Chapter 2

Diode Circuits
2.1 Rectifier Circuits

AC-DC Converter

Rectification is the process of converting an alternating (ac)

voltage into one that is limited to one polarity.

Rectification 1. Half-wave (Simple but not efficient)

2. Full-wave (Complex, but efficient)
2.1.1 Half wave Rectifier

Use of the piecewise linear model ( v1 is 120V, 60Hz ac signal)

v I N1
 Ideal transformer relation
vS N 2
N2 N1
vS  v I Transformer turns ratio
N1 N2

vS  V The diode becomes forward biased

and a current is induced in the circuit
vS  V
iD  v0  iD R  vS  V
R
Voltage transfer characteristics

Sinusoidal input voltage Rectified output voltage

2.1.1 Half wave Rectifier

Load line concept

This concept can help in visualizing the operation
of the half-wave rectifier
Plot of the diode piecewise linear
iD characteristics
vD

v0  vs  vD
v D vs
R  iD  vs  vD → iD   
R R
When input signal is
2.1.1 Half wave Rectifier

Applications – Battery charger

vD  vs  vB  0.7V  v
vs  vB  v

Disadvantage: Waste of energy

Input voltage and diode

current waveform
2.1.2 Full-Wave Rectifier

The Full-Wave Rectifier inverts the negative portions of the sine wave
so that a unipolar output signal is generated during both halves of the
input sinusoid.

Circuit with center-tapped

transformer

Input and output waveforms

The turns ratio of the transformer can be designed to “step down” the
input line voltage to a value that will produce a particular dc output
voltage from the rectifier.
2.1.2 Full-Wave Rectifier

bridge rectifier: -More commonly used

- Does not require a center-tapped secondary winding.

Current direction for positive input cycle

(D1 and D2 are on)

Current direction for negative input cycle

(D3 and D4 are on)

Input and output voltage waveforms

2.1.2 Full-Wave Rectifier

Advantages of the bridge rectifier

First, only half as many turns are required for the secondary winding

Second, for the bridge circuit, the peak inverse voltage that any
diode must sustain with-out breakdown is only half that of center-
tapped transformer circuit.

Another application: We can produce negative rectification by

reversing the direction of the diode.
2.1.3 Filters, Ripple Voltage, and Diode Current

Filters

Recall from step response the following

rf then
0 RC=0

Filter capacitor

Output voltage resulting from

capacitor discharge

Output voltage of a full-wave rectifier

with an RC filter showing ripple voltage
2.1.3 Filters, Ripple Voltage, and Diode Current

The ripple voltage is defined as the difference VM and VL .

T'

Vripple  VM  VL Vripple  VM  VM e RC

 T' 
Vripple  VM  VM 1  
 RC 
T'
Vripple  VM 
RC

T’ is hard to find, so when ripples are small, then Tp  T '

1
Tp f  Signal frequency of full wave
Vripple  VM  2Tp
RC VM
Vripple  Ripple voltage of full wave
2 fRC
2.1.3 Filters, Ripple Voltage, and Diode Current

Ex)
Determine the capacitance required to yield a particular ripple
voltage. Consider a full-wave rectifier circuit with a 60Hz input
signal and a peak output voltage of Vm = 10V. Assume the
output load resistance is R = 10K and the ripple voltage it to be
limited to 0.2 V.

T' 10
C  VM    41.7 F
RVripple 2  60 10 K  0.2
2.1.4 Detectors

First application of semiconductor diode was as a detector for amplitude-

modulated(AM) radio signals.

The detector circuit

Amplitude-modulated input signal

vin  s(t )  sin(t )

Demodulated output signal

LPF(low-pass filter)
 2.2 Zener Diode circuits

The Zener diode is useful in a voltage regulator because the

breakdown voltage is nearly constant over a wide range of reverse-
bias currents.

2.2.1 Ideal Voltage Reference Circuit

The resistance Ri limits the current

through the Zener diode and drops
the “excess” voltage between Vps
and Vz.

Proper operations of this circuit, diode must remain in the breakdown region
and the power dissipation in the diode must not exceed its rated value
2.2.1 Ideal Voltage Reference Circuit

V ps  Vz
II 
Ri

V ps  Vz
IZ   IL
Ri
V ps  Vz V ps  Vz
 Ri  
II Iz  IL

Due to Vps values 1. Iz is min. when IL is max , and Vps is min.

and RL values, 2. Iz is max when IL is min, and Vps is max.

V ps (max)  Vz V ps (min)  Vz
Ri  
I z (max)  I L (min) I z (min)  I L (max)
2.2.1 Ideal Voltage Reference Circuit

V ps (max)  Vz V ps (min)  Vz
Ri  
I z (max)  I L (min) I z (min)  I L (max)

Design criteria → I z (min)  0.1  I z (max)

I Z (max) 
  
I L (max)  V ps (max)  V z  I L (min)  V ps (min)  V z 
V ps (min)  0.9V z  0 .1V ps (max)
Then, PD (rating)  I z (max) Vz
 2.2.1 Ideal Voltage Reference Circuit

Ex) The voltage regulator is to power a car radio at VL=9V from an

automobile battery whose voltage may vary between 11 and 13.6V. The
current in the radio will vary between 0(off) to 100mA(full volume).

