AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY–BANGLADESH (AIUB)

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Summer 2023-24

ELECTRONIC DEVICES LAB: 03

Section: L (GROUP-7)

LAB REPORT ON:

Study of Diode Clipping and Clamping Circuits.
Supervised By
BISMOY JAHAN

Submitted By: SHADMAN SHAKIB

Name ID
1. ALIF HASAN KHAN 23-50186-1
2. MD. YEAHYEA JAM 23-50187-1
3. MOHSIN IBNA HOSSAIN 23-50194-1
4. SHADMAN SHAKIB 23-50200-1
5. MD. SHAJEDUL ISLAM 22-46842-1

Date of Submission: Jun 30, 2024

(1) Objectives:
 The objectives of this experiment are to
1. Study clipper circuits.
2. Study of clamper circuits.

(2) Theory and Methodology:

The objectives of this experiment are to

1. Study clipper circuits.
2. Study of clamper circuits.

 Clippers:
In electronics, clipper circuits clip or cuts away part of the input ac signal such that the
remaining part of the signal is not distorted or changed. Clipper circuits may seem similar to
bridge rectifiers, at least the unbiased circuits, but the primary distinction is that clipper
circuits are made up of a diode and a resistor while bridge rectifier is made up only one diode.
In some cases, in biased circuits, a DC battery is also used. Clipper circuits can be divided
into two main types: series clippers and parallel clippers. The parallel configuration places
the diode in a branch parallel to the load, whereas the series configuration places the diode in
series with the load.

Series Positive Clippers:

In reality, Series Positive Clippers eliminates the input voltage's positive half-cycles. A
positive series clipper is shown in Figure 1. If the input is negative, the diode is forward
biased and displays the input of the negative half cycle at the load. If the input is positive, the
diode is in reverse biased condition, the output shown is zero.

Figure 1: Series Positive Clipper

Parallel Negative Clippers:
It eliminates the input voltage's negative half-cycles. A parallel negative clipper is shown in
Figure 2. The diode becomes reverse biased during the positive half cycle of the input. As a
result, the resistor experiences no current flow. The output signal is attained for the positive
half of the input signal as the output current is measured at the load. The diode becomes
forward biased during the negative half of the input signal, therefore no-load current is
produced. In the end, the output for the negative half of the input signal is not seen.

Figure 2: Parallel Negative Clipper

The circuits with the ideal diode are the clippers mentioned above in figures 1 and 2.
However, if the knee voltage (VK) is taken into account, the output voltage of the positive
and negative clippers is indicated in figure 3 (for Si = 0.7 V and Ge = 0.3 V, respectively).

Figure 3: Output of the Circuit of Figure 1 and 2 With the value of Vk

Sometimes it's necessary to remove a very little amount of the input signal voltage's positive
or negative half cycles. Biased clippers are utilized in these situations. Only when the input
voltage is higher than the battery voltage does the clipping in Figure 4 occur during the
positive cycle.
 Figure 4: Parallel Positive Clipper with bias
Clampers:
A clamper circuit is a circuit that adds a DC level to an AC signal. Shift the signal to the
positive or negative side as shown in Figure 5. In fact, the positive and negative peaks of the
signal can be clamped to desired levels using a clamp circuit. If it shifts the DC level, the
clamp circuit is called a level shifter.

Figure 5: Input and Output wave Shapes of Basic Clamper Circuit

A clamper circuit consists of an energy storage element such as a capacitor. A simple clamp
circuit consists of a capacitor, a diode, a resistor, and optionally a DC battery. Waveform type
it remains the same, but the difference is in the shifted plane peak-to-peak value of the
waveform never changes

The peak value and average value of the input waveform and the clamped output will be
different. The time constant of the RC circuit should be ten times the time-period of the
entering AC input voltage for better clamping action.
A negative clamper is shown figure 6. During the entire positive half-cycle of the input, the diode will
conduct, and the output voltage will correspond to the diode barrier potential (V0). At this point, the
capacitor charges to (V - V0) through the negative half cycle of the input, the diode will become
negatively biased, and it has no effect role on the capacitor voltage. Due to the high value of R the
capacitor cannot discharge as much. Therefore, output voltage will be - (2V - V0). Peak to peak
voltage will be 2V, output waveform is original signal shifted in the downward direction.

Figure 6: Negative Clamper Circuit

Circuit Diagram:

Figure 7: Clipper circuit

 Figure 8: Clamper circuit

(3) Apparatus:
 Diode
 Resistor (133 kΩ)
 Multimeter
 Breadboard and Connecting Wire
 DC Power Supply
 Oscilloscope
 Capacitors
 Function Generator

(4) Experimental Circuits from the oscilloscope screen:

Figure 9.1: Series Unbiased Sinusoidal Wave Form Figure 9.2: Series Unbiased Triangular Wave form
Figure 9.3: Series Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form Figure 10: Series Biased Sinusoidal Wave form

Figure 11.1: Parallel Unbiased Sinusoidal Wave Form Figure 11.2: Parallel Unbiased Rectangular Wave form

Figure 12.1: Parallel Biased Triangular Wave Form Figure 12.2: Parallel Biased Sinusoidal Wave Form
Figure 12.3: Parallel Biased Rectangular Wave Form Figure 13: Positive Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form

Figure 14: Positive Biased Rectangular Wave Form Figure 15: Negative Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form

Figure 16: Negative Biased Rectangular Wave Form

(5) Simulation Circuits:

