Lab # 7 Electronic Devices and Circuits

Diode Clampers

Objective:

To construct and analyze the unbiased and biased clamper circuit.

Apparatus:

i. 1N4007 diode
ii. Resistor 1K, 100Ω
iii. Digital Multi-meter
iv. Jumper Wires
v. Oscilloscope
vi. AC power supply
vii. DC power supply

Theory:

Clampers:

A clamper is an electronic circuit that changes the DC level of a signal to the desired level without changing
the shape of the applied signal. In other words, the clamper circuit moves the whole signal up or down to set
either the positive peak or negative peak of the signal at the desired level. The dc component is simply added
to the input signal or subtracted from the input signal. A clamper circuit adds the positive dc component to
the input signal to push it to the positive side. Similarly, a clamper circuit adds the negative dc component to
the input signal to push it to the negative side.

Figure # 7.1 Positive Clamper

If the circuit pushes the signal upwards then the circuit is said to be a positive clamper. When the signal is
pushed upwards, the negative peak of the signal meets the zero level.

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Figure # 7.2 Negative Clamper

On the other hand, if the circuit pushes the signal downwards then the circuit is said to be a negative
clamper. When the signal is pushed downwards, the positive peak of the signal meets the zero level. The
construction of the clamper circuit is almost similar to the clipper circuit. The only difference is the clamper
circuit contains an extra element called capacitor. A capacitor is used to provide a dc offset (dc level) from
the stored charge. A typical clamper is made up of a capacitor, diode, and resistor. Some clampers contain an
extra element called DC battery. The resistors and capacitors are used in the clamper circuit to maintain an
altered DC level at the clamper output. The clamper is also referred to as a DC restorer, clamped capacitors,
or AC signal level shifter.

Types of Clampers:

Clamper circuits are of three types:

i. Positive clampers
ii. Negative clampers
iii. Biased clampers

Positive Clampers:

The positive clamper is made up of a voltage source Vi, capacitor C, diode D, and load resistor RL. In the
below circuit diagram, the diode is connected in parallel with the output load. So the positive clamper passes
the input signal to the output load when the diode is reverse biased and blocks the input signal when the
diode is forward biased.

Figure # 7.3 Positive Clamper

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During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is forward biased and hence no signal
appears at the output. In forward biased condition, the diode allows electric current through it. This current
will flows to the capacitor and charges it to the peak value of input voltage Vm. The capacitor charged in
inverse polarity (positive) with the input voltage. As input current or voltage decreases after attaining its
maximum value -Vm, the capacitor holds the charge until the diode remains forward biased.

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is reverse biased and hence the signal
appears at the output. In reverse biased condition, the diode does not allow electric current through it. So the
input current directly flows towards the output.

Negative Clampers:

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is forward biased and hence no signal
appears at the output. In forward biased condition, the diode allows electric current through it. This current
will flows to the capacitor and charges it to the peak value of input voltage in inverse polarity -Vm. As input
current or voltage decreases after attaining its maximum value Vm, the capacitor holds the charge until the
diode remains forward biased.

Figure # 7.4 Negative Clamper

During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is reverse biased and hence the signal
appears at the output. In reverse biased condition, the diode does not allow electric current through it. So the
input current directly flows towards the output.

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Biased Clampers:

Sometimes an additional shift of DC level is needed. In such cases, biased clampers are used. The working
principle of the biased clampers is almost similar to the unbiased clampers. The only difference is an extra
element called DC battery is introduced in biased clampers.

Positive clamper with positive bias:

If positive biasing is applied to the clamper then it is said to be a positive clamper with positive bias. The
positive clamper with positive bias is made up of an AC voltage source, capacitor, diode, resistor, and dc
battery.

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle, the battery voltage forward biases the diode when the input supply voltage is
less than the battery voltage. This current or voltage will flows to the capacitor and charges it. When the
input supply voltage becomes greater than the battery voltage then the diode stops allowing electric current
through it because the diode becomes reverse biased.

