EXPERIMENT NO: 02

Title: Static characteristic and voltage regulation of Zener diode.

Course : EEE 212.

Course Name : Electronic Devices and Circuits Lab.

Experiment Date : 27 – 07 – 2022.

Submission Date : 03 – 08 – 2022.

Submitted To
Name: Shahadet Hosen Polash
Lecturer,
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Submitted By
Name: Umair Hossain
ID: 21225103103 INATKE: 49 SECTION: 03
Page 1 of 5
 EXPERIMENT: 02
TITLE: Static characteristic and voltage regulation of Zener diode.

OBJECTIVE: Observe and plot the static characteristics of a Zener diode to find the voltage
regulation of a given Zener diode.

EQUIPMENTS
S.NO NAME OF EQUIPMENT RANGE TYPE QUANTITY

01 Zener diode - - 1

02 Regulated Power Supply(0-30V) - Digital 1

03 Resistor 1000Ω Analog 2

04 Multimeter - Digital 1

05 Trainer Board - - 1

06 Connecting Wire - - -

THEORY: Zener diode is a heavily doped PN junction diode. Due to heavily doped, its
depletion layer is very thin and is order of micrometer. The forward bias characteristic of Zener
diode is same as the normal PN junction diode but in reverse bias it has different characteristic.
Initially, a negligible constant current flow through the Zener diode in its reverse bias but at
certain voltage, the current becomes abruptly large. This voltage is called as Zener voltage.
This sudden and sharp increase in Zener current is called as Zener breakdown.

High current through the diode can permanently damage the device. To, avoid high current we
connect a resistor in series with Zener diode. Once the diode starts conducting it maintains
almost constant voltage across the terminals whatever may be the current through, it has very
low dynamic resistance. It is used in voltage regulators.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

A) STATIC CHARACTERISTICS

R1 + -

1KΩ
(0 – 20mA)

RPS + +
(0-30V) - -
(0 – 20V)

Page 2 of 5
B) REGULATION CHARACTERISTICS

OBSERVATION:

VOLTAGE REGULATION
S.NO Applied Voltage(V) VZ (Measured) (V)

01 0 0.126

02 4 0.758

03 8 0.788

04 12 0.80

05 14 0.80

REVERSE BIAS
S.NO Applied Voltage(V) Reverse Voltage Vr (V) Reverse Current Ir (mA)

01 0 -0.027 -0.001

02 0.5 -0.47 -0.01

03 1 -0.695 -0.28

04 1.5 -0.722 -0.70

05 2 -0.737 -1.23

06 2.5 -0.748 -1.77

Page 3 of 5
I-V CHARACTERISTIC GRAPH(OBSERVED):

PROCEDURE:

A) Static Characteristics of Zener Diode

1) Identify the components required and make the connections on bread board as per circuit
diagram.
2) Connect the circuit diagram for diode in forward biasing mode.
3) Switch on the power supply and increase applied voltage gradually.
4) Note down the required readings.
5) Repeat steps 2 to 4 for reverse bias mode.
7) Tabulate the observations and plot the I-V curve for Zener diode in forward and reverse bias.
8) From your observations obtain the value of cut-in voltage and breakdown voltage VZ.

B) Regulation Characteristics
1) Connection is made as per circuit diagram.
2) The load is placed in full load condition and the Zener voltage (Vz), Zener current (Iz),
Load current (IL) are measured.
3) All the reading are tabulated.
4) The voltage regulation of any device is usually expressed as percentage regulation.

PRECAUTIONS

1) The connection should be tight otherwise fluctuation in voltage and current will happen.
2) At the turning point of curve, more reading should be taken.
3) For the plot of Graph, current should be taken mA for both forward and reverse biased
diode.
4) The reading should be in multiple of least count.

Page 4 of 5
CONCLUSION

The V-I characteristic of Zener diode indicates that characteristic of Zener diode in forward
bias is same as PN junction diode. In reverse bias, a negligible constant current flow through
the Zener diode but the current becomes abruptly large at certain voltage. This voltage is called
as Zener voltage. This sudden and sharp increase in Zener current is called as Zener breakdown.
Vknee=0.7 volt and VZ= 12 volt.

Signature of Teacher

Page 5 of 5