ELECTRONICS LABORATORY

DIODE WAVE SHAPING CIRCUITS

Diode Wave Shaping Circuits

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Introduction:

This activity covers the components, topologies, design constraints and transfer characteristics
of the different diode wave shaping circuits, such as: limiting circuits or clippers in Part 1, level
shifters or clampers in Part 2, and voltage multipliers in Part 3.

Let us use the LTSPICE to run simulations and determine the characteristics of diode wave shaping
circuits. Here is a link about ‘Getting Started with LTSPICE’:
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/getting-started-with-ltspice/all

Part 1: Diode Clipper

1.1 Connect the circuit of Positive Clipper in LTSPICE tool, as shown in Figure 1.1. The student or group
may use another kind of rectifier diode for diode D1; another value of resistance for resistor R1 and
resistor R2; and another dc offset, amplitude, and frequency for sine wave voltage source V1. Take
the photo of your own circuit diagram drawn in LTSPICE tool, and place it in Figure 1.2. (One way to
capture the screen in LTSPICE is: View > Paste Bitmap.)

Fig. 1.1. Positive Clipper Circuit (sample). Fig. 1.2. Connection of Positive Clipper.

1.2 Include a SPICE directive in your schematic diagram. In Figure 1.1, the directive is .tran 1m 30m. This
directive describes the transient simulation with a time step of 1 ms and a time stop of 30 ms. The
resulting waveform in transient simulation is similar with the display of oscilloscope instrument,
wherein the x-axis is also time. In Figure 1.1, the input V1 is a sine-wave voltage source with 0 V dc
level, 5 V amplitude, and 100 Hertz frequency. With a time stop of 30 ms and with 100 Hz sine wave
input (10 ms period), the simulation results displayed 3 cycles as shown in Figure 1.3. For your
simulation, set the transient simulation to display 5 complete cycles. Run your simulation, and show
the waveforms of input voltage V1 and output voltage across R2. Take a photo of your waveforms,
and place it in Figure 1.4.
 ELECTRONICS LABORATORY
DIODE WAVE SHAPING CIRCUITS

Fig. 1.3. Positive Clipper Voltages (sample). Fig. 1.4. Input and Output Voltages of Positive Clipper.

1.3 Write the transfer equation of your positive clipper circuit. Express the output voltage in terms of
the input voltage.

1.4 Describe the operation of diode positive clipper.

1.5 Connect the circuit of Negative Clipper in LTSPICE tool, as shown in Figure 1.5. The student or group
may use another kind of rectifier diode for diode D1; another value of resistance for resistor R1 and
resistor R2; and another dc offset, amplitude, and frequency for sine wave voltage source V1. Take
the photo of your own circuit diagram drawn in LTSPICE tool, and place it in Figure 1.6.

Fig. 1.5. Negative Clipper Circuit (sample). Fig. 1.6. Connection of Negative Clipper.

1.6 The sample waveforms of negative clipper circuit in Figure 1.5 is shown in Figure 1.7. For your
simulation, set the transient simulation to display 5 complete cycles of input voltage V1 and output
voltage across R2. Take a photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 1.8.
 Fig. 1.7. Negative Clipper Voltages (sample). Fig. 1.8. Input and Output Voltages of Negative Clipper.

1.7 Write the transfer equation of your negative clipper circuit. Express the output voltage in terms of
the input voltage.

1.8 Describe the operation of diode negative clipper.

1.9 Connect the circuit of Biased Clipper in LTSPICE tool, as shown in Figure 1.9. The student or group
may use another kind of rectifier diode for diode D1; another value of resistance for resistor R1 and
resistor R2; another dc offset, amplitude, and frequency for sine wave voltage source V1; and
another voltage level for dc voltage source V2. Take the photo of your own circuit diagram drawn in
LTSPICE tool, and place it in Figure 1.10.

Fig. 1.9. Biased Clipper Circuit 1 (sample). Fig. 1.10. Connection of Biased Clipper Circuit 1.

