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

o Version 1 - Center-Tap Full-Wave Rectifier

 (source)

o Version 2 - Bridge Full-Wave Rectifier

"The diode bridge circuit shown 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 "

(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 . 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
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 figure. 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