Figure # 7.5 Positive clamper with positive bias

During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle, the diode is forward biased by both input supply voltage and battery voltage.
So the diode allows electric current. This current will flows to the capacitor and charges it.

Positive clamper with negative bias:

During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle, the battery voltage reverse biases the diode when the input supply voltage is
less than the battery voltage. As a result, the signal appears at the output. When the input supply voltage
becomes greater than the battery voltage, the diode is forward biased by the input supply voltage and hence
allows electric current through it. This current will flows to the capacitor and charges it.

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Figure # 7.6 Positive clamper with negative bias

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle, the diode is reverse biased by both input supply voltage and the battery
voltage. As a result, the signal appears at the output. The signal appeared at the output is equal to the sum of
the input voltage and capacitor voltage.

Negative clamper with positive bias:

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle, the battery voltage reverse biases the diode when the input supply voltage is
less than the battery voltage. When the input supply voltage becomes greater than the battery voltage, the
diode is forward biased by the input supply voltage and hence allows electric current through it. This current
will flows to the capacitor and charges it.

Figure # 7.7 Negative clamper with positive bias

During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle, the diode is reverse biased by both input supply voltage and battery voltage.
As a result, the signal appears at the output.

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Negative clamper with negative bias:

During positive half cycle:

During the positive half cycle, the diode is forward biased by both input supply voltage and battery voltage.
As a result, current flows through the capacitor and charges it.

Figure # 7.8 Negative clamper with negative bias

During negative half cycle:

During the negative half cycle, the battery voltage forward biases the diode when the input supply voltage is
less than the battery voltage. When the input supply voltage becomes greater than the battery voltage, the
diode is reverse biased by the input supply voltage and hence signal appears at the output.

Procedure:

1. First of all I made a neat and clean circuit diagram on the bread board for different circuits.
2. I made a +ve unbiased clamper circuit on the bread board.

Figure # 7.9 +ve unbiased clipper circuit

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3. Then I observe the generated waveform on the oscilloscope which is as the following:

Figure # 7.10 waveform generated by +ve unbiased circuit

4. After this I made the –ve unbiased clamper circuit on the bread board which was

Figure # 7.11 circuit diagram of –ve unbiased circuit

5. The waveform generated by the –ve unbiased clamper circuit is as follows:

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Figure # 7.12 waveform generated by –ve unbiased circuit

6. Then for the biased clamper circuit I made -ve biased +ve clamper circuit on the bread board.

Figure # 7.13 Circuit diagram for –ve biased +ve clamper

7. The wave form generated by -ve biased +ve clamper circuit is as follows

Figure # 7.14 Wave form generated by –ve biased +ve calmper

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8. Then I made the circuit diagram for –ve biased –ve clamper circuit on the bread board

Figure # 7.15 Circuit diagram for –ve biased –ve clamper

9. Then the waveform generated will be

Figure # 7.16 Waveform generated by –ve biased –ve clamper

Observations:

+ve unbiased clamper:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = 11.6 V

Output Voltage = 11.8 Vp-p low = 0.00 V

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-ve unbiased clamper:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = 1.2 V

Output Voltage = 11.8 Vp-p low = -10.2 V

+ve biased + clamper:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = 14.8 V

Output Voltage = 10.2 Vp-p low = 5.00 V

+ve biased –ve clamper:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = 6.2 V

Output Voltage = 14.0 Vp-p low = -7.40 V

-ve biased –ve clamper:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = -3.80 V

Output Voltage = 10.2 Vp-p low = -13.6 V

+ve clamper –ve biased:

Input voltage = 15Vp-p High = 8.4 V

Output Voltage = 13.8 Vp-p low = -5.4 V

Learning outcomes:
I concluded that by using diode and AC supply i can clamp off the waveform from +ve, -ve and both +ve
and –ve waveform. I can also clamped off the waveform from the desired voltage by using the DC power
supply and biased circuit diagram.

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