Figure 17.1: Series Unbiased Sinusoidal Wave Form

Figure 17.2: Series Unbiased Triangular Wave form

Figure 17.3: Series Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form

 Figure 18: Series Biased Sinusoidal Wave form

Figure 19.1: Parallel Unbiased Sinusoidal Wave Form

Figure 19.2: Parallel Unbiased Rectangular Wave form

Figure 20.1: Parallel Biased Sinusoidal Wave Form

Figure 20.2: Parallel Biased Triangular Wave Form

Figure 20.3: Parallel Biased Rectangular Wave Form

Figure 21: Positive Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form

Figure 22: Positive biased Rectangular Wave Form

Figure 23: Negative Unbiased Rectangular Wave Form

 Figure 24: Negative biased Rectangular Wave Form

(6) Experimental & Simulation Results:

 Experimental Data:
Table 1 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 9
Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.8 10.8

Triangular 10.8 10.0

Rectangular 11.4 10.8

Table 2 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 10

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 10.2 14.8

Table 3 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 11

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.4 8.88

Rectangular 11.4 10.0

Table 4 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 12

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.4 4.60

Triangular 10.8 3.04

Rectangular 11.4 6.80

 Table 5 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 13
Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.2

Table 6 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 14

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.6

Table 7 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 15

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.4

Table 8 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 16

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.6

 Simulation Data:

Table 9 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 17

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.31 10.62

Triangular 11.11 10.57

Rectangular 11.4 10.67

Table 10 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 18

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 10.59 15

Table 11 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 19

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.05 11.08

Rectangular 11.2 11.73

 Table 12 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 20
Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape (From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Sinusoidal 11.05 6.86

Triangular 9.44 6.95

Rectangular 11.4 7.73

Table 13 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 21

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.19

Table 14 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 22

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.19

Table 15 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 23

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.19

Table 16 Data Table for the Circuit of Figure 24

Peak Input Voltage, Vi (V) Peak Output Voltage, Vo (V)
Wave Shape
(From Oscilloscope) (From Oscilloscope)
Rectangular 11.4 11.19

(7) Discussion:

 The experiment successfully demonstrated the clipping and clamping of waveforms using diode
circuits. Clipping circuits effectively removed portions of the input signal, while clamping circuits
shifted the signal to a different DC level. These techniques are fundamental in various electronic
applications, such as signal processing and waveform shaping.

By comparing the experimental data with the simulation results, the behavior of the diode clipping and
clamping circuits was validated, confirming the theoretical expectations.

Overall, the study of diode clipping and clamping circuits provided valuable insights into their practical
applications and highligshted their significance in electronic circuit design and signal processing.
 (5) Answer all the Report Questions:

1. Show the difference between your simulated and measured values.

Comment on the results and interpret the experimental and simulation
data.
 The comparison of simulated and measured values shows that the experimental data closely
matches the simulation results. For instance, in the circuit of Figure 18 with a sinusoidal input,
the simulated peak output voltage was 15V, whereas the measured value was 14.8V. Similarly,
for a rectangular wave in Figure 21, the simulated output was 11.19V, close to the measured
value of 11.2V. These results validate the theoretical behavior of diode clipping and clamping
circuits, confirming that the practical implementations perform as expected within a small
margin of error likely due to real-world non-idealities and component tolerances.

2. Take the images from the oscilloscope screen and present them in the lab
report. Explain the outputs.

 Figures from the oscilloscope show different waveform outputs for various circuit configurations:

 Series unbiased sinusoidal, triangular, and rectangular waveforms (Figures 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3).
 Series biased sinusoidal waveform (Figure 10).
 Parallel unbiased sinusoidal and rectangular waveforms (Figures 11.1 and 11.2).

 These images illustrate how the clippers and clampers modify the input signals by either removing part
of the waveform or shifting it to a different DC level. For example, the series unbiased sinusoidal
waveform shows the positive half-cycle clipped, demonstrating the expected behavior of a series
clipper.

3. What are the effects of varying the input signal’s amplitudes, frequency,
and types of DC bias voltage?

 Varying the input signal's amplitude affects the point at which the diode conducts, thus
changing the portion of the signal that gets clipped. Frequency variations can influence the
charging and discharging times of capacitors in clamping circuits, thereby altering the output
waveform. Different types of DC bias voltages shift the signal up or down, effectively
changing the reference point of the waveform clipping or clamping

4. What is the difference between diode-based clipper and clamper circuits?

 Diode-based clipper circuits are used to remove parts of the input signal without distorting the
remaining part of the alternating waveform. Clippers can be designed to remove either the
positive half, negative half, or both halves of the input signal. Clamper circuits, on the other
hand, shift the entire signal up or down to introduce a DC level. While clippers remove parts of
the waveform, clampers do not change the shape of the waveform but shift its DC level

5. Discuss the overall aspects of the experiment. Did your results match the
expected ones? If not, explain.

 Overall, the experiment successfully demonstrated the principles of diode clipping and
clamping. The results largely matched the expected theoretical values, validating the behavior
of the circuits. Any minor discrepancies can be attributed to real-world factors such as
component tolerances, slight variations in diode characteristics, and measurement inaccuracies.
The experiment highlighted the importance and practical applications of these circuits in
electronic signal processing and waveform shaping.

(6) References:
[1] Robert L. Boylestad, Louis Nashelsky, Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 9th Edition,
2007-2008
[2] Adel S. Sedra, Kenneth C. Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Saunders College Publishing, 3rd
ed., ISBN: 0-03- 051648-X, 1991.
[3] American International University–Bangladesh (AIUB) Electronic Devices Lab Manual.
[4] David J. Comer, Donald T. Comer, Fundamentals of Electronic Circuit Design, John Wiley &
Sons Canada, Ltd., ISBN: 0471410160, 2002.
[5] Resistor values: https://www.eleccircuit.com/how-to-basic-use-resistor/, accessed on 20
September 2023.