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ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

TUTORIAL 1 SOLUTION
Diodes and power supplies

Q1. Explain the following terms in relation to semiconductor theory:

(a) barrier potential (b) depletion region (c) doping

(a) Barrier potential: a certain voltage will be dropped across the depletion region in order to achieve
current flow.
(b) Depletion region: the area where the N and P materials joint is depleted of available electrons
and holes due to combination of electrons and holes.
(c) Doping: introduce impurities into the silicon to increase the number of electrons / holes.

Q2. What are the majority carriers in (a) p-type (b) n-type material?
(a) Holes
(b) Electrons

Q3. Sketch the I-V characteristics of a silicon diode. On the sketch label the turn-on voltage, forward bias
region, reverse bias region, and reverse break down voltage.

Q4. (a) For the diode circuit in Figure 1 calculate the current and voltage across the resistor R1 (𝑉𝐹 =
0.7𝑉).
(b) Calculate a new resistor value for R1 such that the current is 100mA.
(c) Repeat (a) and (b) if we replace diode D1 with a LED with 𝑉𝐹 = 1.9𝑉 and V1=12V.

Tutorial 1 Page 1 of 5
EC - Tutorial 1 2022s1 solution v1.3.docx (Revised: 17/03/22)
TAFE SA Associate Degree in Biomedical Engineering
Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering
Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

Figure 1
(a)
𝑽𝟏 − 𝑽𝑭 (𝟓 − 𝟎. 𝟕)𝑽
𝑰𝑹𝟏 = = = 𝟒. 𝟑𝒎𝑨
𝑹𝟏 𝟏𝒌𝛀
𝑽𝑹𝟏 = 𝟓𝑽 − 𝟎. 𝟕𝑽 = 𝟒. 𝟑𝑽
(b)
𝑽𝟏 − 𝑽𝑭 (𝟓 − 𝟎. 𝟕)𝑽
𝑹𝟏 = = = 𝟒𝟑𝛀
𝑰𝑹𝟏 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝒎𝑨
(c)
𝑽𝟏 − 𝑽𝑭 (𝟏𝟐 − 𝟏. 𝟗)𝑽
𝑰𝑹𝟏 = = = 𝟏𝟎. 𝟏𝒎𝑨
𝑹𝟏 𝟏𝒌𝛀
𝑽𝑹𝟏 = 𝟏𝟐𝑽 − 𝟏. 𝟗𝑽 = 𝟏𝟎. 𝟏𝑽
𝑽𝟏 − 𝑽𝑭 (𝟏𝟐 − 𝟏. 𝟗)𝑽
𝑹𝟏 = = = 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝛀
𝑰𝑹𝟏 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝒎𝑨

Q5 A LED light strip has a total of four LEDs (𝑉𝐹 = 2𝑉, 𝐼𝐹 = 20𝑚𝐴) connected in two configurations,
series (Figure 2a) and parallel (Figure 2b).
(a) For each case calculate the resistor required for each circuit.
(b) What is the advantage/disadvantage for each circuit?

Figure 2a Figure 2b
10𝑉−4(2𝑉) 2𝑉
(a) For Figure 2a, 𝑅1 = = 20𝑚𝐴 = 100Ω
20𝑚𝐴
10𝑉−2𝑉 8𝑉
For Figure 2b, 𝑅1 = 𝑅2 = 𝑅3 = 𝑅4 = = 20𝑚𝐴 = 400Ω
20𝑚𝐴
(b) For series configuration:
Adv: only need one resistor for the whole circuit.

Tutorial 1 Page 2 of 5
EC - Tutorial 1 2022s1 solution v1.3.docx (Revised: 17/03/22)
TAFE SA Associate Degree in Biomedical Engineering
Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering
Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
Disadv: if one LED failed all LEDs will not lights up due to a break in the circuit. Also need a
voltage source with high enough voltage to drive all LEDs.

For parallel configuration:

Adv: each LED are independent, therefore breaking of one LED does not affect others. Voltage
source also only need to be high enough for the LED with highest 𝑉𝐹 .
Disadv: circuit requires multiple resistors instead of just one for the whole circuit.

Figure 3a Figure 3b

Q5. For halfwave rectifier circuits in Figure 3a, given a 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 20𝑉, 50Hz AC input and 𝑉𝐹 =0.7V
determine the following parameters:
a. Determine the peak voltage across the resistor R1.
b. Estimate the ripple voltage across the resistor R1.
c. Estimate the DC voltage across the resistor.
d. Estimate the average current on the load resistor R1.
e. Sketch the following waveform on the same plot: AC input, ripple voltage across the resistor.

a. the peak voltage across the resistor is 𝑉𝑃 = (20𝑉 × √2) − 0.7𝑉 = 27.5𝑉.
𝑃𝑉 27.5𝑉
b. 𝑉𝑟 ≈ 𝑓𝑅𝐶 = 50𝐻𝑧×330Ω×220𝜇𝐹 = 7.6𝑉
𝑉𝑟
c. 𝑉𝐷𝐶 ≈ 𝑉𝑃 − = 27.5 − 3.8 = 23.7𝑉
2
23.7𝑉
d. 𝐼𝑅1 ≈ = 71.8𝑚𝐴
330Ω
e.

