Diode Clipping Circuits
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Diode Clipping Circuits

This clipping of the input signal produces an output waveform that resembles a flattened version of the input. For example, the half-wave rectifier is a clipper circuit, since all voltages below zero are eliminated. But Diode Clipping Circuits can be used a variety of applications to modify an input waveform using signal…

Full Wave Rectifier
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Full Wave Rectifier

While this method may be suitable for low power applications it is unsuitable to applications which need a “steady and smooth” DC supply voltage. One method to improve on this is to use every half-cycle of the input voltage instead of every other half-cycle. The circuit which allows us to…

The Zener Diode
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The Zener Diode

However, the Zener Diode or “Breakdown Diode”, as they are sometimes referred too, are basically the same as the standard PN junction diode but they are specially designed to have a low and specified Reverse Breakdown Voltage which takes advantage of any reverse voltage applied to it. The Zener diode behaves just like a normal general-purpose…

The Signal Diode
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The Signal Diode

The semiconductor Signal Diode is a small non-linear semiconductor devices generally used in electronic circuits, where small currents or high frequencies are involved such as in radio, television and digital logic circuits. Signal diodes in the form of the Point Contact Diode or the Glass Passivated Diode, are physically very small in size compared to…

Semiconductor Basics
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Semiconductor Basics

However, unlike a resistor, a diode does not behave linearly with respect to the applied voltage as it has an exponential I-V relationship and therefore can not be described simply by using Ohm’s law as we do for resistors. Diodes are basic unidirectional semiconductor devices that will only allow current…

PN Junction Theory
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PN Junction Theory

In the previous tutorial we saw how to make an N-type semiconductor material by doping a silicon atom with small amounts of Antimony and also how to make a P-type semiconductor material by doping another silicon atom with Boron. This is all well and good, but these newly doped N-type…

PN Junction Diode
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PN Junction Diode

The effect described in the previous tutorial is achieved without any external voltage being applied to the actual PN junction resulting in the junction being in a state of equilibrium. However, if we were to make electrical connections at the ends of both the N-type and the P-type materials and…

Voltage Dividers
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Voltage Dividers

Voltage Divider Circuits are useful in providing different voltage levels from a common supply voltage. This common supply can be a single supply either positive or negative, for example, +5V, +12V, -5V or -12V, etc. with respect to a common point or ground, usually 0V, or it could be across a…