I Z (max) 
  
I L (max)  V ps (max)  V z  I L (min)  V ps (min)  V z 
V ps (min)  0 .9V z  0.1V ps (max)

PZ  9V  0.3  2.7W
0.1  13.6  9   0  11  9
I Z (max)   0 .3 A 11  9
11  0.9  9  0.1 13.6 Ri   15.3
0.3  0.1
2.2.2 Zener Resistance and Percent Regulator

Ideal Zener diode has a resistance r=0

Actual Zener diode has internal resistance

, thus Vz fluctuates with Vps and RL

Source regulation is a measure of the

change in output voltage with a change in
source voltage. vL
100%
v ps

Load regulation is a measure of the

change in output voltage with a change in
load current
vL ,noload  vL , fullload
100%
vL , fullload
2.2.2 Zener Resistance and Percent Regulator

Ex) Determine the source regulation and load regulation of a voltage

regulator circuit.
1. With no-load conditions (max Iz)
13.6  Ri  I z  9  rz  I z  0
13.6  9
Iz   0.2659 A
15.3  2
VL (max)  9  (2)(0.2659)  9.532V
when v ps  11V
11  9
Iz   0.115 A
15.3  2
VL (min)  9  (2)(0.115)  9.23V
9.532  9.231
Source regulator  100%  11.6%
13.6  11
2.2.2 Zener Resistance and Percent Regulator

2. Load regulator for Vps = 13.6V

For IL=0
13.6  9
Iz   0.2659A
15.3  2
VL  9  (2)(0.2659)  9.532V

When I L  100mA
(load unknown)

13.6  V V  9
  100mA
15.3 2
V  9.35V
9.53  9.35
Load regulator  100%  1.89%
9.35
2.3 clipper and clamper circuits

Diodes can be used in waveshaping circuits that either limit or “clip”

portions of a signal, or shift the dc voltage level. The circuits are called
clippers and clampers, respectively

2.3.1 Clippers
Clipper circuit are used to eliminate portions of a signal that are above
or below a specified level. Example half-wave rectifier.

General voltage transfer

characteristics of a clipper circuit
2.3.1 Clippers

Examples
2.3.1 Clippers

Examples
2.3.2 Clamper circuits

The distinguishing feature of a clamper is that it adjusts the dc level

without needing to know the exact waveform.

Typical diode Sinusoidal input signal Output voltage

clamper circuit

Capacitor voltage
2.4 Multiple-Diode Circuits
Multiple diode circuits can be used to perform logic functions.
2.4.1 Example Diode Circuits

a) Is the diode and

resistor in series
b) Voltage transfer
characteristics

a) Diode with input

voltage source
b) Voltage transfer
characteristics
2.4.1 Example Diode Circuits

Two-diode circuit,
there are four
possible states
v0  V   iR1 R1

V   V  V 
iR1 
R1  R2

D2  off
D1  on

D2  on
D1  D2  on Voltage transfer
D1  off
characteristics for the two-
diode circuit
2.4.2 Diode Logic Circuits

Diodes in conjunction with other circuit elements can perform

certain logic functions, such as AND and OR.
OR gate
V1 V2 V0 I1 I2 I

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 5 4.3 0 4.3/R 4.3/R

5 0 4.3 4.3/R 0 4.3/R

5 5 4.3 4.3/R*1/2 4.3/R*1/2 4.3/R

AND gate
V1 V2 V0 I1 I2 I

0 0 0.7 4.3/R*1/2 4.3/R*1/2 4.3/R

5 0 0.7 0 4.3/R 4.3/R

0 5 0.7 4.3/R 0 4.3/R

5 5 5 0 0 0
2.5 Photodiode and LED Circuit

A photodiode converts an optical signal into an electrical current,

and a light-emitting diode(LED) transforms an electrical current into
an optical signal

2.5.1 Photodiode Circuit

Photodiode circuits in which typically a reverse-bias voltage is
applied.

I ph   e A
 is the quantum efficiency
e is the electric charge
 is the photon flux
A is the area
2.5.2 LED Circuit

A light-emitting diode(LED) is the inverse of a photodiode; that is, a

current is converted into an optical signal. If the diode id forward
biased, electrons and holes are injected across the space-charge
region, where they become excess minority carriers. These excess
minority carriers diffuse into the neutral n-and p-region, where they
recombine with majority carriers, and the recombination can result
in the emission of photons.
V  5  no light
V  0  light
5  0.7  V
I
R
Light α I, thus R can control
intensity of light.

Ex) seven segment LED display

2.1.5 Voltage Doubler Circuit

A voltage doubler circuit is very similar to the full-wave rectifier,

except that two diodes are replaced by capacitors, and it can
produce a voltage equal to approximately twice the peak output of a
transformer

Voltage doubler circuit

a) C1 is charged to Vm
b) When Vs ↓, C1 discharges to C2 and R
c) Terminal 2 of C2 is high as Vm
d) Polarity changes
e) Vm+Vm=2Vm