DIODE LIMITING AND CLAMPING CIRCUITS

• Diode circuits:
limiters or clippers - sometimes used to clip up
portions of signal voltages above or below certain
levels.
Clamper - used to add or restore a dc level to an
electrical signal.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 Clippers

• Clipping circuit: A wave shaping circuit which controls the shape of the output
waveform by removing or clipping a portion of the applied wave.
• Half wave rectifier is the simplest example. (It clips negative half cycle).
• Also referred as voltage limiters/ amplitude selectors/ slicers.
• Applications:
- In radio receivers for communication circuits.
- In radars, digital computers and other electronic systems.
- Generation for different waveforms such as trapezoidal, or square
waves.
- Helps in processing the picture signals in television transmitters.
- In television receivers for separating the synchronising signals from composite
picture signals

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 Types of clippers
• According to non- linear devices used:
- Diode clippers and Transistor clippers
• According to biasing
- Biased clippers and Unbiased clippers.
• According to level of clipping
- Positive clippers, Negative clippers and combination clippers

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 THUMB RULE
Action of biasing on diode
• When diode is forward biased, it acts as a closed
switch ( ON state).
• When diode is reverse biased, it acts as a open
switch ( OFF state).

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Series Diode Configurations

Reverse Bias
Diodes ideally behave as open circuits

Analysis
• VD = E
• VR = 0 V
• ID = 0 A

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 5 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Parallel Configurations

V  0.7 V
D
V V  V  0.7 V
D1 D2 O
V  9.3 V
R
EV 10 V  .7 V
I  D   28 mA
R R .33kΩ
28 mA
I I   14 mA
D1 D2 2

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 6 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Diode Clippers

The diode in a series clipper “clips”

any voltage that does not forward
bias it:
• •A reverse-biasing polarity
•A forward-biasing polarity less than
0.7 V (for a silicon diode)

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 7 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Biased Clippers

Adding a DC source in
series with the clipping
diode changes the
effective forward bias of
the diode.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 8 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Parallel Clippers

The diode in a parallel clipper

circuit “clips” any voltage that
forward bias it.

DC biasing can be added in

series with the diode to change
the clipping level.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 9 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Summary of Clipper Circuits

more…

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Summary of Clipper Circuits

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 11 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 Drawbacks

• Series Diode Clipper

When diode is “OFF”, there should be no transmission of input
signal to output. But in case of high frequency, signal transmission
occurs through diode capacitance which is undesirable.
• Shunt Diode clippers
When diode is “OFF”, transmission of input signal to output
should take place. But in case of high frequency input signals, diode
capacitance affects the circuit operation and signal gets attenuated.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Clampers

A diode and capacitor can be

combined to “clamp” an AC
signal to a specific DC level.

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 13 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 Note:
• Start the analysis of clamping network, by considering that part of
the input signal that will forward bias the diode.
• During the period that the diode is in the “ON” state, assume that
capacitor will charge up instantaneously to a voltage level
determined by the network.
• Assume that during the perod when the diode is in “OFF” state,
capacitor will hold on its established voltage level.
• Keep in mind the general rule, that
Total swing of total output = Swing of input signal

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Biased Clamper Circuits

The input signal can be any type

of waveform such as sine, square,
and triangle waves.

The DC source lets you adjust

the DC clamping level.

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 For t1-t2 cycle

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Summary of Clamper Circuits

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Zener Diodes

The Zener is a diode operated

in reverse bias at the Zener
Voltage (Vz).

• When Vi  VZ
– The Zener is on
– Voltage across the Zener is VZ
– Zener current: IZ = IR – IRL
– The Zener Power: PZ = VZIZ

• When Vi < VZ
– The Zener is off
– The Zener acts as an open circuit

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Zener Resistor Values
If R is too large, the Zener diode cannot conduct because the available amount of
current is less than the minimum current rating, IZK. The minimum current is
given by:
I Lmin  I R  I ZK

The maximum value of resistance is:

VZ
RLmax 
I Lmin

If R is too small, the Zener current exceeds the maximum current

rating, IZM . The maximum current for the circuit is given by:
VL V
I L max 
 Z
RL RL min
The minimum value of resistance is:
RVZ
RL min 
Vi  VZ

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 19 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
Practical Applications

• Rectifier Circuits
– Conversions of AC to DC for DC operated circuits
– Battery Charging Circuits

• Simple Diode Circuits

– Protective Circuits against
– Overcurrent
– Polarity Reversal
– Currents caused by an inductive kick in a relay circuit

• Zener Circuits
– Overvoltage Protection
– Setting Reference Voltages

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky 20 Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All rights reserved.
 The PN Junction Diode
Diodes Have Polarity Anode Lead
(They must be
installed correctly.)

} Diodes

Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 10/e

Cathode Lead Copyright ©2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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