EEE – 231

Electronics-I
Lab # 11: Zener Diode as Voltage Regulator (Open-ended)

Name: Muhammad Souban Javaid

Roll No: FA20-BEE-146
Section: 3C
Submitted to: Sir Khurram Ali
Date: 27-12-2021
Equipment and Materials:
 One 1N4733A 5.1V Zener Diode
 One 1k resistor
 Connecting wires
 Breadboard
 Digital Oscilloscope with Probes.
 Digital Function Generator

In-Lab
 Input Voltage: 20 Vp-p Sinusoidal AC voltage
 Frequency Range: 50Hz to 1kHz

Designed Circuit on Breadboard

 Output Waveforms:

Explanation for behavior of Zener Diode:

In forward bias, the Zener diode functions as a conventional diode; but, due to break down
voltage, it functions as a voltage regulator in reverse bias. As a result, the waveform reveals that
Vmax is around 0.7 Volts in the positive cycle, which is the voltage drop of a silicon diode, but
the response in the negative cycle shows that the Zener diode has regulated the voltage to 5.20
Volts, indicating that it is operating as a voltage regulator.
The second waveform depicts the same process as the first, but with the Zener diode's direction
reversed.
Post-Lab
Design a printed circuit board (PCB) for regulated power supply designed in the lab.
Simulation using Proteus Software:

I built a power supply with a bridge rectifier, a transformer, and a Zener diode as the voltage
regulator to convert 220 volts AC to 12 volts DC.

Critical Analysis / Conclusion: For its accurate and defined reverse breakdown voltage, I
discovered that a Zener diode, rather than a regular diode, can be used to build a basic, low-cost
voltage regulator in this lab. This approach, however, is unsuitable for high-power applications
due to the low power ratings of the Zener diodes.

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