Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
>
Diode Characteristics
OBJECTIVES
After completing this exercise, you should be able to:
Measure the forward voltage drop across a diode and determine if the
component is faulty.
Demonstrate the forward current and voltage characteristics of pn
junction diodes.
Demonstrate the reverse current and voltage characteristics of pn
junction diodes.
> DISCUSSION
I p. This is because the forward resistance of a diode decreases as IF
increases. Therefore, VF increases at a very low rate when a diode is
operated above its knee voltage (VK). This is true of pnjunction diodes,
zener diodes, and even LEDs.
A diode is reverse biased when the cathode is more positive than the
anode. When a />«j unction diode is reverse biased, the reverse current
(IR) through the device is extremely low, even with a significant reverse
voltage applied. This is not necessarily the case with a zener diode, as
will be demonstrated in Exercise 2. The forward and reverse
characteristics of pnjunction diodes are the focus of the second part of
this exercise.
1
LAB PREPARATION
Review Sections 2.1 through 2.6 and 2.10 of Introductory Electronic
Devices and Circuits.
Review Appendix A on testing diodes with a multimeter.
Download Multisim® file ExO 1.1 from the companion web site or
the textbook disk.
MATERIALS
1 Variable DC power supply
2 DMMs (one with diodecheck function) or 1 DMM and
1 milliammeter
1 Protoboard
2 Resistors: 100 Q and 1 kQ
1 1kQ potentiometer
1 1N4148 small signal diode
1 1N4001 generalpurpose rectifier diode
PROCEDURE
Part 1: Diode Testing
The schematic and component symbols for pnjunction diodes
are shown in Figure 1. lb. Note that the indicator band on the
component is always closest to the cathode terminal.
1. Set your DMM to the diode test position.
2. Connect the DMM to the 1N4148 diode as shown (on the left) in Figure
1.1a. Measure the forward voltage (VF) across the diode. Record the
reading in Table 1.1.
3. Reverse the diode as shown (on the right) in Figure 1.1a. Measure the
reverse voltage (VR) across the diode. Record the reading in Table 1.1.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the 1N4001 rectifier diode.
Table 1.1 Diode Test Measurements
Diode VF VR
1N4148
1N4001
2
1 )
DMM DMM
J_ — J_ —
o o
LJ
mmm*
Forward voltage (VF) Reverse voltage (VR)
(a) Diode testing
—H
Cathode Anode
(b) /Wjunction diode symbols
Figure 1.1 Diode testing.
Part 2: Diode Voltage and Current Characteristics
R2
1 kQ
Vs R,
VW
10 V (1 kQ>
+
1N4148 V
Figure 1.2 Diode test circuit.
3
7. Adjust Ri for each of the remaining values in Table 1.2 and record the
corresponding value of VF for each.
Table 1.2 Diode Forward Currents and Voltages
IF (mA) F>(1N4148) FF(1N4001)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for the 1N4001 rectifier diode.
I f ( mA)
it
5
4 ~
3 ~
2 ~
1 ~
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 vF (mV)
200 400 600 800
Figure 1.3 A graph of IF versus VF.
10. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 1.4. Note that the 1N4148 diode is
now reverse biased. Adjust R\ until the voltage across DX measures 12 V.
v
Vs RI
15V (1 kny R 2
1 kQ
1N4148
Figure 1.4 Diode reverse current test circuit.
VR2 =
IFQ =
RD (reverse biased 1N4148)
13. Repeat Steps 10 through 12 for the 1N4001 diode.
VIA = IRI ~
RD = (reverse biased 1N4001)
QUESTIONS & PROBLEMS
1. Based on your knowledge of^junctions, what do you think would
happen to the measurements you made in Steps 2 and 3 if the diodes
were heated to 50°C? Explain your reasoning.
2. Refer to your graphs in Figure 1.3. How did the forward characteristics
of the two diodes compare? Explain why they are similar (or dissimilar).
3. Refer to your results in Steps 11 through 13. Was the reverse current in
the range that you expected? Was the diode reverse resistance in the
range that you expected? What would happen to the diode reverse
current and resistance if the component was heated to 50°C? Explain
your reasoning.
SIMULA TION EXER CISE
Discussion
Procedure
1. Open file ExOl. 1. In this simulation, you will be using the Agilent
multimeter with diode check function. Double click on the meter to open it.
Turn the meter on by clicking on the power button on the left of the meter.
2. Run the simulation and measure the value of VF for the 1N4001 using both
the diode check function and the dc voltmeter. Record these values in Table
1.3.
3. Double click on the diodes in both circuits and choose "Replace". Choose the
1N4148 from the list and repeat Step 2.
4. Replace the diodes in both circuits, first with a 1N4944, and then with a
1N5395. Measure the value of VF for each diode and record these
measurements in Table 1.3.
TABLE 1.3 Vf Measurements
VF (mV) VF (mV)
Diode
Diode Checker Voltmeter
1N4001
1N4148
1N4944
1N5395
5. Double click on the diode in each circuit and fault the diode open. Measure
the value of VF and record this below.
F^open)= (Diode checker)
yF(0pen) = (Voltmeter)
7
6. Fault the diode as a short and repeat Step 5.
Ff( short)= (Diode checker)
^short) = (Voltmeter)
Questions
1. In each line of Table 1.3, the VF reading provided by the diode checker
should be well below the reading provided by the voltmeter. Given that the
diode checker has a rated current of 1 mA, explain the discrepancies between
the Vy readings.
2. Compare the opendiode and shorteddiode readings in Steps 5 and 6. Why
do the meters provide very different results for the open diode, but the same
results for the shorted diode?
8