Name Of The Experiment: Study Of Diodes And Its Applications

Objective

The objective of this experiment is to study

o I-V Characteristic of Diode
o Diode Rectifier
o Diode Clipper Circuit
o Diode Clamper Circuit

Equipments Required

P-N junction diode(IN4003) 4 pieces

5V Zener diode 2 pieces
Resistors lK,10K
Capacitors I)lF,I)lF,47)lF
Bread board one pIece
Multimeter one pIece
chords and wire lot
de power suply 2 pieces
signal generator one pIece
oscilloscope one lmit

Theory

A p-n junction diode is a two-terminal device that acts as a one-way conductor. When a
diode is forward biased as shown in Fig. lea), current ID flows tlu'ough the diode and
current is given by

• ID~I+';'-l] (1)
where, n is the ideality factor and I? n ?2. Is is the reverse-saturation current and VT
=kT/q is the thermal voltage. VT is about O.026V at room temperature.

lK
R

Fig.1 (a)

When it is reverse biased as shown in Fig. l(b), ID= -Is (for see eqn. (2)). As it is
generally in pA (pica-amp) range, in many applications this current is neglected and diode
is considered open.
(2)
Metals: Al (aluminum), Cu (copper), Au (gold).
In~ulators: Ceramic, Wood, rubber.
Semiconductor: Si (silicon), Ge (germanium), GaAs (gallium-arsenide)
P-type Silicon:
When an intrinsic silicon semiconductor is doped with Al impurities, it becomes p-type.
At thermal equilibrium,
Po=NA and no = n?/NA
where, Po is the hole concentration, no is the electron concentration, NA is the dOBing
density of impurities(acceptor atoms), nj is the intrinsic concentration. nj = 1.5xl 0 °cm-3
for Si at room temperature.
N-type silicon:
When an intrinsic silicon semiconductor is doped with P(phosphorous) impurities it
becomes n-type. At'thermal equilibrium, no=Noand Po= nj2/No. Here, No is the doping
density of impurities (donor atoms).

In semiconductor both holes and electrons contribute to current.

A. Current-Voltage Characteristics

Breakdown

Fig. l(b)

Vjn is the cut-in voltage. Its value is usually O.5V. At this voltage, diode is forward biased
but even then I is very small and it is usually neglected. When diode is reverse biased and
V < V K, diode drives into breakdown and a large current will flow. The current can be
limited by using resistor in diode circuit. If the slope (dlldV) is very steep, the breakdown
mechanism is called Zener breakdown. Zener diode can be used in regulator circuit.

B. Diode Rectifiers

• Diodes can be used to RECTIFY O/P from ac supply to produce a dc supply

~ on +ve half cycle of liP wave
diode is fwd. biased
::::::>

diode conducts
::::::>

~ on -ve half cycle ofI/P wave

diode is rev. biased
::::::>

diode does not conduct

::::::>

HAJ.,V-WAVE RECTIFIER
 0-- -t-
•
Vi , ""
"~
•...
• :C {tV'
< (,
~ ~ t
Vo
Vi

Iva

HW Rectifier

HW Rectified O/P .--.-:.-:-:::::::-

(without C) ;./ ~ E\ectrolle
• Average voltage (as seen on dc voltmeter) .•.•
§ru'l>~,--
S'\-,"",:10~.:'\
~ ~ \\
Vave = VpI
• rms voltage (as seen on ac voltmeter) ClJ ( Q't\~ &'t- ) tt
iVnlls = V p/~ ~'0~( ( .•.u~~\~a.e.
~:~ ",. ~ e" )~.

Smoothing "?
<>. '- '- ,.' J )}

Output Voltage V0 ~~l" ~ '--_../

~~.,
GO...
./
/. ))c8
Charging
/ Discharging
-----I'~
i
Peak Voltage
~ "- ..-~.

t(~'\·" \ : '\
Vp
I I I, I
! I
I

dc Voltage Ripple voltage

Vdc Vr

-- Smoothed HW Rectified OIP

• If a capacitor is placed across output

~ capacitor charges on rising edge of +ve half-cycle
~ discharges on falling edge
~ OIP is smoothed
• Actual peak OIP will be reduced from peak liP by value of forward. bias
Vp(out) = Vp(in) - 0.7 V
Ripple voltage
• A finite load current I causes capacitor voltage to drop by Vr during ac cycle
~ ripple in OIP is approx. sawtooth in shape ~ neglect charging time
~ assume discharge takes one complete period (T)
• Charge flowing from capacitor in time T
Q=IT
• Fall in capacitor voltage = pk-pk ripple Vp