Tutorial 1 Page 3 of 5
EC - Tutorial 1 2022s1 solution v1.3.docx (Revised: 17/03/22)
TAFE SA Associate Degree in Biomedical Engineering
Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering
Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
Q6. Repeat Q5 for the full wave rectifier circuit in Figure 3b.

a. the peak voltage across the resistor is 𝑉𝑃 = (20𝑉 × √2) − 1.4𝑉 = 26.9𝑉.
𝑃 𝑉 26.9𝑉
b. 𝑉𝑟 ≈ 2𝑓𝑅𝐶 = 2×50𝐻𝑧×330Ω×220𝜇𝐹 = 3.7𝑉
𝑉𝑟
c. 𝑉𝐷𝐶 ≈ 𝑉𝑃 − = 26.9 − 1.9 = 25𝑉
2
25𝑉
d. 𝐼𝑅1 = 330Ω = 83𝑚𝐴
e.

Q7. Given the Zener regulator circuit shown in Figure 4 where VZ = 5.6V with minimum Zener current
(𝐼𝑧(𝑚𝑖𝑛) ) of 1mA, determine the following:

Figure 4

a. Total current (𝐼𝑅1 ) if R2 is removed from the circuit.

Assume the Zener diode is regulating at 5.6V.
10𝑉 − 𝑉𝑧 (10 − 5.6)𝑉
𝐼𝑅1 = = = 8.8𝑚𝐴
500Ω 500Ω
Since 8.8mA is higher than the minimum required Zener diode current of 1mA, the Zener is
regulating.

b. IR1 and IZ if R2 = 10kΩ. Is the Zener diode still regulating at 5.6V.

If 𝑅2 = 10𝑘Ω, assume the Zener diode is conducting and 𝑉𝑍 = 5.6𝑉. Current through R2 is
5.6𝑉
𝐼𝑅2 = 10𝑘Ω = .56𝑚𝐴 = 560𝜇𝐴.

Tutorial 1 Page 4 of 5
EC - Tutorial 1 2022s1 solution v1.3.docx (Revised: 17/03/22)
TAFE SA Associate Degree in Biomedical Engineering
Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering
Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
According to KCL the current through the Zener diode is 𝐼𝑍 = 8.8𝑚𝐴 − .56𝑚𝐴 = 8.24𝑚𝐴. As this is
higher than 𝐼𝑧(𝑚𝑖𝑛), therefore the Zener diode will regulate at 5.6V.

c. Repeat part b if 𝑅2 = 10Ω.

If 𝑅2 = 10Ω, assume the Zener diode is conducting and 𝑉𝑍 = 5.6𝑉. Current through R2 is
5.6𝑉
𝐼𝑅2 = = 560𝑚𝐴.
10Ω

Since R2 draw all current away from the Zener diode, the Zener no longer regulates.

As the Zener diode does not regulates, the current through R1 and R2 is now:

10𝑉 10𝑉
𝐼𝑅1 = 𝐼𝑅2 = = = 19.6𝑚𝐴
500Ω + 10Ω 510Ω
Q8. For the following LM317 (Drop out voltage = 2 V) voltage regulator circuit. Calculate the expected
output voltage and current at resistor R3 if the input voltage from the diode and capacitor varies
between 7 V and 8 V.

400
𝑉𝑂 = 1.25 (1 + 200) = 3.75𝑉 and the input voltage varies between 7 and 8 V. Therefore the difference
between input and output voltage at the lowest input voltag is 7-3.75=3.25 V. Since the drop out voltage is
2 V, therefore we have enough voltage headroom for the voltage regulator to maintain the output 3.75 V
3.75𝑉
voltage. The expected output current is therefore = 3.75 𝑚𝐴.
1𝑘Ω

Q9. For the voltage regulator circuit in Q8, explain if the output voltage will be regulated if the input
voltage varies between 4 V and 5V.

Since both 4V and 5V are less than the 2 V drop out voltage required for the regulator. Therefore the
output voltage will not be regulated at 3.25V.

Tutorial 1 Page 5 of 5
EC - Tutorial 1 2022s1 solution v1.3.docx (Revised: 17/03/22)