Scribd
Upload
2 views

Lab 3

This laboratory exercise focuses on investigating the voltage regulation characteristics of Zener diodes, which are used to maintain a constant voltage in various applications. Students will set up a circuit to observe the Zener diode's behavior under different input voltages and load resistances, and analyze the results to understand its practical applications and limitations. The experiment concludes that Zener diodes effectively stabilize voltage, making them essential in power supplies and circuit protection.

Uploaded by

edgarmaurice.tobias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views

Lab 3

This laboratory exercise focuses on investigating the voltage regulation characteristics of Zener diodes, which are used to maintain a constant voltage in various applications. Students will set up a circuit to observe the Zener diode's behavior under different input voltages and load resistances, and analyze the results to understand its practical applications and limitations. The experiment concludes that Zener diodes effectively stabilize voltage, making them essential in power supplies and circuit protection.

Uploaded by

edgarmaurice.tobias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Laboratory Exercise 3 Zener Diode Voltage Regulation

Title: Zener Diode Voltage Regulation


At the end of this exercise, the students are expected to:
• To investigate the voltage regulation characteristics of a Zener diode and understand its
application in voltage regulation circuits.
Materials:
1 Breadboard
1 Zener diode (e.g., 1N4733A 10V)
1 Power Supply (DC set to 16V)
Resistors (1.2kΩ,1kΩ)
1 Digital/Analog Multimeter
Connecting wires
Overview:
A Zener diode is a type of diode that is specially designed to operate in the breakdown
region, also known as the reverse breakdown region, of its voltage-current characteristic curve.
Unlike regular diodes, which are designed to conduct current primarily in the forward direction
and block it in the reverse direction, Zener diodes are engineered to conduct in the reverse
direction when the voltage across them exceeds a specific value known as the "Zener voltage"
or "breakdown voltage" (VZ).
When a Zener diode is reverse-biased and the voltage across it reaches or exceeds its
breakdown voltage, it begins to conduct heavily in the reverse direction, allowing current to
flow through it. This behavior occurs due to the avalanche breakdown or Zener breakdown
mechanisms, depending on the construction of the diode.
The key characteristic of a Zener diode is its ability to maintain a nearly constant voltage
across its terminals (V_Z) over a wide range of current passing through it in the reverse direction.
This makes Zener diodes highly useful for voltage regulation and voltage reference
applications.
Common Application of Zener Diodes include:
• Voltage regulation: Zener diodes are often used to stabilize voltages in electronic
circuits by providing a fixed voltage reference.
• Overvoltage protection: Zener diodes can be employed to protect sensitive components
in a circuit by shunting excess voltage to ground when the voltage exceeds a certain
level.
• Voltage reference: Zener diodes are utilized as stable voltage references for various
applications such as analog-to-digital converters, voltage regulators, and oscillators.
• Waveform clipping and clamping: Zener diodes can be used to clip or clamp the voltage
of an AC waveform to a desired level.
Procedure:
A. Setup the Circuit
• Place the breadboard on a stable surface.
• Connect the positive terminal of the power supply to one end of the breadboard and the
negative terminal to the other end.
• Insert the Zener diode into the breadboard, ensuring correct polarity.
• Connect a series (Rs) in series with the Zener diode.
• Connect a load resistor (RL) in parallel with the Zener diode.
• Connect the negative terminal of the multimeter to the cathode of the Zener diode and
the positive terminal to the anode.
B. Voltage Regulation
• Set the power supply to provide a variable voltage (e.g., 0-12V).
• Measure and record the voltage across the Zener diode and the load resistor for different
input voltages.
• Observe and record how the voltage across the load resistor remains relatively constant
once the Zener diode reaches its breakdown voltage (VZ).
C. Load Regulation
• Keep the input voltage constant (close to or slightly above the Zener diode's breakdown
voltage).
• Vary the load resistance (R_L) and record the voltage across the load resistor.
• Observe and record how the voltage across the load resistor remains relatively constant
over a range of load resistances.
D. Plotting the Characteristics
• Plot the voltage- current (V-I) characteristics of the Zener diode under the voltage
regulation.
• Plot the load regulation curve showing the variation of output voltage with load
resistance.
Problem Exercise (Determine VR1 and Vo)
Discussion:
• Compare the experimental results with theoretical expectations using oscilloscope
and Proteus Software.
• Discuss the practical applications of Zener diodes in voltage regulation circuits.
• Explore limitations and considerations when designing voltage regulation circuits
using Zener diodes.
Safety Precautions:

• Use appropriate voltage and current limits on the power supply to avoid damaging
the Zener diode.
• Handle the diode and other components with care to prevent damage.
• Avoid short circuits and ensure proper connections in the circuit setup.

3|P age
Laboratory 3

4|P age
Laboratory 3

Observation

The Zener diode kept the voltage steady once it reached its breakdown voltage (around 10V).
Even when we changed the input voltage or the load, the output voltage stayed almost the same.
There were small fluctuations, but overall, the diode did its job of regulating the voltage well.

Conclusion

This experiment showed that Zener diodes are great for keeping voltage stable, which is why
they’re used in power supplies and circuit protection. As long as the right resistor is used, they
can help prevent voltage spikes and keep devices running safely.

5|P age

You might also like