AB89

Diode Clamper

Operating Manual
Ver.1.1

An ISO 9001 : 2000 company

94-101, Electronic Complex Pardesipura,

Indore- 452010, India
Tel : 91-731- 2570301/02, 4211100
Fax: 91- 731- 2555643
e mail : info@scientech.bz
Website : www.scientech.bz
Toll free : 1800-103-5050
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Diode Clamper
AB89
Table of Contents

1. Introduction 4
2. Theory 6
3. Experiments
To study clamper circuits. 10
4. Warranty 12
5. List of Accessories 12

RoHS Compliance

Scientech Products are RoHS Complied.

RoHS Directive concerns with the restrictive use of Hazardous substances (Pb,
Cd, Cr, Hg, Br compounds) in electric and electronic equipments.

Scientech products are “Lead Free” and “Environment Friendly”.

It is mandatory that service engineers use lead free solder wire and use the
soldering irons upto (25 W) that reach a temperature of 450°C at the tip as the
melting temperature of the unleaded solder is higher than the leaded solder.

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Introduction
AB89 is a compact, ready to use Diode Clamper experiment board. This is useful for
students to understand basics of diodes and clamping circuits. It can be used with
Scientech Analog Lab ST2612 which has built in DC power supply, AC power
supply, function generator, modulation generator, continuity tester, toggle switches,
and potentiometer..

List of Boards :
Model Name
AB01 Diode characteristics (Si, Zener, LED)
AB02 Transistor characteristics (CB NPN)
AB03 Transistor characteristics (CB PNP)
AB04 Transistor characteristics (CE NPN)
AB05 Transistor characteristics (CE PNP)
AB06 Transistor characteristics (CC NPN)
AB07 Transistor characteristics (CC PNP)
AB08 FET characteristics
AB09 Rectifier Circuits
AB10 Wheatstone Bridge
AB11 Maxwell’s Bridge
AB12 De Sauty’s Bridge
AB13 Schering Bridge
AB15 Common Emitter Amplifier
AB14 Darlington Pair
AB16 Common Collector Amplifier
AB17 Common Base Amplifier
AB18 Cascode Amplifier
AB19 RC-Coupled Amplifier
AB20 Direct Coupled Amplifier
AB21 Class A Amplifier
AB22 Class B Amplifier (push pull emitter follower)
AB23 Class C Tuned Amplifier
AB25 Phase Locked Loop (FM Demodulator & Frequency Divider /
Multiplier)
AB28 Multivibrator ( Mono stable / Astable)
AB29 F-V and V-F Converter
AB30 V-I and I-V Converter
AB31 Zener Voltage Regulator
AB32 Transistor Series Voltage Regulator
AB33 Transistor Shunt Voltage Regulator
AB35 DC Ammeter
AB39 Instrumentation Amplifier
AB41 Differential Amplifier (Transistorized)
AB42 Operational Amplifier (Inverting / Non-inverting / Differentiator)

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AB43 Operational Amplifier (Adder/Scalar)

AB44 Operational Amplifier (Integrator/ Differentiator)
AB45 Schmitt Trigger and Comparator
AB49 K Derived Filter
AB51 Active filters (Low Pass and High Pass)
AB52 Active Band Pass Filter
AB54 Tschebyscheff Filter
AB56 Fiber Optic Analog Link
AB57 Owen’s Bridge
AB58 Anderson’s Bridge
AB59 Maxwell’s Inductance Bridge
AB64 RC – Coupled Amplifier with Feedback
AB65 Phase Shift Oscillator
AB66 Wien Bridge Oscillators
AB67 Colpitt Oscillator
AB68 Hartley Oscillator
AB80 RLC Series and RLC Parallel Resonance
AB82 Thevenin’s and Maximum power Transfer Theorem
AB83 Reciprocity and Superposition Theorem
AB84 Tellegen’s Theorem
AB85 Norton’s theorem
AB88 Diode Clipper
AB90 Two port network parameter
AB91 Optical Transducer (Photovoltaic cell)
AB92 Optical Transducer (Photoconductive cell/LDR)
AB93 Optical Transducer (Phototransistor)
AB96 Temperature Transducer (RTD & IC335)
AB97 Temperature Transducer (Thermocouple)
AB101 DSB Modulator and Demodulator
AB102 SSB Modulator and Demodulator
AB106 FM Modulator and Demodulator
………… and many more