Vr = QIC = IT/C
~ But T = 1/f (f is ac frequency)
Vr(IIW = I/C HW Ripple Voltage
• As the ripple voltage increases the average (dc) OIP
voltage decreases
V de = V -1/2(Vr)
t~~r ov

de = V p ....: O.SCf HW dc Voltage

• Ripple factor defines magnitude of smoothing effect
= (y/Vdc) 100%, Ripple factor
Peak Inverse Voltage
PIV is the peak reverse voltage that appears across the diode when it is reverse-
biased.
PIV =Vm
Full Wave Rectifier
• Better rectification is obtained if circuit conducts on both liP half-cycles
• On first half-cycle
 · .
~ At same time terminal B is -ve, D3 conducts to lower end of load
• . On next half cycle
~ Terminal A is -ve and B is +ve, D2 conducts to top end of load, D4 conducts to
lower end
Va e = 2Vpht (without smoothing capacitor)
• For FW rectification, ripple frequency is twice ac liP frequency
r FW = 0.5 C Ripple voltage
de = V - 0.25 C de Voltage (as seen on dc voltmeter)
Input signal

II II,I I, !
Iu
,
I It I \ \ IIII,signal
Output
\ \I'II\ I
II~
II
I
\ i
\

C. Clipper circuits:
Limiter or clippers are used to cut-off or eliminate a portion of an ac signal. A limiter can
be realized by using diode and resistor as shown in Fig 1.

Input to a limiter Output

t
t

D. Clamper circuits:
The clamper circuit is one that will clamp a signal to a different dc level.

Input to a clam per

Vo-
-
Output

10V
:: 4V

t ----. t

-6V
Circuits & Procedures

A. Circuit for I-V Characteristics of Diode

+ CH 1 -

M
1K

v
10 V (P-p),
1N4001 CH2
Ll' 100 +
T
1.--- Hz

+
Fig. 1.1 Circuit diagram for obtaining diode characteristic from oscilloscope

Procedures

1. Construct the circuit as shown in the Fig. 1.1 on breadboard. Set the oscilloscope in X-
V mode and locate the zero point on oscilloscope display. Observe and draw the
output.
2. Repeat step 1 by increasing supply frequency to 5 kHz.
3. Reconnect CHI to AC source [+ve top, -ve bottom] and interchange the +ve/-ve of
CH2 across the diode. Draw the scope output at dual mode.

Reports

1. Explain the result obtained in step 2.

2. In step 3, "CH2 will show half wave rectified output, either taken across the diode or
across the resistor" explain.

B. Circuit for Diode Rectifier

Fig. 1.2 Circuit diagram for bridge rectifier

Procedures

1. Construct the circuit of Fig. 1.2 without the capacitor. Observe and sketch Vi, Va. DO
NOT TRY to observe Vi, Va simultaneously. Measure ac and dc components of Va
with multi meter.

2. Connect llJ,F capacitor as shown in Fig.1.2 and repeat step 1.

.
3. Replace 1 lJ,Fcapacitor by 47lJ,F for Fig.1 and repeat step 1.

Reports

1. Calculate the average and effective values of the load voltage (V 0) in circuits of Fig.
1.2 without capacitor. Compare these values with those obtained with the multimeter.

2. Calculate the ripple factors for each of the three cases and compare with the ideal
values.

3. Which capacitor acts as a better filter? Explain your answer.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the full wave center tapped and bridge
rectifier circuit?

C. Circuits for Clipping

+
1K
+

Vo

Fig. 1.3

1K
+
Vo

Fig. 1.4
Procedures

1. Construct the circuit shown in Fig.1.3. Observe Vi and Vo simultaneously on the

oscilloscope and sketch the waveforms.

2. Reverse the polarity of the diode in Fig. 1.3 and repeat step 1.

3. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 1.4 and repeat the procedure in step 1 and 2.

Reports

1. Design a circuit in which the input voltage Vi =5 sin (Otand the output should be
limited between + 2.5 V and - 3.5 V. Assumes that the diodes are ideal.

2. Sketch the output voltage of the circuit of Fig. 1.4 if Vi =5 sin(2000nt).

3. How will Vo change if the polarities of the two Zener diodes in the circuit of Fig.
1.4 are reversed?

D. Circuit for Clamping

+ +
1K Vo

Procedures
I. With 10Vpp square wavlFig. 1.5 construct the circuit shown in Fig.1.5. Observe
Vi and Vo simultaneously 011 Lll'- vscilloscope and sketch the waveforms.
2. Reverse the polarity of the diode in Fig. 1.5 and repeat step 1.

Reports
1. Sketch the output voltage of the circuit of Fig. 1.5 ifVj =5 sin(2000nt).

Modified by: Yeasir Arafat