I.

Diode and Diode Application

1. Diodes
2. Rectification
3. Power supply filter
4. Applications of diodes
Signal rectifier
Diode gate
Diode clamps
Limiter
1. Diodes
Some elements are linear (resistors capacitors inductors! w"ic" means t"at dou#ling t"e
applied signal (let us say a $oltage! produces a dou#ling of t"e response (let us say a current!.
%"ey are also passive & t"ey do not "a$e #uilt'in source of power. %"ey are two-terminal
de$ices (w"ic" is self'e(planatory!.
Diode is also two-terminal passive #ut non-linear a de$ice. )igure 1 s"ows t"e diode.
)ig.1. Diode. )ig.2. Diode $oltage'current cur$e *'+ cur$e.
+n )ig. 2 t"ere is *'+ ($oltage'current! cur$e (c"aracteristic!. %"e diode arrow anode
terminal s"ows t"e direction of forward current flow. +f t"e diode is in a circuit in w"ic" a
current of 1,mA-1,.1,
'3
A is flowing from anode to cat"ode t"en t"e anode is appro(imately
,./ $olt more positi$e t"an cat"ode. 0e call it t"e forward voltage drop. %"e re$erse current
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is measured in nanoampers and 1nA-1.1,
'5
A. +t is so small in comparison to mA t"at can #e
neglected until we reac" t"e reverse breakdown voltage. %ypically it is appro(imately 3/6
and normally we ne$er su#7ect a diode to $oltage large enoug" to cause re$erse #rea2down.
Similarly t"e forward voltage drop, w"ic" is a#out ,./ or ,.8 6 is of little concern. )or
t"ese reasons we treat t"e diode as a good appro(imation of an ideal one-way conductor.
9ommercially a$aila#le diodes are descri#ed also #y ot"er important c"aracteristics e.g.:
ma(imum forward current capacitance (measured in p)! lea2ing current re$erse reco$ery
time (measured in nanoseconds ,'2'4'/,,,!.
2. Rectification
A rectifier c"anges ac (alternating current! to dc (direct current!. %"is is t"e most
important application of diodes. Diodes are sometimes called rectifiers.
%"e #asic circuit is s"own in )ig. 3.
)ig.3. ;alf'wa$e rectifier.
%"e ac represents a source of ac $oltage. +t can #e a transformer or 7ust ac sine'wa$e
power line. )or sine'wa$e input of amplitude muc" larger t"an forward $oltage drop t"e
output will loo2 li2e it is s"own in )ig. 4.
)ig.4. 6oltage across R
load
in )ig.3.
%"e process and t"e circuit we call a alf-wave rectifier #ecause only "alf of t"e input
wa$eform is used.
+n )ig. / is s"own a full-wave rectifier and )ig. < s"ows t"e $oltage across t"e load.
%"e small gaps across =ero $oltage occur #ecause of t"e forward $oltage drop.
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)ig./. )ull'wa$e #ridge rectifier. )ig.<. 6oltage across R
load
in )ig./.
!. "ower supply filtering
%"e rectified wa$e from )ig.< is not good for application: it is dc only in t"e sense t"at
it does not c"ange polarity. >ut it does not "a$e constant $alue and "as plenty of ripples i.e.
small wa$es or undulations (wa$e li2e forms!. +t "as to #e smoot"ed out in order to o#tained
aut"entic direct current. %"is can #e done #y means of a low'pass filter w"ic" is s"own in
)ig. 3.
)ig.3. )ull'wa$e #ridge wit" R9 filter.
%"e full'wa$e #ridge diodes pre$ent flow of current #ac2 out of capacitor. %"e capacitor is an
energy storage element. %"e energy stored in a capacitor is
2
2
1
#$ % = . )or 9 in ) (farads!
and * in 6 (6olts! ? comes out in @ (7ouls! and @-0att4se2. %"e capacitor $alue is c"osen so
t"at
f & R
load
1 >>
w"ere f is t"e ripple freAuency. )or power line sine wa$e it is
2./,;=-1,,;=. +t allows to ensure small ripples #y ma2ing t"e time constant for disc"arge
muc" longer t"an t"e time #etween rec"arging (t"e capacitor is c"arging $ery Auic2ly w"ile
disc"arging is $ery slow!.
+t is Auite easy to calculate t"e appro(imate ripple $oltage (see )ig. 8!. Let us assume
t"at t"e load current stays constant (it will for small ripples!. %"e load causes t"e capacitor to
disc"arge somew"at #etween cycles. %"e capacitor will loose some $oltage let us say $ .
