog circuits", "Glass-bodied axial Zeners are photoconductive; ambient light shifts Vz and leakage", "Using a DC Zener as a lightning or load-dump clamp under-rates pulse energy; the part fails and the protected rail may then be unclamped", "No series resistor on a supply above Vz is effectively a short through the diode and the supply" ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01", "text": "Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-regional-variation", "name": "Regional variation", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ "North American catalogues centre on JEDEC 1N numbers; European catalogues on Pro Electron BZX/BZY types; Japanese catalogues on RD and maker series with the same electrical role", "German-language practice often says Z-Diode for the same parts", "Soviet/CIS practice used КС (KS) regulator-diode series; Chinese legacy catalogues used 2CW/2DW numbering", "In all regions 'Zener' is used commercially for avalanche regulator diodes as well as true tunneling Zeners; physics texts may restrict the name to the tunneling mechanism" ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-regional-variation-q01", "text": "Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] }, { "id": "evidence-neighbours", "name": "Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart", "description": "Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.", "evidence": [ { "name": "Avalanche diode (regulator)", "difference": "Same commercial Zener family above ~6 V; separate them by temperature coefficient (positive for avalanche, negative for true Zener) and by Vz, not by the catalogue name." }, { "name": "TVS (transient voltage suppressor) diode", "difference": "Specified by standoff voltage VRWM and pulse peak power on 8/20 µs or 10/1000 µs waveforms; a DC Zener is specified by Vz, Izt and continuous Ptot." }, { "name": "Ordinary rectifier or switching diode", "difference": "Reverse voltage is a withstand limit, not an operating point; reverse current is leakage, not a defined Vz at Izt." }, { "name": "Schottky diode", "difference": "Metal-semiconductor junction with low forward drop; reverse breakdown is a damage limit and is not specified as a regulator Vz." }, { "name": "Bandgap voltage-reference IC", "difference": "A three-terminal (or more) active circuit, typically 1.2 V or 2.5 V class, with far lower dynamic impedance and tempco than a discrete Zener." }, { "name": "Metal-oxide varistor (MOV)", "difference": "Bidirectional polycrystalline clamp with a soft knee and high leakage, rated in joules of surge energy, not as a precision Vz source." } ], "questions": [ { "id": "evidence-neighbours-q01", "text": "Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Zener diode this model covers, and on what evidence?", "kind": "provenance" } ] } ] } ] } ] }, "openQuestions": [ "Does an existing Vercy world model already own this concept, requiring the registry entry to link to it instead of creating a second model?", "Where should the registry boundary fall for dual-use Zener/TVS products, Zener arrays and temperature-compensated reference-diode assemblies?", "Which manufacturer families should be researched to establish how low-current behaviour, noise and pulse capability are documented or left unspecified?", "What evidence threshold should permit identification and bounded testing of an unmarked or ambiguously marked Zener diode?", "Which application-specific acceptance criteria should distinguish normal variation from degradation when no prior measurement of the same device exists?" ], "statistics": { "bundles": 7, "layers": 13, "findings": 20, "questions": 42 } }, "draft": { "generator": "vr.draft.v3", "status": "draft-generated", "researched": false, "archetype": "unclassified", "method": "Written from the archetype playbook - what this kind of thing needs beyond identity and provenance - and from the structure that recurred across 6,333 models already researched by two engines. Applied to this entry by rule. No source was read for this thing and no claim here is researched. This entry carries no facets of its own, so they were inferred from its domain - a guess about a whole domain applied to one thing.", "facetsInferred": true, "nextPass": "A researcher replaces this draft with a sourced specification. Treat every sentence below as a proposal to argue with.", "purpose": "Give an agent a durable, checkable way to recognise a Zener diode, record what state it is in, and decide what may be done with it.", "whatItIs": "Enable an AI agent to recognise a Zener diode, assess its electrical and thermal condition, and decide whether it can be tested, installed or used for a specified voltage-control role.", "characteristics": { "substance": "material", "origin": "manufactured", "agency": "inert", "mobility": "varies" }, "whatYouCanDoWithIt": [ "observed and measured" ], "distinguishingFeatures": [ "Names folded into this entry, which a task may need to split apart again: 1N4742A, 1N5349.", "2 finer distinctions are held as aliases rather than separate entries, because telling them apart needs a task that asks for it.", "Described in 61 Wikipedia languages, which is a measure of how widely the thing is known, not of how important it is." ], "openQuestionsForResearch": [ "Which of the bundles below does a real task actually need, and which are ceremony?", "What does this thing have that the facets do not capture at all?", "Which neighbouring kind is most often confused with a Zener diode, and on what evidence are they told apart?" ], "whatItIsMadeOf": "matter you can touch", "physicalCharacter": [ "Mobility varies between examples.", "Does nothing on its own; everything it does, something else did to it.", "These come from the domain this entry sits in rather than from the entry itself, so treat them as a first guess about the whole domain applied to one thing." ], "whatCanBeDoneWithIt": [ "observe it, measure it, record its state" ], "howItIsRecognised": [ "Recognised by form and material. The registry holds no appearance data, so what a Zener diode looks like has to come from research." ], "relatedModels": [ { "relation": "covers", "note": "Finer kinds folded into this entry because telling them apart needs a task that asks for it. Each is a model waiting to be split out when one does.", "targets": [ "1N4742A", "1N5349" ] } ], "standing": "Described in 61 Wikipedia languages, which measures how widely it is written about rather than how important or how common it is. 2 finer distinctions are held inside this entry as names rather than as separate models.", "structure": { "bundles": [ { "id": "identity-and-classification", "name": "Identity, naming and classification", "description": "How an agent tells one Zener diode from