Diode Clippers A study of various Clipping Circuits

This article explains the working of different diode clipper circuits like Positive and Negative Diode
Clippers, Biased Clipper circuit, and Combinational Clipper Circuit with the help of circuit diagrams
and waveforms.
The basic components required for a clipping circuit are an ideal diode and a resistor. In order to fix the
clipping level to the desired amount, a dc battery must also be included. When the diode is forward biased, it
acts as a closed switch, and when it is reverse biased, it acts as an open switch. Different levels of clipping can
be obtained by varying the amount of voltage of the battery and also interchanging the positions of the diode
and resistor. Depending on the features of the diode, the positive or negative region of the input signal is
clipped off and accordingly the diode clippers may be positive or negative clippers.
There are two general categories of clippers: series and parallel (or shunt). The series configuration is
defined as one where diode is in series with the load, while the shunt clipper has the diode in a branch
parallel to the load.
Positive Clipper and Negative Clipper
Positive Diode Clipper
In a positive clipper, the positive half cycles of the input voltage will be removed. The circuit arrangements for a
positive clipper are illustrated in the figure given below.

As shown in the figure, the diode is kept in series with the load. During the positive half cycle of the input
waveform, the diode D is reverse biased, which maintains the output voltage at 0 Volts. Thus causes the
positive half cycle to be clipped off. During the negative half cycle of the input, the diode is forward biased and
so the negative half cycle appears across the output.In Figure (b), the diode is kept in parallel with the load.
This is the diagram of a positive shunt clipper circuit. During the positive half cycle, the diode D is forward
biased and the diode acts as a closed switch. This causes the diode to conduct heavily. This causes the
voltage drop across the diode or across the load resistance RL to be zero. Thus output voltage during the
positive half cycles is zero, as shown in the output waveform. During the negative half cycles of the input signal
voltage, the diode D is reverse biased and behaves as an open switch. Consequently the entire input voltage

appears across the diode or across the load resistance R L if R is much smaller than R L Actually the circuit
behaves as a voltage divider with an output voltage of [RL / R+ RL] Vmax = -Vmax when RL >> R
Negative Diode Clipper
The negative clipping circuit is almost same as the positive clipping circuit, with only one difference. If the diode
in figures (a) and (b) is reconnected with reversed polarity, the circuits will become for a negative series clipper
and negative shunt clipper respectively. The negative series and negative shunt clippers are shown in figures
(a) and (b) as given below.

In all the above discussions, the diode is considered to be ideal one. In a practical diode, the breakdown
voltage will exist (0.7 V for silicon and 0.3 V for Germanium). When this is taken into account, the output wave forms for positive and negative clippers will be of the shape shown in the figure below.

Negative and Positive Clipping Waveforms

2. Biased Positive Clipper and Biased Negative Clipper
A biased clipper comes in handy when a small portion of positive or negative half cycles of the signal voltage is
to be removed. When a small portion of the negative half cycle is to be removed, it is called a biased negative
clipper. The circuit diagram and waveform is shown in the figure below.

TIn a biased clipper, when the input signal voltage is positive, the diode D is reverse-biased. This causes it to
act as an open-switch. Thus the entire positive half cycle appears across the load, as illustrated by output
waveform [figure (a)]. When the input signal voltage is negative but does not exceed battery the voltage V, the
diode D remains reverse-biased and most of the input voltage appears across the output. When during the
negative half cycle of input signal, the signal voltage becomes more than the battery voltage V, the diode D is
forward biased and so conducts heavily. The output voltage is equal to - V and stays at - V as long as the
magnitude of the input signal voltage is greater than the magnitude of the battery voltage, V. Thus a biased
negative clipper removes input voltage when the input signal voltage becomes greater than the battery voltage.
Clipping can be changed by reversing the battery and diode connections, as illustrated in figure (b).

Some of other biased clipper circuits are given below in the figure. While drawing the wave-shape of the output
basic principle discussed above are followed. The diode has been considered as an ideal one.
3. Combination Clipper
When a portion of both positive and negative of each half cycle of the input voltage is to be clipped (or
removed), combination clipper is employed. The circuit for such a clipper is given in the figure below.

The action of the circuit is summarized below. For positive input voltage signal when input voltage exceeds
battery voltage + V1 diode D1 conducts heavily while diode D2 is reversed biased and so voltage + V1
appears across the output. This output voltage + V1 stays as long as. the input signal voltage exceeds + V 1.
On the other hand for the negative input voltage signal, the diode D1 remains reverse biased and diode D2
conducts heavily only when input voltage exceeds battery voltage V 2 in magnitude. Thus during the negative
half cycle the output stays at - V2 so long as the input signal voltage is greater than -V2.
Drawbacks of Series and Shunt Diode Clippers

In series clippers, when the diode is in OFF position, there will be no transmission of input signal to
output. But in case of high frequency signals transmission occurs through diode capacitance which is
undesirable. This is the drawback of using diode as a series element in such clippers.

In shunt clippers, when diode is in the off condition, transmission of input signal should take place to
output. But in case of high frequency input signals, diode capacitance affects the circuit operation
adversely and the signal gets attenuated (that is, it passes through diode capacitance to ground).