1.10 Set the transient simulation to display 5 complete cycles of input voltage V1 and output voltage
across R2. Take a photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 1.11.
 Fig. 1.11. Input and Output Voltages of Biased Clipper Circuit 1.

1.11 Write the transfer equation of your biased clipper circuit 1. Express the output voltage in terms of
the input voltage.

1.12 Describe the operation of biased clipper circuit 1.

1.13 Connect another circuit of biased clipper, as shown in Figure 1.12. Use the same components
from Figure 1.10. Take the photo of your own circuit diagram, and place it in Figure 1.13.

Fig. 1.12. Biased Clipper Circuit 2 (sample). Fig. 1.13. Connection of Biased Clipper Circuit 2.
 ELECTRONICS LABORATORY
DIODE WAVE SHAPING CIRCUITS

1.14 Set the transient simulation to display 5 complete cycles of input voltage V1 and output voltage
across R2. Take a photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 1.14.

Fig. 1.14. Input and Output Voltages of Biased Clipper 2.

1.15 Write the transfer equation of your biased clipper circuit 2. Express the output voltage in terms of
the input voltage.

1.16 Describe the operation of diode biased clipper 2.

1.17 Connect another circuit of biased clipper, as shown in Figure 1.15. Use the same components
from Figure 1.10 and Figure 1.12. Take the photo of your own circuit diagram, and place it in
Figure 1.16.

Fig. 1.15. Biased Clipper Circuit 3 (sample). Fig. 1.16. Connection of Biased Clipper Circuit 3.
 ELECTRONICS LABORATORY
DIODE WAVE SHAPING CIRCUITS

1.18 Set the transient simulation to display 5 complete cycles of input voltage V1 and output voltage
across R2. Take a photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 1.17.

Fig. 1.17. Input and Output Voltages of Biased Clipper 3.

1.19 Write the transfer equation of your biased clipper circuit 3. Express the output voltage in terms of
the input voltage.

1.20 Describe the operation of diode biased clipper 3.

Part 2: Diode Clamper

2.1 Connect the circuit diagram of Diode Clamper using the LTSPICE tool, as shown in Figure 2.1. The
student or group may use another kind of rectifier diode for diode D1; another value of capacitance
for capacitor C1; another value of resistance for resistor R2; and another dc offset, amplitude, and
frequency for sine wave voltage source V1. Take the photo of your own circuit diagram, and place it
in Figure 2.2. (One way to capture the screen in LTSPICE is: View > Paste Bitmap.)

Fig. 2.1. Diode Clamper Circuit (sample). Fig. 2.2. Connection of Diode Clamper Circuit.

2.2 The sample waveforms of clamper circuit in Figure 2.1 is presented in Figure 2.3. The waveforms of
input voltage V1, V(in); output voltage across resistor R2, V(out); and voltage across capacitor C1,
V(in)-V(out) are exhibited in Figure 2.3. For your simulation, set the transient simulation to also
display 5 complete cycles of input voltage V1, output voltage across R2, and voltage across capacitor
C2. Take a photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 2.4.

Fig. 2.3. Waveforms of Diode Clamper Circuit (sample).

 Fig. 2.4. Waveforms of Diode Clamper Circuit.

2.3 From the waveforms of your diode clamper circuit in Figure 2.4, answer the following: What is the
peak-to-peak voltage of the input voltage V1? What is the peak-to-peak voltage of the output
voltage across R2? What is the peak voltage of voltage across capacitor C1? What is the dc level of
the input voltage V1? What is the dc level of the output voltage across R2?

Vin(pk-pk) =
Vout(pk-pk)= _
VC1(pk) =_
Vin(dc) =_
Vout(dc) =

2.4 Briefly discuss the operation of a diode clamper circuit.

2.5 To understand the design constraint involving the diode clamper circuit, let us change the value of
your capacitance C1 to vary the time constant of your clamper circuit in Figure 22. Run again
transient simulations with different time constants. Take a photo of the waveforms of input voltage
V1, output voltage across R2, and voltage across capacitor C1, and place them in Table 2.1. (See
Table 2.2 for an example on how to fill up Table 2.1, using Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.3.)

