Clamper

• Adds dc level to the input waveform

• Two types
• The electronic circuit which adds positive dc
voltage to input voltage positive clamper
and which adds –ve dc voltage to the input
voltage is negative clamper
Positive
Input
Clamper circuit

Negative
 Points to ponder in clampers
• If diode face is towards up, its positive clamper
• If diode face is towards down, its negative clamper
• Always start your analysis when diode is forward biased and forward
biased diode charges the capacitor upto peak input voltage less the diode
drop.
• In positive clamper, the –ve peak ll be at –0.7 volts below zero volts as
seen in previous slide.
• In –ve clamper, the positive ll be at at 0.7 above zero volts as seen in
pervious slid.
• Capacitor once charged up to the peak input voltage less the diode drop
retains the charge during reverse biased .
• In clamper once the capacitor charged ,its never forward biased again.
• The charged capacitor acts as battery and adds up its charged voltage to
the input during reverse biased phase of diode.
• The time constant RC of the clamping circuit is kept 100 times of the time
period of input voltage for excellent clamping action i.e if RC=100 s ,T=1 s
Positive
Multisim Circuit
output
Negative Clamper
Multisim Circuit
 Circuit output wave form or
visual display on oscilloscope
 Question
• What is output voltage across the load
resistance in the following clamping circuit
 Solution
• Capacitor ll be charged upto input peak less
the diode. since –ve clamper so
• -(V(in) -0.7)=-(24-0.7)=-23.3 volts
• -23.3 is new dc level for the ouput now
• So the output voltage of clamper is shift
downward at -23.3 i.e dc level of -23.3 is
added in the input by clamping circuit.
Multisim square wave clamper cct
Channel 2 1/p
Channel 1 o/p