BAKI ALİ NEFT MƏKTƏBİ

Electrical materials and devices

Laboratory work
The Diode Characteristic Curve
Key objective

Measure the forward and reverse characteristic of a signal diode and observe the
relationship between current and voltage on a semilog plot.

Components needed

• Resistors: one 330 Ohm, one 1.0 MOhm

• One signal diode
Diode Test with a Meter

1. A quick diode test is useful if you are not sure if a diode is good. Digital meters
usually have a diode test position, which allows the meter to provide bias voltage for
the diode. In this configuration, a diode is placed between the leads. It will be forward-
biased in one direction and reverse-biased in the other. Generally, you should read a
small voltage in one direction (silicon diodes will read about 0.6 V) and an overload
(OL) or an open ending reading in the other. Check the meter you are using and test a
diode using this method or one described by the manufacture of your meter. If you do
not have a diode test position on your meter, you can use an ohmmeter to test the
forward and reverse resistance; however, this method is not as reliable as the first test
as not all meters will read the same.

Describe the meter test you performed:

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2. Measure and record the values of the resistor listed in the Table 1. It is a good idea
to always measure resistors in experiments to help in understanding results later and to
ensure that the resistors are the correct values.

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Table 1

Component Listed value Measured value

𝑹𝟏 330 Ohm
𝑹𝟐 1.0 MOhm

3. Construct the forward-biased circuit shown in Figure 1. The line on the diode
indicates the cathode side of the diode (with forward bias, this is negative side). The
power supply represents the source voltage (𝑉𝑆 ). Set it for zero volts (or the lowest
voltage you can obtain).

Figure 1: Forward biased circuit

4. Monitor the forward voltage drop, 𝑉𝐹 , across the diode. Slowly increase 𝑉𝑆 to
establish 0.45 V across the diode. With this voltage across the diode, measure the
voltage across the resistor, 𝑉𝑅1 , and record it in Table 2.
Table 2

𝑽𝑭 𝑽𝑹𝟏 𝑰𝑭
(measured) (computed)
0.45 V
0.50 V
0.55 V
0.60 V
0.65 V
0.70 V
0.75 V

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5. The diode forward current, 𝐼𝐹 , can be found by applying Ohm’s law to 𝑅1 . Compute
𝐼𝐹 and enter the computed current in Table 2.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each voltage listed in Table 2.

7. The data in this step will be accurate only if your voltmeter has a high input
impedance. You can test the impedance of your meter by measuring the power supply
voltage through a series 1.0 MOhm resistor. If the meter reads the supply voltage
accurately, it has high input impedance. Connect the reverse-biased circuit show in
Figure 2. Set the power supply to each voltage listed in Table 3. Measure and record
the voltage across 𝑅2 for each voltage. Apply Ohm’s law to compute the reverse current
in each case. Enter the computed current in Table 3.

Figure 2: Reverse-biased circuit

Table 3

𝑽𝒔 𝑽𝑹𝟐 𝑰𝑹
measured measured computed
5.0 V
10.0 V
15.0 V

8. Graph the forward- and reverse-biased diode on Plot 1, a linear plot. The different
voltage factors for the forward and reverse curves are chosen to allow the data to cover
more of the graph. You need to choose an appropriate current scale factor which will
put the largest current recorded near the top of the graph. You should also add a title to
your graph.

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9. Plot the same forward-biased data from Table 2 in a semilog plot given as Plot 2.
Set up scales and add a title to the plot. A semilog plot has a logarithmic scale on one
axis, and linear scale on the other axis. What conclusion can you make from this plot?

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10. Why is a large resistor used in series with reverse-biased diode in step 7?

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