Table 2.1. Clamper Circuit with Different Time Constants (clamper)

 Frequency of Input Voltage V1, fin
Period of Input Voltage V1, Tin

Condition C1 R2 clamper Photo of Voltage Waveforms of Clamper Circuit

clamper
= 0.01Tin

clamper
= 0.1Tin

clamper = Tin

clamper
= 10Tin

clamper
= 100Tin

2.6 Based on the results in Table 2.1, discuss the effect of time constant of clamper circuit to the voltage
across capacitor C1 and to the output voltage across R2.
2.7 Based on the results in Table 2.1, what time constant of clamper circuit provides the best output
voltage? Briefly discuss your answer.

Table 2.2. Example - Clamper Circuit with Different Time Constants (clamper).
Frequency of Input Voltage V1, fin 100 Hz
Period of Input Voltage V1, Tin 1/100Hz = 10 ms

Condition C1 R2 clamper Photo of Voltage Waveforms of Clamper Circuit

clamper
10 µF 1 kΩ 10 ms
= Tin
Part 3: Voltage Multiplier

3.1 Connect in LTSPICE the circuit diagram of Diode Voltage Doubler in Figure 3.1. The student or group
may use another kind of rectifier diode for diodes D1 and D2; another value of capacitance for
capacitors C1 and C2; and another dc offset, amplitude, and frequency for ac sine-wave voltage
source V1. Notice that net names (in, a, out) are attached to the wires. These net names becomes
convenient when adding traces of voltage waveforms. For example, if we want to plot the voltage
across capacitor C1, we can add the trace for the expression V(in)-V(a). Now, take the photo of your
own circuit diagram drawn, and place it in Figure 3.2.

Fig. 3.1. Voltage Doubler (sample).

Fig. 3.2. Connection of Voltage Doubler.

3.2 Set the transient simulation to display 10 complete cycles of input voltage V1. Run your simulation,
and show the waveforms of input voltage V1, voltage across the capacitor C1, and output voltage
across C2. Figure 3.3 shows the example of simulation waveforms for the voltage doubler circuit in
Figure 3.1. Now, take a photo of your own waveforms, and place it in Figure 3.4.

Fig. 3.3. Waveforms of Voltage Doubler (sample).

 Fig. 3.4. Waveforms of Voltages in Voltage Doubler.

3.3 From the simulation results in Figure 3.4, measure the peak voltage of input voltage V1 and output
voltage across capacitor C1.

Vin(pk) = . Vout(pk) = .

Briefly explain the discrepancy between the input voltage and output voltage.

3.4 Briefly explain the operation of Diode Voltage Doubler.

3.5 Connect in LTSPICE the circuit diagram of Diode Voltage Tripler in Figure 3.5. The student or group
may use another kind of rectifier diode for diodes D1, D2 and D3; another value of capacitance for
capacitors C1, C2 and C3; and another dc offset, amplitude, and frequency for ac sine-wave voltage
source V1. Attach net names to wires, such as in, a, b, and c. These net names are helpful when
adding traces of voltage waveforms. Now, take the photo of your own circuit diagram drawn, and
place it in Figure 3.6.

Fig. 3.5. Voltage Tripler (sample).

Fig. 3.6. Connection of Voltage Tripler.

3.6 Set the transient simulation to display 20 complete cycles of input voltage V1. Run your simulation,
and show the waveforms of: input voltage V1, voltage across the capacitor C1, voltage across
capacitor C2, voltage across capacitor C3, and output voltage across node in and node c. Take a
photo of your waveforms, and place it in Figure 3.7.

Fig. 3.7. Waveforms of Voltages in Voltage Tripler Circuit.

3.7 Based on the simulation results in Figure 3.7, determine the peak voltages of input voltage V1 and of
output voltage across node in and node c.

Vin(pk) = . Vout(pk) = .

Briefly explain the discrepancy between the input voltage and output voltage.

3.8 Briefly explain the operation of Diode Voltage Tripler.

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