Diode Clipping Circuits

The Diode Clipper, also known as a Diode Limiter, is a wave shaping circuit that takes an input waveform and clips or cuts off its top half,
bottom half or both halves together to produce 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 and Schottky diodes or to provide over-
voltage protection using Zener Diodes to ensure that the output voltage never exceeds a certain level protecting the circuit from high voltage spikes.
Then diode clipping circuits can be used in voltage limiting applications.
We saw in the Signal Diodes tutorial that when a diode is forward biased it allows current to pass through itself clamping the voltage. When the diode
is reverse biased, no current flows through it and the voltage across its terminals is unaffected, and this is the basic operation of the diode clipping
circuit.
Although the input voltage to diode clipping circuits can have any waveform shape, we will assume here that the input voltage is sinusoidal. Consider
the circuits below.
Positive Diode Clipping Circuits


In this diode clipping circuit, the diode is forward biased (cathode more positive than anode) during the positive half cycle of the sinusoidal input
waveform. For the diode to become forward biased, it must have the input voltage magnitude greater than +0.7 volts (0.3 volts for a germanium diode).
When this happens the diodes begins to conduct and holds the voltage across itself constant at 0.7V until the sinusoidal waveform falls below this
value. Thus the output voltage which is taken across the diode can never exceed 0.7 volts during the positive half cycle.
During the negative half cycle, the diode is reverse biased (anode more positive than cathode) blocking current flow through itself and as a result has
no effect on the negative half of the sinusoidal voltage which passes to the load unaltered. Then the diode limits the positive half of the input waveform
and is known as a positive clipper circuit.
Negative Diode Clipping Circuits


Here the reverse is true. The diode is forward biased during the negative half cycle of the sinusoidal waveform and limits or clips it to -0.7 volts while
allowing the positive half cycle to pass unaltered when reverse biased. As the diode limits the negative half cycle of the input voltage it is therefore
called a negative clipper circuit.
Clipping of Both Half Cycles


If we connected two diodes in inverse parallel as shown, then both the positive and negative half cycles would be clipped as diode D1 clips the positive
half cycle of the sinusoidal input waveform while diode D2 clips the negative half cycle. Then diode clipping circuits can be used to clip the positive half
cycle, the negative half cycle or both.
For ideal diodes the output waveform above would be zero. However, due to the forward bias voltage drop across the diodes the actual clipping point
occurs at +0.7 volts and -0.7 volts respectively. But we can increase this 0.7V threshold to any value we want up to the maximum value, (VPEAK) of the
sinusoidal waveform either by connecting together more diodes in series creating multiples of 0.7 volts, or by adding a voltage bias to the diodes.
Biased Diode Clipping Circuits
To produce diode clipping circuits for voltage waveforms at different levels, a bias voltage, VBIAS is added in series with the diode as shown. The
voltage across the series combination must be greater than VBIAS + 0.7V before the diode becomes sufficiently forward biased to conduct. For example,
if theVBIAS level is set at 4.0 volts, then the sinusoidal voltage at the diodes anode terminal must be greater than 4.0 + 0.7 = 4.7 volts for it to become
forward biased. Any anode voltage levels above this bias point are clipped off.
Positive Bias Diode Clipping


Likewise, by reversing the diode and the battery bias voltage, when a diode conducts the negative half cycle of the output waveform is held to a level -
VBIAS - 0.7V as shown.
Negative Bias Diode Clipping


A variable diode clipping or diode limiting level can be achieved by varying the bias voltage of the diodes. If both the positive and the negative half
cycles are to be clipped, then two biased clipping diodes are used. But for both positive and negative diode clipping, the bias voltage need not be the
same. The positive bias voltage could be at one level, for example 4 volts, and the negative bias voltage at another, for example 6 volts as shown.
Diode Clipping of Different Bias levels


When the voltage of the positive half cycle reaches +4.7 V, diode D1 conducts and limits the waveform at +4.7 V. Diode D2 does not conduct until the
voltage reaches 6.7 V. Therefore, all positive voltages above +4.7 V and negative voltages below 6.7 V are automatically clipped.

The advantage of biased diode clipping circuits is that it prevents the output signal from exceeding preset voltage limits for both half cycles of the input
waveform, which could be an input from a noisy sensor or the positive and negative supply rails of a power supply.
If the diode clipping levels are set too low or the input waveform is too great then the elimination of both waveform peaks could end up with a square-
wave shaped waveform.



Diode Circuit Problem - 1 :-Find the current flowing in the diode shown in the circuit given
below.Also find the output voltage.Given the diode is ideal.
(Answer :- Current flowing = 30 miliampere, output voltage = 0 V )

Diode Circuit Problem - 2:-A resistance of 1 Kilo ohm is connected in parellel with a ideal diode,
this whole combination is connected in series with the another 1 kilo ohm resistor, this whole circuit
is connected with the 30 V supply. Calculate the:-
(1) Current drawn by the whole circuit. ( Answer :-30 mA )
(2) Current flow in the diode connected branch.(Answer :- 30 mA )
(3) Current flow in the resistance which is parellel with the diode.(Answer :- 0 A )
(4) Output voltage i.e. voltage across the output resistance. (Answer :- 0 V )

Diode Circuits (more Problems)
Diode Circuit Problem - 3:- Assuming D1 and D2 are ideal diodes. Find the current flowing in the
diode D2.
(Answer :- 0 Ampere )

Diode Circuit Problem - 4 :- Find the current and voltage across the resistance shown in the
figure.Take the diode as ideal. (Answer :- current= -20 mA,
Voltage = -20 V )


Diode Circuit Problem - 5:- Find which diode (given diodes are ideal ) is conducting in a given
circuit. (Answer :- Only D2 is conducting )


Diode Circuit Problem - 6:- Find the equivalent resistance of the circuit given below.
(Answer :- 10 kilo ohm )

Diode Circuit Problem - 7:- A germanium diode is connected in a circuit as shown in the figure.
Calculate the current flow through the diode in the circuit.
(Answer :- 19.8 mA )


Diode Circuit Problem - 8:- The diode connected in the circuit shown below is made up of silicon.
Calculate the current and the output voltage of the circuit.
(Answer :- 2.07 mA, -0.45 V ).