Electronics I lab EE277

Objectives:
- To demonstrate the function of clipper and clamper circuits.

Equipments required:
1. Oscillator (or function generator).
2. Object board.
3. Coupling wires.
4. Oscilloscope.
5. Digital multimeter (DMM).
6. DC-voltage source.
7. Ordinary diodes.
8. Resistors (4.7 kΩ , 100 kΩ).
9. Capacitors.
10. Probes.

Theory:
(1) Clipper Circuits:
Clippers are networks which clip away part of the applied signal.
Clippers are used to:
1. Create a specific type of signal.
2. Limit the voltage that can be applied to a network.
Clipper circuit consists of:
1. AC-source.
2. Diode.
3. DC-Source ( to shift the operating point to the required value).
The circuit shown in Figure (3-1) is an example of clipper circuit.

Figure 3-1
In this circuit assuming Vdc = 0 we note that:
B When Vi is positive (Vi > 0.7) the diode is ON, so the output is VD = 0.7V.
B When Vi is negative or (Vi < 0.7) the diode is OFF, so the output is Vi.
So the output signal will be as shown in Figure (3-2).
We can change the Vdc value, so the output voltage will be shifted, and the maximum
allowable dc-voltage is:
Vdc (max) = A − 0.7
Where:
A : The peak value of the ac-source.
For example, if the input voltage is: Vin = 5 sin( ωt ) Volts and silicon diode is used
VD = 0.7V then the maximum dc-voltage is: V dc (max) = 5 − 0.7 = 4.3V .

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Figure 3-2
(2) Clampers:
Clampers are networks that clamp the input signal to a different dc level, but the peak-
to-peak swing of the applied signal will remain the same.
Clamper circuit consists of clipper components plus capacitor, and the circuit shown in
Figure 3-3 is an example of clamper circuit.

Figure 3-3
How does clamper operates?
- When the input voltage is positive (Vi > 0) the diode is ON, so applying KVL around
the circuit we have:
− Vi + VC + 0.7 = 0 ⇒ VC = Vi − 0.7
Since the diode is ON the output voltage will be: Vo = V D = 0.7V .
- When the input voltage is zer (Vi = 0) the diode is OFF. Applying KVL we have:
0 + VC + Vo = 0 ⇒ Vo = −VC
- And when the input voltage is negative (Vi < 0) the diode is OFF, so applying KVL we
get:
Vi + VC + Vo = 0 ⇒ Vo = −Vi − VC

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For example, let Vin = 5 sin( ωt ) Volts and silicon diode is used VD = 0.7V ,
then:
When Vi > 0 ⇒ VC = 5 − 0.7 = 4.3V ⇒ Vo = 0.7V
When Vi = 0 ⇒ Vo = −VC = −4.3V
When Vi < 0 ⇒ Vo = −Vi − VC = −5 − 4.3 = −9.3V
So the output will be as shown in Figure 3-4.

Figure 3-4
How to determine the output of clamper circuit?
1. Determine the polarity of the ac source at which the diode is ON, and then apply
KVL to find the capacitor voltage, and be careful to the polarity of the voltage across
the capacitor. See Figure 3-5. Since the diode is ON, then the output voltage is VD.

Figure 3-5
2. Make the ac source short circuit and apply KVL to determine the dc-level of the
output voltage where: Vo( dc ) = −VC .
3. Now, invert the ac-source terminals and find the output voltage. Since the diode is
OFF so; applying KVL, the peak output voltage is: Vo = −Vi − VC .

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Experimental Procedure:
• Clippers:
- We connected the circuit shown in Figure 3-6.

Figure 3-6
- After measuring the 4.7kΩ-resistance using the DMM it is found that:
Measured Value Typical value
4.742 kΩ 4.7 kΩ
- When Vdc was set to 1V, the input and output waveforms were as in Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7
- We started to change Vdc from 0V up to 6V, and measure and sketch the output. The
output waveform was similar to that when Vdc = 0V, but with different magnitude. The
results were as in table 3-1.
Vdc (V) Peak (V) Bottom (V)
0 1 -2.2
1 1.8 -2.3
2 2.4 -2.5
3 2.5 -2.5
4 2.5 -2.5
5 2.5 -2.5
6 2.5 -2.5
Table (3-1)
We note that when Vdc was increased to some level, the output voltage became constant
at maximum value (Vdc = Vi(peak)).
- Then, we reversed the diode terminals, and the circuit was as in Figure 3-8.

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Figure 3-8
and the input and output wave forms were as in Figure 3-9.

Figure 3-9
Then we started to change Vdc from 0V up to 6V and register the peak and bottom of
the output waveform as in Table 3-2.
Vdc (V) Peak (V) Bottom (V)
0 1.6 -1
1 1.2 -0.6
2 0.4 -0.2
3 0.04 -0.035
4 0.02 -0.025
5 0.015 -0.02
6 0.01 -0.02
Table 3-2
- We connected the circuit shown in Figure 3-10

Figure 3-10
Then we sketched the input and output waveforms as in Figure 3-11.

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Figure 3-11

• Clampers:
- We connected the circuit shown in Figure 3-12.

Figure 3-12
The 100-KΩ resistor was measured and we found that:
Typical value Measured value
100 kΩ 98.23 kΩ

- The input and output waveforms were as in Figure 3-13.

Figure 3-13
- When the 100-kΩ resistor was changed by 1-kΩ resistor, we note that some distortion
appeared in the output signal, the reason is that for the circuit the time constant is

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τ = RC , so when R is not large enough, the voltage across the capacitor will discharge
significantly during the interval the diode is OFF.
- Then the circuit shown in Figure 3-14 was connected;

Figure 3-14
The input and output waveforms when Vdc = 1V were as in Figure 3-15.

Figure 3-15
- When the dc supply voltage (Vdc) was changed form 0V to 3V the peak value and the
bottom of the output sine wave were as in Table 3-3.
Vdc Peak Bottom
0 0.4 -5.6
1 1.6 -4.4
2 2.6 -3.4
3 3.6 -2.4

Discussions and Conclusions:

1. We can use clipper circuits to create specific type of signal or to limit the voltage that can
be applied to a network.
2. Clipper circuit can give a dc-value for any signal with 0V-dc-value.
3. Clippers can be used in TV set to detect the synchronous pulses.
4. Clampers can be used to increase the dc-value of the signal.
5. We connect a high value resistance in parallel with the diode to eliminate the distortion in
the output signal.
6. A dc source can be connected in the clamper network to change the dc-level.

B Some errors appeared in the experiment, which are related to:

1. The capacitance which is created in the diode because of frequency effect, which was not
included.

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2. The capacitors may have some storage voltage between their plates.
3. The resolution of measurement devices used.
4. Personal errors.
5. Thermal drift in diodes and resistors.

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