Learning Unit:: Escuela Superior de Computación

Electrónica Analógica Practica 1
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL

Escuela Superior de Computación
Learning unit:
Diode´s characteristics
Teacher: M. in C. Cervantes de Anda Ismael
Team members:
 Aguilar Martinez Oswaldo _______________ (2013050634)
 Hidalgo Badillo Antonio Daniel _______________ (2017630811)
 Hernández Salinas Diego Alberto _______________ (2013020707)
Practice development: Thursday, August 14, 2019

Date of delivery: Thursday, August 21, 2019
1
Subject-matter
Practice´s objective ......................................................................................................................3
Theorical introduction....................................................................................................................4
What is a diode? ........................................................................................................................4
Practical Development ...................................................................................................................6
Table ........................................................................................................................................8
Questions ................................................................................................................................ 31
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 32
2
Practice´s objective
Analyse the junction voltage of some diodes

Analyse the characteristic curve of several diodes.
3
Theorical introduction
While the Resistors, Capacitors and Inductors form the basic elements of a circuit, it is the semi-
conductor device that actually holds the magic within. Every electronic circuit has dozens of semi-
conductor device like Diodes, Transistors, Regulators, Op-Amps, Power switches etc. inside them.
What is a diode?
A Diode, as I told earlier is a semi-conductor cylindrical component with two terminals. There are
many types of diodes but the most commonly used one is shown below.
Figure 1: parts of diode
The two terminals are named as Anode and Cathode, we will get into the symbol and how to identify
the terminals later, but for now just remember that any diode will have only two terminals (at least
most of them) and they are Anode and Cathode. Another golden rule with diodes is that they allow
current to pass through them in only one direction that is from Anode to Cathode. This property of
diode is what makes it useful in many applications.
Figure 2: P-type and N-type material with

depletion region inside diode
4
A Diode is made by joining two equally doped P-type semi-conductor and N-type semi-conductor
material. When these two materials are joined together something interesting happens, they form
another small layer in-between them called the depletion layer. This is because the P-type layer has
excess hole and the N-type layer has excess electrons and they both try to diffuse into each other
forming a high resistance blockage between both the materials like in the image shown below. This
blockage layer is called as depletion layer.
This depletion layer (Blockage) has to be broken if the current has to flow through a diode. When a
positive voltage is applied to the Anode and a Negative voltage is applied to the Cathode the diode is
said to be in forward biased condition. During this state the positive voltage will pump more holes
into the P-type region and the negative voltage will pump more electrons into the N-type region
which causes the depletion layer to breakdown casing the current to flow from Anode to Cathode.
This minimum voltage required to make the diode conduct in forward direction is called the forward
breakdown voltage.
Figure 3: different movement about current in

diode
Alternatively, if a negative voltage is applied to Anode and positive voltage is applied to Cathode the
diode is said to be in reverse biased condition. During this state the negative voltage will pump in
more electrons to P-type and N-type material will get more holes from positive voltage which makes
the depletion layer even stronger and thus allowing no current to flow through it. Keep in mind that
these characteristics are applicable only to an ideal diode (theoretical) practically there will be a little
bit of current flowing even in reverse biased mode.
5
Practical Development
The first step was take voltage measurements of all material, diode and led, that activity using a
multimeter. Direct polarization was needed in this case to connect every stuff. The next table shown
umbral voltage from everyone;
Diode type Diode voltage
1N4003 0.5305 V
1N4148 0.5522 V
RED LED 1.7693 V
GREEN LED 1.8454 V
WHITE LED OL
INFRARED LED 1.0175 V
After this, the next step was done exactly the same work, but polarization changes and was the
opposite. In this part cathode and anode were used by contrary way, connecting positive way of
multimeter to negative way of every led and this action with positive way of led and negative way of
multimeter.
The result of this last activity has showed in the follow box;
Diode type Diode voltage
1N4003 OL
1N4148 OL
RED LED OL
GREEN LED OL
WHITE LED OL
INFRARED LED OL
The difference between first table that shown voltage with direct polarization and the last that shown
voltage with opposite polarization was a “OL” result in last one.
Meaning of OL in this case is a measurement so high or so low and multimeter is not be able to read
on its parameters.
6
After all of that, the next step was made an electrical circuit with each diode. The circuit was the
same for every case (diode), that one has composed of a voltmeter and an ammeter.
Actually, ammeter was only instrument that the team used because voltage value was indicated on
the table.
Every element (diodes and led) has a threshold voltage, and this one was discovered by team in the
first part of the practice, that part helps us to know what was the limit for every diode and prevent
an accident. For that reason, not every diode was proving with highest voltage.
Only white led was able to reach 3V. Every led turn on with different colours, that means their
threshold voltage was reached and every time the light was more luminous because it was under
high voltage.
When in every diode was reached threshold voltage the current was multiplied, sometimes up to five
times turned.
Figure 4: electrical circuit to do measurement in