another, and a Zener diode from things that resemble it.", "rationale": "Recognition comes before every other claim. Without stable identity nothing else in the model can be trusted to be about the same thing twice.", "layers": [ { "id": "naming-and-identifiers", "name": "Names and identifiers", "description": "The names this thing goes by and the identifiers that survive translation and time.", "findings": [ { "id": "preferred-name-and-aliases", "name": "Preferred name, aliases and local names", "description": "Which name to use, which names mean the same thing, and which merely sound similar.", "questions": [ { "id": "preferred-name-and-aliases-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the name of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "preferred-name-and-aliases-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the name of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "preferred-name-and-aliases-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the name of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] }, { "id": "stable-identifiers", "name": "Stable identifiers and external keys", "description": "Identifiers that keep pointing at this kind of thing across systems and languages.", "questions": [ { "id": "stable-identifiers-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes an identifier for a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "stable-identifiers-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about an identifier for a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "stable-identifiers-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once an identifier for a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "classification-and-granularity", "name": "Classification and granularity", "description": "Where a Zener diode sits among kinds, and how finely a task needs to cut it.", "findings": [ { "id": "kind-and-parents", "name": "Kind, parents and neighbouring kinds", "description": "The classes this thing belongs to and the ones it is next to.", "questions": [ { "id": "kind-and-parents-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the kind of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "kind-and-parents-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the kind of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "kind-and-parents-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the kind of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] }, { "id": "distinguishing-features", "name": "Distinguishing features", "description": "What separates a Zener diode from the things most often confused with it.", "questions": [ { "id": "distinguishing-features-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes what distinguishes a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "distinguishing-features-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about what distinguishes a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "distinguishing-features-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once what distinguishes a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "form-and-composition", "name": "Form, composition and condition", "description": "What a Zener diode is made of, what shape and size it takes, and what state it is in.", "rationale": "A physical thing can be measured, and a model that cannot record its measurements cannot support any decision that depends on them.", "layers": [ { "id": "form-and-dimensions", "name": "Form and dimensions", "description": "Shape, size, mass and the ranges these take across examples.", "findings": [ { "id": "measurable-dimensions", "name": "Measurable dimensions and their units", "description": "The quantities worth recording and the units they are recorded in.", "questions": [ { "id": "measurable-dimensions-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the dimensions of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "measurable-dimensions-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the dimensions of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "measurable-dimensions-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the dimensions of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "material-and-composition", "name": "Material and composition", "description": "Materials, parts and how they are put together.", "findings": [ { "id": "parts-and-materials", "name": "Parts and materials", "description": "What a Zener diode is built from and which parts are replaceable.", "questions": [ { "id": "parts-and-materials-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the composition of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "parts-and-materials-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the composition of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "parts-and-materials-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the composition of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "condition-and-integrity", "name": "Condition and integrity", "description": "Wear, damage, health and the difference between working and broken.", "findings": [ { "id": "condition-assessment", "name": "Condition, damage and health", "description": "How the condition of a Zener diode is judged and by whom.", "questions": [ { "id": "condition-assessment-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the condition of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "condition-assessment-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the condition of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "condition-assessment-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the condition of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "place-and-movement", "name": "Place and movement", "description": "Where a Zener diode is, how it got there and where it may go (varies).", "rationale": "A thing that can move needs its position recorded with a time, or every later claim about it is about a place it has left.", "layers": [ { "id": "location-and-placement", "name": "Location and placement", "description": "Position, containment and the reference frame the position is given in.", "findings": [ { "id": "position-and-frame", "name": "Position, container and reference frame", "description": "Where a Zener diode is, and what that position is measured against.", "questions": [ { "id": "position-and-frame-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the location of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "position-and-frame-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the location of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "position-and-frame-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the location