Logic-level N-channel MOSFET · TO-220
IRLZ44N Pinout
Printed face toward you, metal tab at the back, legs pointing down, left to right: 1 gate, 2 drain, 3 source (G-D-S). The metal tab is joined to the drain.
The logic-level twin of the IRFZ44N: a 5 V Arduino pin turns it fully on, for LED strips, motors and heaters.
- Pin 1: Gate (G)The control pin. The voltage between gate and source turns it on; almost no current flows in.
- Pin 2: Drain (D)Goes to the load. Also joined to the metal tab.
- Pin 3: Source (S)Goes to 0 V (ground) when the MOSFET switches the low side of a load.
Metal tab: joined to pin 2, the drain, inside the part.
Check your part before wiring. Read the maker and the full part number printed on it, open that maker's datasheet, or test the legs with a multimeter's diode setting.
PNG 1440 × 1280 pixels, SVG to any size. Both keep the wirecora.com mark along the bottom.
Pinout table
Which leg of the IRLZ44N is which?
| Pin | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gate G | The control pin. The voltage between gate and source turns it on; almost no current flows in. |
| 2 | Drain D | Goes to the load. Also joined to the metal tab. |
| 3 | Source S | Goes to 0 V (ground) when the MOSFET switches the low side of a load. |
| Tab | Metal tab D | Joined to pin 2, the drain, so it carries the same voltage. Keep it away from other metal unless you mean it to touch. |
Key ratings
How much can the IRLZ44N take?
From the Infineon (International Rectifier) datasheet: IRLZ44NPbF HEXFET Power MOSFET (PD-94831). Stay well inside these limits: they are the most the part takes, not what it should run at.
Open the Infineon (International Rectifier) datasheet (PDF)Pin order by maker
Is every IRLZ44N wired G-D-S?
The Infineon datasheet's lead assignments read 1 gate, 2 drain, 3 source, 4 (the tab) drain: G-D-S with the printed face toward you, the same order as the IRFZ44N and IRF540N.
Vishay's IRLZ44, without the N, also has G-D-S legs and a drain tab, but it is a different part: 60 V, 28 mΩ at 5 V and 150 W, against 55 V, 25 mΩ and 110 W for the IRLZ44N. Parts sold as IRLZ44N by other makers are common; they usually keep G-D-S, but their ratings can differ.
A first circuit
Dim a 12 V LED strip from an Arduino
- LED strip from +12 V to the drain. Source to 0 V, shared with the Arduino's 0 V.
- A 100 Ω resistor from a 5 V Arduino PWM pin to the gate.
- A 10 kΩ resistor from the gate to the source keeps the strip off while the Arduino starts up.
- analogWrite(pin, 255) lights the strip fully; smaller numbers dim it.
At 5 V on the gate the datasheet promises 25 mΩ, so a 2 A strip warms it by only about 0.1 W. From a 3.3 V board no resistance is promised: use it there only for light loads.
IRLZ44N questions
What is the IRLZ44N pinout?
With the printed face toward you and the legs pointing down, from left to right: gate, drain, source (G-D-S). The metal tab is the drain.
Can an Arduino drive an IRLZ44N directly?
From a 5 V pin, yes: it is a logic-level MOSFET, with a gate threshold of 1 to 2 V and at most 25 mΩ at 5 V on the gate. From a 3.3 V pin no resistance is promised, so keep the load light there.
What is the difference between the IRLZ44N and the IRFZ44N?
The legs are the same (G-D-S). The L means logic level: the IRLZ44N is fully on at 5 V on the gate, the IRFZ44N needs 10 V. The IRLZ44N's gate takes only ±16 V, the IRFZ44N's ±20 V.
How much current can an IRLZ44N take without a heatsink?
It can shed about 2 W in free air. At 25 mΩ, 5 A makes about 0.6 W, more as it warms up, so several amps are fine. The 47 A in the datasheet needs the case held at 25 °C.
Why does the IRLZ44N need a resistor from gate to source?
The gate holds charge. While the Arduino starts up its pins are not driving, and the gate can float half on. About 10 kΩ from gate to source keeps it off.
Can I use this pinout picture?
Yes. Download it as PNG or SVG and use it in notes, lessons or posts. The wirecora.com mark along the bottom stays in the picture.
Pin order and ratings from the Infineon (International Rectifier) datasheet named above. Last reviewed .