The device is housed in a standard SOT-323 (SC-70) surface-mount package, with a power dissipation ceiling of 500 mW. The 170 MHz transition frequency gives enough bandwidth for moderate-speed switching applications such as PWM fan control, lamp dimming, and low-frequency DC-DC converter drive stages.
The '16' suffix in the order code denotes a DC current gain (hFE) of 100 minimum at 100 mA collector current with 1 V Vce. This is the medium-gain bin in the BC817K family, offering a good balance between saturation voltage and drive current. At the rated test point, Vce saturation is a maximum of 700 mV at 50 mA base current and 500 mA collector current, which keeps conduction losses manageable in a saturated switch. Substituting a different gain group without adjusting the base resistor may shift the saturation depth or switching speed.
For dual-sourcing flexibility, the BC817K family includes pin-compatible gain-group variants that share the same SOT-323 footprint and AEC-Q101 qualification, though the hFE bin differs.
The SOT-323 (SC-70) package is a small three-lead surface-mount body. It is compatible with standard lead-free reflow profiles.