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Theory
Clampers :
A circuit that places either the positive or negative peak of a signal at a desired DC
level is known as a clamping circuit or we can say that the clamping network is one
that will clamp a signal to a different dc level.
Suppose the input signal of a clamping network is a sine wave having a peak to peak
value of 10V.The clamper adds the DC component and pushes the signal upwards or
downwards according to the configuration .The point should be noted here is that the
clamping circuit does not change the peak to peak or r.m.s. value of the waveform.
A clamping circuit should not change the peak to peak value of the signal; it should
only change the DC level. To do so, a clamping circuit uses a capacitor, together with
a diode and a load resistor RL, but it can also employ an independent dc supply to
introduce an additional shift .The operation of a clamper is based on the principle that
charging time of a capacitor is made very small as compared to its discharging time.
In the practical clamping circuit, the magnitude of RL and C must be chosen such that
the time constant is large enough to ensure that the voltage across the capacitor does
not discharge significantly during the interval the diode is nonconducting .
Clamper are classified as-
1. Positive clamper
2. Negative clamper
Positive Clampers :

Positive Clamper
Figure 1
The output of the clamping network is like that the shape of the original signal has not
changed; only there is upward shift in the signal. Such a clamper is called a positive
clamper. When a positive clamper has a sine wave input, it adds a positive DC voltage
to the sine wave. Stated another way, the positive clamper shifts the AC reference
level (normally zero) up to a DC level. This means that each point on the sine wave is
shifted upward. figure 1 shows the circuit of a positive clamper .The input signal is
assumed to be a sine wave with time period T. The clamped output is obtained across
RL. The circuit design incorporates two man features. Firstly, the values of C and RL
are so selected that time constant τ = CRL is very large. Secondly, RLC time constant
is deliberately made much greater than the time period T of the incoming signal.

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How the circuit works ?

The capacitor is initially uncharged. On the first negative half cycle of the input
signal, the diode is forward biased. Therefore, the diode behaves as a short. At the
negative peak of the AC source, the capacitor has fully charged and its voltage is Vm.
The charging time constant is very small so that the capacitor will charge to Vm volts
very quickly .During this interval, the output voltage is directly across the short
circuit. Therefore,
Vout = 0V
When the input switches to positive half cycle, the diode is, reverse biased and
behaves as an open. Since the discharging time constant is much greater than the time
period T of the input signal, the capacitor remains almost fully charged to Vm volts
during the off time of the diode. The resulting waveform shown in figure 1 is a
positively clamped output that means the input signal has been pushed upward by Vm
volts, so that negative peaks fall on the zero level.
Ideally, the clamping is less than perfect because the negative peaks have a reference
level of 0.7V instead of 0V.
Negative Clamper :
The output of the clamping network is like that the shape of the original signal has not
changed; only it pushes the signal downwards so that the positive peaks fall on the
zero level or if we change the polarity of the diode in positive clamper we get the
negative clamper. Figure 2 shows the circuit of a negative clamper. The clamped
output is taken across RL.
Again, the clamping is less than perfect because the positive peaks have a reference
level of 0.7V instead of 0V. During the positive half cycle of the input signal, the
diode is forward biased. Therefore, the diode behaves as a short. The charging time
constant is very small so that the capacitor will charge to V volts very quickly. During
this interval the output voltage is directly across the short circuit. Therefore,
Vout = 0V
When the input switches to negative half cycle, the diode is reverse biased and
behaves as an open .Since the discharging time constant is much greater than the time
period of the input signal, the capacitor almost remains fully charged to V volts
during the off time of the diode. Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law to the input loop,
we get output amplitude equal to sum of input amplitude and the charged capacitor
voltage amplitude. The resulting output waveform shown in figure 2.

