IV.

Diode Circuits

ECE 250 Lab 4

Zener Circuits
IV.A. Pre-Lab
You will be measuring several waveforms versus time and several transfer characteristics. All of the
measurements can be simulated with PSpice. Read through this lab and identify all of the required plots. Use
PSpice to obtain the same plots that you will measure. Paste these plots in your notebook. These plots constitute
the pre-lab. For each measurement, your notebook should have a PSpice plot and a scope plot. Compare the plots
and make any comments or observations you feel are important.
Some PSpice notes:
• In the Transient Analysis set up, set the maximum step size to 10 µs (10u in PSpice).
• See Sections 4.D.1 and 6.F.1 of the PSpice manual for examples of plotting transfer curves.
• See Section 6.F of the PSpice manual for an example of generating a plot of a voltage versus time.
• Use parts VTRI, D1N4733A, VDC, and R for the simulations.

IV.B. Zener I-V Characteristic

Wire the circuit of Figure IV-1. Measure the Zener voltage ( Vz ) with channel 1, Vx with channel 2, and
Vs with channel 3. We would now like to see the I-V characteristic of this Zener diode on the scope screen.
• Set the signal generator to a 60 Hz maximum amplitude sine wave.
• Print scope displays showing Vz , Vx , and Vs versus time.
• Display the I-V characteristic of this Zener on the scope screen.
• Use the cursors to measure the diode turn on voltage and the Zener breakdown voltage.
• Obtain a printout showing the cursor measurements.

Vz Vx
D2
R

+
1k
Vs 1N4733A
Rsens
-
10

Figure IV-1: Circuit to measure the

I-V characteristic of a Zener diode.

ECE250 IV-1 LAB 3

 IV.C. Zener Diode Clipping Circuit 1
Wire the circuit of Figure III-2.

Vin Vo
VR
+ -
+
1k

+ V1
FREQUENCY = 60 D2
AMPLITUDE = 10
- D1N4733A

Figure III-2: Zener diode clipping circuit 1

Let VIN be a 60 Hz triangle wave with an amplitude of 10 V. Obtain a scope plot of Vo versus time and VIN
versus time. Make sure you record all necessary scope settings. Compare this plot to your PSpice plots. Use the
cursors or quick measure features of the scope to measure the numerical values where the output
waveform is clipped.
Using the procedure developed in Lab 1 for observing I-V characteristics, observe the transfer function of
this circuit. A transfer function is a plot of Vo versus VIN . To do this you will need to measure Vo with channel 2
and VIN with channel 1, and then change the mode of the scope to XY mode. Note that Channel 1 is displayed on
the x-axis and Channel 2 is displayed on the y-axis. You will not need the current sensing resistor as you did in
Lab I but you will need to use the same scope settings as in Lab I.

IV.D. Zener Diode Clipping Circuit 2

Wire the circuit of Figure III-3.

Vin Vo
VR
+ -
+
1k

+ V1
FREQUENCY = 60 D2
AMPLITUDE = 10
- D1N4733A

Figure III-3: Zener diode clipping circuit 2

ECE250 IV-2 LAB 3

Let VIN be a 60 Hz triangle wave with an amplitude of 10 V. Obtain a scope plot of Vo versus time and VIN
versus time. Make sure you record all necessary scope settings. Compare this plot to your PSpice plots. Use the
cursors or quick measure features of the scope to measure the numerical values where the output
waveform is clipped.
Using the procedure developed in Lab 1 for observing I-V characteristics, observe the transfer function of
this circuit. A transfer function is a plot of Vo versus VIN . To do this you will need to measure Vo with channel 2
and VIN with channel 1, and then change the mode of the scope to XY mode. Note that Channel 1 is displayed on
the x-axis and Channel 2 is displayed on the y-axis. You will not need the current sensing resistor as you did in
Lab I but you will need to use the same scope settings as in Lab I.

IV.E. Symmetrical Zener Diode Clipping Circuit

Wire the circuit of Figure III-4.

Vin Vo
VR
+ -
+
1k

D1
+ V1
FREQUENCY = 60 D1N4733A
AMPLITUDE = 10
-
D2
D1N4733A

Figure III-4: Symmetrical Zener diode clipping circuit

Let VIN be a 60 Hz triangle wave with an amplitude of 10 V. Obtain a scope plot of Vo versus time and VIN
versus time. Make sure you record all necessary scope settings. Compare this plot to your PSpice plots. Use the
cursors or quick measure features of the scope to measure the numerical values of the peaks of the output
waveform.
We would now like to obtain a plot of the resistor voltage VR . This is a difficult measurement because the
resistor is not directly connected to ground and scopes measure voltages relative to ground. However we can use
the difference function available on the scope to obtain VR . Using KVL we know that VR = VIN − Vo . Thus we can
measure VR with the scope by measuring VIN with channel 1 and Vo with channel 2 and making the scope display
channel 1 minus channel 2. Record the plot of VR versus time. (We will need to experiment with this measurement
a bit. You should be able to display all three traces (Vs , VR and Vo versus time) on the same scope plot.)
Obtain a plot of the transfer curve, Vo versus VIN .

ECE250 IV-3 LAB 3

 IV.F. Zener Diode Dead-Zone Clipping Circuit
Wire the circuit of Figure III-5.

Vin Vo
D1 D2

D1N4733A D1N4733A

+
+ V1 1k
FREQUENCY = 60
AMPLITUDE = 10
-

Figure III-5: Dead-zone clipping circuit

Let VIN be a 60 Hz triangle wave with an amplitude of 10 V. Obtain a scope plot of Vo versus time and VIN
versus time. Make sure you record all necessary scope settings. Compare this plot to your PSpice plots. Obtain a
plot of the transfer curve, Vo versus VIN .

IV.G. Lab 3 Check Sheet

1. Zener I-V Characteristic
• Scope printout of VS, VZ and VX.
• Scope printout of I-V characteristic with measurements.
2. Zener diode clipping circuit 1
• PSpice plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• Measured plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• PSpice transfer characteristic.
• Measured transfer characteristic.
3. Zener diode clipping circuit 2
• PSpice plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• Measured plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• PSpice transfer characteristic.
• Measured transfer characteristic
4. Symmetric Zener diode clipping circuit
• PSpice plot of VIN , VR and Vo versus time.
• Measured plot of VIN , VR and Vo versus time.
• PSpice transfer characteristic.
• Measured transfer characteristic
5. Dead-zone clipping circuit
• Measured plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• PSpice plot of VIN and Vo versus time.
• PSpice transfer characteristic.
• Measured transfer characteristic

ECE250 IV-4 LAB 3