every diode.
7
Table
DIODE 1N4003
VOLTAGE Measured Current Simulated Current SIMULATION
0V 0 mA 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.4 V 0.02 mA 0 mA
8
0.6 V 0.67 mA 0 mA
0.8 V 14.83 mA 14.7 mA
1V 32.47 mA 17.96 mA
9
1.2 V 59.2 mA 51.84 mA
1.4 V 87.7 mA 91.63 mA
1.6 V 106.1 mA 133.74 mA
10
1.8 V 138.6 mA 177.02 mA
2V 159.9 mA 221.01 mA
11
DIODE 1N4148
VOLTAGE MEASURED CURRENT SIMULATED CURRENT SIMULATION
0V 0 mA 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.4 V 0.02 mA 0 mA
12
0.6 V 0.87 mA 1.11 mA
0.8 V 8.27 mA 6.1 mA
1V 31.20 mA 17 mA
13
1.2V 53.5 mA 28.6 mA
1.4 V 74.6 mA 40.6 mA
1.6 V 93.3 mA 52.6 mA
14
1.8 V 120.9 mA 64.8 mA
2V 141.2 mA 77 mA
15
LED RED
0V 0 mA 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.4 V 0 mA 0 mA
16
0.6 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.8 V 0 mA 0 mA
1V 0 mA 0 mA
17
1.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
1.4 V 0 mA 0 mA
1.6 V 0 mA 0.44 mA
18
1.8 V 0.97 mA 1.2 mA
2V 5.59 mA 5.6 mA
2.2 V 18.16 mA 14.278 mA
19
2.4 V 34.96 mA 65.83 mA
20
LED GREEN
0V 0 mA 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.4 V 0 mA 0 mA
21
0.6 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.8 V 0 mA 0 mA
1V 0 mA 0 mA
22
1.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
1.4 V 0 mA 0 mA
1.6 V 0.01 mA 0.2 mA
23
1.8 V 0.17 mA 0.66 mA
2V 7.10 mA 3.77 mA
2.2 V 23.70 mA 49 mA
24
2.4 V 49.2 mA 60.4 mA
25
INFRARED LED
VOLTAGE MEASURED SIMULATED SIMULATION
CURRENT CURRENT
0V 0 mA 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.4 V 0 mA 0 mA
26
0.6 V 0 mA 0 mA
0.8 V 0 mA 0 mA
1V 0.11 mA 17.96 mA
27
1.2 V 6.65 mA 0 mA
1.4 V 16.50 mA 0 mA
1.6 V 23.62 mA 0.44 mA
28
1.8 V 36.3 mA 12 mA
2V 50.5 mA 56 mA
2.2 V 60.3 mA 142.78 mA
29
LED WHITE
VOLTAGE MEASURED
CURRENT
0V 0 mA
0.2 V 0 mA
0.4 V 0 mA
0.6 V 0 mA BECAUSE THE SIMULATION SOFTWARES
0.8 V 0 mA USED DO NOT FIND AN LED WITH SIMILAR
1V 0 mA CHARACTERISTICS TO THOSE PRESENTED
1.2 V 0 mA BY THE WHITE LED THE SIMULATION OF
1.4 V 0 mA THIS IS OMITTED.
1.6 V 0 mA
1.8 V 0 mA
2V 0 mA
2.2 V 0 mA
2.4 V 0 mA
2.6 V 0.38 mA
2.8 V 1.74 mA
3V 4.84 mA
30
Questions
1. What is the principle of operation of the diode?

A specific arrangement of diodes can convert AC to pulsating DC, hence it is sometimes also called as
a rectifier. It is derived from "di-ode " which means a device having two electrodes. The symbol of a
p-n junction diode is shown below, the arrowhead points in the direction of conventional electric current
flow.
2. What does the diode voltage represent?
The typical voltage required to turn the diode on is called the forward voltage (VF). It might also be
called either the cut-in voltage or on-voltage. As we know from the i-v curve, the current through
and voltage across a diode are interdependent. More current means more voltage, less voltage
means less current.
3. Mention the most important diode applications
- Rectifying a voltage, such as turning AC into DC voltages.
- Isolating signals from a supply.
- Controlling the size of a signal.
- Mixing signals.
4. Mention why the voltage variation in the diode is due

When voltage is applied across a diode in such a way that the diode allows current, the diode is said
to be forward-biased. When voltage is applied across a diode in such a way that the diode prohibits
current, the diode is said to be reverse-biased.
5. Mention why when the diode voltage is measured in direct polarization the diode turns on, however,
the multimeter does not show any reading.
The forward-biased resistance of a good diode should range from 1000 Ω to 10 MΩ. The
resistance measurement is high when the diode is forward-biased because current from
the multimeter flows through the diode, causing the high-resistancemeasurement required for testing.
31
Conclusion
In this practice the comparison of different types of diodes (Germanium, LEDs and Silicon) was made
in which it was possible to distinguish that each one has a different threshold voltage, due to the
material of which it is made (this when the polarization of the diode is direct). Also when performing
the experiment of heating the diode with a lighter it was noted that the voltage of the diode decreased
because at different temperatures the diode allows more current to pass through.
When we measured the voltage of the diode in reverse polarization with the multimeter, we noticed
that it showed OL on the display because the voltage is very large.
In the final part a circuit was assembled in which it was tested how the current behaved when the
voltage in the diode was varied. It was observed that the current increased in all cases and that the
LEDs in some applied voltages approached 0 current.
32

Learning Unit:: Escuela Superior de Computación

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Learning Unit:: Escuela Superior de Computación

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electrónica Analógica Practica 1

INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL

Practice development: Thursday, August 14, 2019

Analyse the junction voltage of some diodes

Figure 1: parts of diode

Figure 2: P-type and N-type material with

Figure 3: different movement about current in

Diode type Diode voltage

RED LED 1.7693 V

GREEN LED 1.8454 V

INFRARED LED 1.0175 V

Diode type Diode voltage

Figure 4: electrical circuit to do measurement in

0.8 V 14.83 mA 14.7 mA

1.4 V 87.7 mA 91.63 mA

1.6 V 106.1 mA 133.74 mA

0.8 V 8.27 mA 6.1 mA

1.4 V 74.6 mA 40.6 mA

1.6 V 93.3 mA 52.6 mA

2.2 V 18.16 mA 14.278 mA

1.6 V 0.01 mA 0.2 mA

1.6 V 23.62 mA 0.44 mA

2.2 V 60.3 mA 142.78 mA

1. What is the principle of operation of the diode?

4. Mention why the voltage variation in the diode is due

You might also like