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Lecture 6-7 (1)

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13 views10 pages

Lecture 6-7 (1)

Uploaded by

Mister Tom
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Zener With AC Circuits (Clippers)

Zener diode based clipping circuits limit the certain part of the input
waveform that is applied across the input terminals, these Zener diode clippers
are generally used for protecting the circuits and in shaping of the input
waveforms. Consider a clipper circuit as shown in the figure. If we want to clip
the waveform above 3.2 V, we will use a 3.2 V Zener diode.

The output waveform can be clipped on the positive side by greater than 3.2 V
and there maintains a constant output. The waveform on the negative side is
clipped at 0.7 V and there after the Zener diode turns ON and acts as a silicon
diode.

The diode and power supply as shown will prevent the output voltage from
exceeding 0.7V. Zener diode clipping circuits are used to eliminate noise in
amplitude and spikes in voltage, voltage regulation and to make fresh
waveforms from an existing signal such as squaring off the peaks of a
sinusoidal waveform to obtain a rectangular waveform.

As we know, the Zener diode is a another type of diode that has been specially
manufactured to operate in its reverse biased breakdown region and as such
can be used for voltage regulation or Zener diode clipping applications. In the
forward region, the Zener acts just like an ordinary silicon diode with a
forward voltage drop of 0.7V (700mV) when conducting, the same as above.

However, in the reverse bias region, the voltage is blocked until the Zener
diodes breakdown voltage is reached. At this point, the reverse current
through the Zener increases sharply but the Zener voltage, VZ across the
device remains constant even if the Zener current, IZ varies. Then we can put
this Zener action to good effect by using them for clipping a waveform as
shown.

1
Positive Zener Clipping Circuits

With MULTISIM

2
Negative Zener Clipping Circuits

With MULTISIM

3
Full-wave Zener Diode Clipping

Connecting the Zener diodes in opposite direction, back-to-back fashion


produces an AC regulator that can be used as a square wave generator. It is the
most commonly used Zener diode connection for clipping the waveforms and
protecting the electronic circuits from over voltage. Both the Zener diodes are
usually connected across the input terminals of the power supply, at some
point in the normal functioning, one of the Zener diodes in the circuit is OFF
and the other Zener diode have no or very little affect.

With MULTISIM

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