Diode Clamping Circuit

A clamping circuit is used to place either the positive or negative peak of a signal at a desired level. The dc
component is simply added or subtracted to/from the input signal. The clamper is also referred to as an IC
restorer and ac signal level shifter.
In some cases, like a TV receiver, when the signal passes through the capacitive coupling network, it loses its
dc component. This is when the clamper circuit is used so as to re-establish the the dc component into the
signal input. Though the dc component that is lost in transmission is not the same as that introduced through a
clamping circuit, the necessity to establish the extremity of the positive or negative signal excursion at some
reference level is important.
A clamp circuit adds the positive or negative dc component to the input signal so as to push it either on the
positive side, as illustrated in figure (a) or on the negative side, as illustrated in figure (b).
The circuit will be called a positive clamper , when the signal is pushed upward by the circuit. When the signal
moves upward, as shown in figure (a), the negative peak of the signal coincides with the zero level.

The circuit will be called a negative clamper, when the signal is pushed downward by the circuit. When the
signal is pushed on the negative side, as shown in figure (b), the positive peak of the input signal coincides
with the zero level.

For a clamping circuit at least three components a diode, a capacitor and a resistor are required.
Sometimes an independent dc supply is also required to cause an additional shift. The important points
regarding clamping circuits are:
(i) The shape of the waveform will be the same, but its level is shifted either upward or downward,
(ii) There will be no change in the peak-to-peak or rms value of the waveform due to the clamping circuit. Thus,
the input waveform and output waveform will have the same peak-to-peak value that is, 2V max. This is shown in
the figure above. It must also be noted that same readings will be obtained in the ac voltmeter for the input
voltage and the clamped output voltage.
(iii) There will be a change in the peak and average values of the waveform. In the figure shown above, the
input waveform has a peak value of Vmax and average value over a complete cycle is zero. The clamped output
varies from 2 Vmax and 0 (or 0 and -2Vmax). Thus ths peak value of the clamped output is 2V max and average
value is Vmax.
(iv) The values of the resistor R and capacitor C affect the waveform.
(v) The values for the resistor R and capacitor C should be determined from the time constant equation of the
circuit, t = RC. The values must be large enough to make sure that the voltage across the capacitor C does not

change significantly during the time interval the diode is non-conducting. In a good clamper circuit, the circuit
time constant t = RC should be at least ten times the time period of the input signal voltage.
It is advantageous to first consider the condition under which the diode becomes forward biased.
Clamping circuits are often used in television receivers as dc restorers. The signal that is sent to the TV
receiver may lose the dc components after being passed through capacitive coupled amplifiers. Thus the
signal loses its black and white reference levels and the blanking level. Before passing these signals to the
picture tube, these reference levels have to be restored. This is done by using clamper circuits. They also find
applications in storage counters, analog frequency meter, capacitance meter, divider and stair-case waveform
generator.
Consider a negative clamping circuit, a circuit that shifts the original signal in a vertical downward direction, as
shown in the figure below. The diode D will be forward biased and the capacitor C is charged with the polarity
shown, when an input signal is applied. During the positive half cycle of input, the output voltage will be equal
to the barrier potential of the diode, V0 and the capacitor is charged to (V VQ). During the negative half cycle,
the diode becomes reverse-biased and acts as an open-circuit. Thus, there will be no effect on the capacitor
voltage. The resistance R, being of very high value, cannot discharge C a lot during the negative portion of the
input waveform. Thus during negative input, the output voltage will be the sum of the input voltage and the
capacitor voltage and is equal to V (V V 0) or (2 V V 0). The value of the peak-to-peak output will be
the difference of the negative and positive peak voltage levels is equal to V0-[-(2V-V0)] or 2 V.
The figure shown below can me modified into a positive clamping circuit by reconnecting the diode with
reversed polarity. The positive clamping circuit moves the original signal in a vertical upward direction. A
positive clamping circuit is shown in the figure below. It contains a diode D and a capacitor C as are contained
in a negative clamper. The only difference in the circuit is that the polarity of the diode is reversed. The
remaining explanation regarding the working of the circuit is the same as it is explained for the negative
clamper.
To remember which way the dc level of a signal moves, look at figure shown below. Notice that the diode
arrows point downward, the same direction as the dc shift.

Negetive Clamping Circuit

Similarly in the figure shown below, the diode arrow points upward, again the same direction as the dc shifts. It
means that, when the diode points upward. We have a positive dc clamper and when the diode points
downward, the circuit is a negative dc clamper.

Positive Clamping Circuit

A number of clamping circuits with their effect on the input signal are shown in the figure given below. All the
figures shown below have the input and output signals in square waves, the same procedure can be used for
sinusoidal inputs. In fact, one approach to the analysis of clamping networks with sinusoidal inputs is to replace
the sinusoidal wave signal by a square wave of the same peak values. The resulting output will then form an
envelope for the sinusoidal response, as illustrated in figure (g) for a network appearing in figure (f). The
diodes have been assumed to be ideal and 5 RC T/2 in drawing the output waveforms.