What is foward breakover voltage as applied to a thyristor?
It is the voltage applied to the anode, with respect to the cathode, that will cause the thyristor to act like a normal diode instead of an open circuit. By injecting various currents into the gate, the threshold voltage may be lowered. The more current injected, the lower the threshold voltage. For example, if the forward breakover voltage is 50 volts, any voltage up to 50 can be applied to the thyristor, and it will not conduct. If 51 volts is applied, the device will conduct current like a normal diode (and of course the forward voltage will now be on the order of 1 volt like a normal diode). .
