Electronic Devices and

Circuits
Engineering Sciences 154
Diode Applications
See nice reference on Diode Applications from
the Georgia State University, Hyperphysics
project.

Transfer Characteristic

Rectification ("frequency shifting")

Typical power supply applications

Half-Wave Rectification
"Figure shows a half-wave rectifier circuit. The signal is
exactly the top half of the input voltage signal, and for an
ideal diode does not depend at all on the size of the load
resistor.
"The rectified signal is now a combination of an AC
signal and a DC component. Generally, it is the DC
part of a rectified signal that is of interest, and the un-
welcomed AC component is described as ripple. It is
desirable to move the ripple to high frequencies where
it is easier to remove by a low-pass filter.

"When diodes are used in small-signal applications - a

few volts - their behaviour is not closely approximated
by the ideal model because of the PN turn-on voltage.
The equivalent circuit model can be used to evaluate the
detailed action of the rectifier under these conditions.
During the part of the wave when the input is positive
but less than the PN turn-on voltage, the model predicts
no loop current and the output signal voltage is
therefore zero. When the input exceeds this voltage, the
output signal becomes proportional to, or about 0.6 V
lower than the source voltage."

(source)

Op Amp solution to PN turn-on problem

(source)

Half-wave rectifier with filter capacitor or peak

detector

Full-Wave Retification
Version 1 - Center-Tap Full-Wave Rectifier
 (source)
Version 2 - Bridge Full-Wave Rectifier
"The diode bridge circuit shown Ö is a full-wave
rectifier. The diodes act to route the current from both
halves of the AC wave through the load resistor in the
same direction, and the voltage developed across the
load resistor becomes the rectified output signal. The
diode bridge is a commonly used circuit and is available
as a four-terminal component in a number of different
power and voltage ratings."

(source)
 Go to Diode Bridge Modules for a
collection of pdf data sheets on many
integrated diode bridges.

Op Amp solution to PN turn-on problem

(source)

Split Power Supply

"Often a circuit requires a power supply

that provides negative voltage as well as
positive voltage. By reversing the direction
of the diode and the capacitor (if it is
polarized), the half-wave rectification
circuit with low-pass filter provides a
negative voltage. Similarly, reversing the
direction of the diodes and capacitor in the
full-wave rectified supply produces a
negative voltage supply. A split power
supply is shown in figure Ö"

(source)

A Variety of Other Applications:

Clamp
Also called a "dc restorer" in Sedra & Smith
"When a signal drives an open-ended capacitor the
average voltage level on the output terminal of the
capacitor is determined by the initial charge on that
terminal and may therefore be quite unpredictable.
Thus it is necessary to connect the output to ground or
some other reference voltage via a large resistor. This
action drains any excess charge and results in an
average or DC output voltage of zero.

"A simple alternative method of establishing a DC

reference for the output voltage is by using a diode
clamp as shown in figure Ö. By conducting whenever
the voltage at the output terminal of the capacitor goes
negative, this circuit builds up an average charge on the
terminal that is sufficient to prevent the output from
ever going negative. Positive charge on this terminal is
effectively trapped."

(source)

(source)

Clippers/Limiters
"A diode clipping circuit can be used to limit the
voltage swing of a signal. Figure Ö shows a diode circuit
that clips both the positive and negative voltage swings
to references voltages."

(source)

Limiting with ordinary diodes:

(source)

Limiting with Zener diodes:

Multiplier

Doubler - Version 1: A dc restorer followed

by a peak detector

(source)

Doubler - Version 2
"A voltage multiplier circuit is shown in figureÖ.
We can think of it as two half-wave rectifier
circuits in series. During the positive half-cycle
one of the diodes conducts and charges a
capacitor. During the negative half-cycle the
other diode conducts negatively to charge the
other capacitor. The voltage across the
combination is therefore equal to twice the peak
voltage. In this type of circuit we have to assume
that the load does not draw a significant charge
from the capacitors."

(source)
 (source)

Tripler

(source)

For more on multipliers see:

Cockroft-Waton Diode Voltage

Multipliers

Diode Logic

"To the left (above) you see a basic Diode Logic OR

gate. We'll assume that a logic 1 is represented by +5
volts, and a logic 0 is represented by ground, or zero
volts. In this figure, if both inputs are left unconnected
or are both at logic 0, output Z will also be held at zero
volts by the resistor, and will thus be a logic 0 as well.
However, if either input is raised to +5 volts, its diode
will become forward biased and will therefore conduct.
This in turn will force the output up to logic 1. If both
inputs are logic 1, the output will still be logic 1. Hence,
this gate correctly performs a logical OR function.
"To the right (above) is the equivalent AND gate. We
use the same logic levels, but the diodes are reversed
and the resistor is set to pull the output voltage up to a
logic 1 state. For this example, +V = +5 volts, although
other voltages can just as easily be used. Now, if both
inputs are unconnected or if they are both at logic 1,
output Z will be at logic 1. If either input is grounded
(logic 0), that diode will conduct and will pull the output
down to logic 0 as well. Both inputs must be logic 1 in
order for the output to be logic 1, so this circuit
performs the logical AND function."
(source)

Standby Voltage

(source)

Gate
 (source)

Mixer Circuits
Consider the following circuit:

Using the Shockley Diode Equation we

can write

This is a pretty complicated expression,

but we can get a reasonable and useful
result with a bit algebra and analysis.
Let us assume that there are dc biases
on the signals (usual case) so that

where are
fluctuations around the bias values
.

With much algebra we can show that

 and

where

The important point is that the output

has components

This page was prepared and is maintained by R. Victor Jones

Comments to: mailto:%20jones.deas.harvard.edu.
Last updated October 25, 2001