Negative Clamper
Figure 2

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Although all the waveforms appearing in figures are sine wave, clamping networks
work equally well for square wave. Both positive and negative clampers are widely
used in television receivers to change the reference level of video signals. Clampers
are widely used in Radar and communication circuits.
Biased Clampers :
If we want to clamp input signal with some reference level, use biased clamper
circuits. Biased clampers are circuits, which use DC voltage in series with diode.
Figure 3 shows the circuits of biased clamper. In figure 3(a) during positive half cycle
of the input signal, the diode is forward biased, so it acts as a short. It is clear that
Vout = VA
Where VA is the DC voltage, Vm is the peak input voltage. Applying Kirchhoff’s
voltage law to the input loop in figure 3(a), we have
Vm - Vc - VA =0
and
Vc = Vm - VA
Where Vc is the voltage across capacitor.
During the negative half cycle of the input signal, the diode is reverse biased and
behaves as an open. Now battery or DC voltage has no effect on Vout. Applying
Kirchhoff’s voltage law to the outside loop of figure 3(a), we have,
-Vm - VC - Vout =0
and
Vout = - Vm - VC
This same procedure follows in an all biased clamper circuits to find the amplitude of
output wave.

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(d)
Biased Clamper Circuits
Figure 3

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Experiment 1
Objective :
To study clamper circuits
Equipments Needed :
1. Analog board AB89
2. DC power supplies +5V and -5V from external source or ST2612 Analog Lab.
3. Oscilloscope
4. Function generator
5. 2 mm patch cords
Circuit diagram :
Circuit used to study different combinations of clamper is shown in figure 4

Figure 4

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Procedure :
• Connect +5V and -5V DC power supplies at their indicated position from
external source or ST2612 Analog Lab.
1. Apply sine wave of 1 KHz frequency and amplitude 10Vpp approximately with
zero DC voltage at terminal a.
2. To make the circuit of negative clamper as shown in figure 2, connect 2mm
patch cord between socket b & ground terminal.
3. Put oscilloscope in DC coupling mode and monitor output signal at terminal f
with respect to ground on oscilloscope.
4. To make circuit of positive clamper as shown in figure 1, disconnect 2 mm
patch cord between terminals b & ground and connect between c & ground.
5. Keep the oscilloscope in DC coupling mode and observe output at terminal f
with respect to ground.
6. Next to make circuit of biased clamper as shown in figure 3(a), remove 2 mm
patch cord between terminal c & ground and connect between b & d terminals.
7. Observe output signal at terminal f with respect to ground.
8. Vary the voltage VA to increase the DC voltage from 0 to 5V and observe the
output voltage at terminal f.
9. Observe the level of output DC voltage at TP1.
10. Disconnect 2 mm patch cord between terminal b and d and connect between c &
e terminals, to make biased clamper circuit as shown in figure 3(d).
11. Monitor output signal at terminal f with respect to ground.
12. Vary the voltage VB to decrease the DC voltage from 0 to -5V and observe the
output voltage at terminal f.
13. Observe the level of output DC voltage at TP2.
14. To make the another combination of biased clamper ,as shown in figure 3(b),
remove the 2mm patch cord between terminal c & e and connect between b & e
terminals. Observe the effect of adding DC voltage at terminal f.
15. Disconnect 2 mm patch cord between terminal b & e and connect between c & d
terminals, to make circuit same as figure 3(c). Observe the effect of adding DC
voltage at terminal f.

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Warranty
1. We guarantee the product against all manufacturing defects for 24 months from
the date of sale by us or through our dealers. Consumables like dry cell etc. are
not covered under warranty.
2. The guarantee will become void, if
a) The product is not operated as per the instruction given in the operating
manual.
b) The agreed payment terms and other conditions of sale are not followed.
c) The customer resells the instrument to another party.
d) Any attempt is made to service and modify the instrument.
3. The non-working of the product is to be communicated to us immediately giving
full details of the complaints and defects noticed specifically mentioning the
type, serial number of the product and date of purchase etc.
4. The repair work will be carried out, provided the product is dispatched securely
packed and insured. The transportation charges shall be borne by the customer.

For any Technical Problem Please Contact us at service@scientech.bz

List of Accessories

1. 2mm Patch Cord (Red) 16” ................................................................... 2 Nos.

2. 2mm Patch Cord (Black) 16”................................................................. 3 Nos.
3. 2mm Patch Cord (Blue) 16” .................................................................. 3 Nos.
4. e-Manual.................................................................................................1 No.

Updated 26-06-2009

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