of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "movement-and-transfer", "name": "Movement and transfer", "description": "How a Zener diode is carried, installed or relocated.", "findings": [ { "id": "movement-events", "name": "Movement events and constraints", "description": "What counts as a movement, what records it and what limits it.", "questions": [ { "id": "movement-events-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the movement of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "movement-events-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the movement of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "movement-events-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the movement of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "state-and-lifecycle", "name": "State and lifecycle", "description": "The states a Zener diode passes through and the events that move it between them.", "rationale": "Most decisions about a thing depend on what state it is in now, which is a claim with a time on it, not a property.", "layers": [ { "id": "lifecycle-stages", "name": "Lifecycle stages", "description": "From coming into existence to ceasing to be one of these.", "findings": [ { "id": "stages-and-transitions", "name": "Stages and transitions", "description": "The stages worth naming and what moves a Zener diode between them.", "questions": [ { "id": "stages-and-transitions-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the lifecycle of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "stages-and-transitions-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the lifecycle of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "stages-and-transitions-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the lifecycle of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "observations-and-status", "name": "Observations and current status", "description": "What is observed about a Zener diode, how often and by whom.", "findings": [ { "id": "observation-record", "name": "Observation record", "description": "How an observation of a Zener diode is recorded so that it can be superseded rather than overwritten.", "questions": [ { "id": "observation-record-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes an observation of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "observation-record-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about an observation of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "observation-record-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once an observation of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "use-and-operation", "name": "Use and operation", "description": "What can be done with a Zener diode and what it takes to do it.", "rationale": "An agent that can recognise a thing but not act on it has only half a model.", "layers": [ { "id": "intended-use", "name": "Intended use and function", "description": "What a Zener diode is for, and what it is used for anyway.", "findings": [ { "id": "function-and-purpose", "name": "Function, purpose and misuse", "description": "The function a Zener diode performs and the uses that fall outside it.", "questions": [ { "id": "function-and-purpose-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the use of a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "function-and-purpose-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the use of a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "function-and-purpose-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the use of a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "handling-and-procedure", "name": "Handling and procedure", "description": "The steps, skills and tools involved in using a Zener diode.", "findings": [ { "id": "procedures-and-skills", "name": "Procedures, skills and required tools", "description": "What an agent needs before it can act on a Zener diode at all.", "questions": [ { "id": "procedures-and-skills-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes handling a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "procedures-and-skills-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about handling a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "procedures-and-skills-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once handling a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "provenance-and-evidence", "name": "Provenance, evidence and time", "description": "Where every claim about a Zener diode came from and when it held.", "rationale": "A claim without a source and a time cannot be superseded, only overwritten, and an agent that overwrites loses the ability to explain itself.", "layers": [ { "id": "source-and-authority", "name": "Source and authority", "description": "Who said it, on what evidence, and how strongly.", "findings": [ { "id": "claim-provenance", "name": "Claim provenance and confidence", "description": "The authority behind each claim about a Zener diode and how confident it is.", "questions": [ { "id": "claim-provenance-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes a claim about a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "claim-provenance-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about a claim about a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "claim-provenance-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once a claim about a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] }, { "id": "time-and-versions", "name": "Time, versions and supersession", "description": "When a claim was true, when it was learnt, and what replaced it.", "findings": [ { "id": "validity-and-supersession", "name": "Validity period and supersession", "description": "How an old claim about a Zener diode is retired without being erased.", "questions": [ { "id": "validity-and-supersession-q01", "text": "What identifies and describes the validity of a claim about a Zener diode, and in what units or vocabulary?", "kind": "definition", "answer_data": [ "identifiers", "types and classes", "values with units", "explicit unknowns" ] }, { "id": "validity-and-supersession-q02", "text": "Who or what asserted this about the validity of a claim about a Zener diode, by which method, and when was it true?", "kind": "provenance", "answer_data": [ "authority", "method", "evidence", "event time", "knowledge time" ] }, { "id": "validity-and-supersession-q03", "text": "What may an agent decide or do once the validity of a claim about a Zener diode is known, and what must it refuse?", "kind": "action", "answer_data": [ "permitted actions", "preconditions", "refusals", "escalation" ] } ] } ] } ] } ] }, "statistics": { "bundles": 6, "layers": 13, "findings": 15, "questions": 45 } } } }