+n t"is case we "a$e:
t
#
I
$ =
(from
dt
d$
# I = !
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)ig.8. Power'supply ripple calculation.
+nstead of
t
we use
f & 1
or
f & 2 1
respecti$ely for "alf'wa$e rectification and for
full'wa$e rectification. )inally we o#tain appro(imate ripple $oltage:
for "al$e'wa$e
f#
I
$
load
=
for full'wa$e
f#
I
$
load
2
= .
+f one wanted to do e(act calculation (wit" no appro(imation! one would use t"e e(act
e(ponential formula (see lecture Capacitors, RC circuits!. Sometimes it may #e necessary.
A dc power supply using t"e #ridge circuit loo2s (in t"e *SA! as s"own in )ig.5.
)ig.5. >ridge rectifier circuit. %"e cur$ed electrode indicates a polari=ed capacitor
w"ic" must not #e allowed t"e opposite polarity.
'. Applications of diodes
(ignal rectifier
+f t"e input is not a sine wa$e we usually do not t"in2 of it as a rectification in t"e sense as it
was for power supply. )or instance we mig"t want to "a$e a series of pulses corresponding to
te rising edge of a sAuare wa$e (see )ig. 1, left "and side and rig"t "and side of t"e
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capacitor 9!. 0"ile #ot" t"e rising and t"e falling pulses are in t"e output after
differentiation performed #y 9R circuit. %"e simplest way is to rectify t"e differentiated wa$e.
)ig.1,. A series of pulsesB rectifier.
0e s"ould remem#er a#out forward drop $oltage of t"e diode: %"is circuit gi$es no output for
signal for input smaller t"en forward drop $oltage let us say ,./ 6 pp (pea2 to pea2!. +f t"is
is a pro#lem t"ere are $arious tric2s t"at "elp to com#at t"is limitation. )or instance:
1. use Sc"ott2y diodes wit" smaller forward drop $oltage (appro(imately ,.26!
2. use so called circuit solution w"ic" means modifying t"e circuit structure and
compensating t"e drop
3. use matc"ed'pair compensation use transistors )?%s.
Diode gates
Anot"er application of diode is to pass t"e "ig"er of two $oltages wit"out affecting t"e lower.
A good e(ample is #attery #ac2up a met"od of 2eeping s de$ice running (for instance a
precision electronic cloc2! in case of power failure. )igure 11 s"ows a circuit t"at does t"e
7o#.
)ig.11. Diode CR gate #attery #ac2up.
D)R gate: The output of OR gate is HIGH if either input (or both) is HIGH. In general, gates
can have any number of inputs. The output is O! only if all inputs are O!E.
1. %"e #attery does not"ing until t"e power fails.
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2. %"en t"e #attery ta2es o$er t"e control wit"out interruption.
Diode clamps (sta#ili=atory po=iomu!
Sometimes it is necessary to limit t"e range of signal (for instance not to e(ceed certain
$oltage limit and not to destroy a de$ice!. %"e circuit in )ig. 12 will accomplis" t"is.
)ig.12. Diode $oltage clamp.
%"e diode pre$ents t"e output from e(ceeding /.<6 wit" no effect on $oltages smaller t"an
t"is including negati$e $oltages. %"e only limitation is t"at t"e input must not #e so negati$e
t"at t"e re$erse #rea2down $oltage is e(ceeded. Diode clamps are t"e standard eAuipment on
all inputs in t"e 9FCS family of digital logic (9omplementary Fetal C(ide Semiconductor!.
0it"out t"em t"e delicate input circuits are easily destroyed #y static electricity.
*imiter
%"e circuit in )ig.13 limits t"e output swing to one diode drop roug"ly ,.<6.
)ig.13. Diode limiter.
+t mig"t seem $ery small #ut if t"e ne(t de$ice is an amplifier wit" large $oltage
amplification its input "as to #e always near =ero $oltage. Ct"erwise t"e output is in state of
saturation. )or instance we "a$e an op amp wit" a gain of 1,,,. %"e amplifier operates wit"
supply $oltage 1/6. Sometimes it can #e 126 or 186 or somet"ing in #etween. +t will
ne$er gi$e output $oltage #igger t"an t"e supply $oltage i.e. 1/6. +t means t"at t"e input
signal 1/m6 (1/641,,,! or #igger will saturate t"e output. %"is particular amplifier gi$es
t"e output proportional to t"e input (proportionality factor is 1,,,! only for input signals from
t"e inter$al ('1/m6G1/m6!.
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%"is diode limiter is often used as input protection for "ig"'gain amplifiers.
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