55 V, 17 A N-channel HEXFET in a TO-220-3
The Infineon IRFZ24NPBF is a 55 V, 17 A N-channel MOSFET from the HEXFET® series, in a TO-220-3 through-hole package. It targets low-voltage DC power switching — motor drives, power supplies, battery management, and automotive loads.
Gate drive and switching — what the 10 V requirement means
The 70 mOhm Rds(on) is specified at Vgs = 10 V; driving the gate with a standard 5 V logic signal will not fully enhance the channel, so a gate driver IC or a 10 V rail is needed. Gate charge is 20 nC at 10 V — a 1 A driver can switch it in about 20 ns, but the 370 pF input capacitance at 25 V means the driver must source and sink enough peak current to avoid miller plateau dwell. The ±20 V Vgs(max) gives headroom for gate-drive overshoot in hard-switching topologies.
Temperature range and mounting
The TO-220-3 (TO-220AB) package requires a heatsink for continuous currents above a few amps — the 45 W dissipation at Tc = 25°C assumes a low thermal resistance path to the heatsink. Through-hole mounting gives mechanical robustness in high-vibration environments compared to surface-mount alternatives.