Experiment # 07

Objective
To study the diode Clipping.
Apparatus
• Diode.
• Resistance.
• DMM
• Voltage Supply.
• CRO
Theory
CLIPPER:
In electronics, a clipper is a device designed to prevent the output of a circuit from
exceeding a predetermined voltage level without distorting the remaining part of
the applied waveform. A clipper is used to clip the voltage at a specific voltage. A
clipper is also used to limit the voltage and also it is used to change the shape of
the waveform from the alternating to direct current.
Positive Clipper and Negative Clipper
Positive Diode Clipper:
In a positive clipper, the positive half cycles of the input voltage will
be removed. The circuit arrangements for a positive clipper are illustrated in the
figure given below.

As shown in the figure, the diode is kept in series with the load. During the
positive half cycle of the input waveform, the diode ‘D’ is reverse biased, which
maintains the output voltage at 0 Volts. Thus causes the positive half cycle  to be
clipped off. During the negative half cycle of the input, the diode is forward biased
and so the negative half cycle appears across the output. n Figure (b), the diode is
kept in parallel with the load. This is the diagram of a positive shunt clipper circuit.
During the positive half cycle, the diode ‘D’ is forward biased and the diode acts as
a closed switch. This causes the diode to conduct heavily. This causes the voltage
drop across the diode or across the load resistance RL to be zero. Thus output
voltage during the positive half cycles is zero, as shown in the output waveform
Negative Diode Clipper:
The negative clipping circuit is almost same as the positive clipping circuit, with
only one difference. If the diode in figures (a) and (b) is reconnected with reversed
polarity, the circuits will become for a negative series clipper and negative shunt
clipper respectively. The negative series and negative shunt clippers are shown in
figures (a) and (b) as given below

In all the above discussions, the diode is considered to be ideal one. In a practical
diode, the breakdown voltage will exist (0.7 V for silicon and 0.3 V for
Germanium). When this is taken into account, the output waveforms for positive
and negative clippers will be of the shape .
Classification:
Clippers may be classified into two types based on the positioning of the diode. 
Series Clippers: Where the diode is in series with the load resistance.
Shunt Clippers: Where the diode in shunted across the load resistance.
The diode capacitance affects the operation of the clipper at high frequency and
influences the choice between the above two types. High frequency signals are
attenuated in the shunt clipper as the diode capacitance provides an alternative path
to output current. In the series clipper, clipping effectiveness is reduced for the
same reason as the high frequency current passes through without being
sufficiently blocked.
Clippers may be classified based on the orientation(s) of the diode. The orientation
decides which half cycle is affected by the clipping action.
The clipping action can be made to happen at an arbitrary level by using a biasing
elements (potential sources) in series with the diode.
The signal can be clipped to between two levels by using both types of diode
clippers in combination. This clipper is referred to as
Combinational Diode Clipper or Two-Level Clippers
The clamping network is the one that will "clamp" a signal to a different dc level.
The network must have capacitor, a diode, and a resistive element, but it also
employs an independent dc supply to introduce an additional shift.
Procedure
1-I collect all equipments to perform the experiment of diode clipping.
2- Then I made a circuit on bread board carefully and complete the connections.
3-Then I power on the main supply and start noticing wave on CRO and note the
readings carefully with the help of CRO and digital multi meter.
4- I note down the readings of biased and unbiased diode clipper and observe the
wave on CRO.
Circuit Diagrams

Procedure:
1-I collect all equipments to perform the experiment of diode clipping.
2- Then I made a circuit on bread board carefully and complete the connections.
3-Then I power on the main supply and start noticing wave on CRO and note the
readings carefully with the help of CRO and digital multi meter.
4- I note down the readings of biased and unbiased diode clipper and observe the
wave on CRO.
OBSERVATION TABLE:
SERIAL Vi (p-p) (V) Vo (p-p) (V)
NUMBER

1 10 5.2
2 12 6.4
3 20 10.4
Conclusions
1. A clipper is a device designed to prevent the output of a circuit from
exceeding a predetermined voltage level without distorting the remaining
part of the applied waveform. . It uses diodes whose direction causes the
negative or positive peaks to be removed.
2. The two basic components which are used to make a clipping circuit are the
diodes and the load resistor. Moreover in biased clipper the voltage source is
also used to make the waveform clipped.
3. There are two types of clippers:
a. Series Clippers, where the diode is in series with the load resistance,
and
b. Shunt Clippers, where the diode in shunted across the load resistance.
c. In shunt clipper the biased clipper is also used to make the waveform
clipped at the voltage other than 0 volts. Moreover there are many
applications of the clippers. The clipper has much application. It is
used to change the shape of coming waveform. It changes the
alternating waveform into direct waveform. It is also used to remove
the transient in digital circuits where the logic gates are used. It is also
used in AM detectors. Used in speech processing for communications
(radio) applications. The process of clipping raises the overall average
speech power level. It's a crude form of audio compression.
4. In case of unbiased clipper for ideal diode, the waveform is clipped at the
voltage of 0V for shunt circuit. And for practical diode the waveform is
clipped at 0.7 V. in case of series circuit with ideal diode the waveform is
clipped at the voltage equal to the voltage of applied voltage for both ideal
and practical diode.
5. If the voltage is greater than the waveform part will not be clipped because
in this way the phase voltage becomes greater than the supply voltage so the
basing voltage should be less than the input voltage, otherwise the waveform
with voltage greater than the applied voltage will be obtained and in this
way the clipping process is not obtained.
6. The clipper is used to clip the waveform at the certain voltage. It actually
remove that phase and hence act as half wave rectifier. It changes the shape
from the full to half wave by clipping. So it is called as wave shaping circuit.