EXPERIMENT 1A: THE DIODE

I. OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate the characteristics of a Silicon diode.
2. To determine the amount of voltage that will turn on the
Silicon diode.
II. BASIC CONCEPT
PN diode is a two terminal device which exhibits a drastic
increase in forward electron current when a forward voltage
reaches the barrier potential (0.3V for Ge and 0.7V for Si). This
occurs when the anode terminal is made positive with respect to
cathode.
On the other hand, when anode is made negative with
respect to cathode, reverse current flows. This current increases
rapidly when the reverse voltage reaches the reverse breakdown
voltage. Under these circumstances, the PN diode acts as a high
resistance making it to conduct very poorly.

Figure 1: Schematic Symbol of a Diode

III. MATERIALS
Quantity ​ ​ ​ ​ escription
D
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​10ohm resistor (1/2 W)
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​100ohm resistor (1/2 W)
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​1Kohm resistor (1/2 W)
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​1N4001 silicon diode
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​DC Power Supply
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Signal Generator
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Multimeter
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Breadboard
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Dual Trace Oscilloscope
1set ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Connecting wires

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IV. WIRING DIAGRAMS

Figure 1.1 Silicon Diode

Figure 1.2 Diode Circuits

Figure 1.3

V. PROCEDURE
1. Using your VOM, select a low resistance meter
range and connect the positive lead of the VOM
to the diode’s anode terminal, while the negative
lead, cathode’s terminal, as shown in Figure 1.1.
measure the resistance reading.
2. Now reverse the VOM’s lead to that the meter’s
positive lead is connected to the cathode and the
negative lead the anode. Note the resistance
reading. This is the reverse resistance.
3. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 1.2.
Adjust the DC power supply to give a voltage
across the 1Kohm as shown in Table 1.1. For
each voltage, measure and record the DC voltage

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 drop (V ) across the diode. Determine the diode
D

current by using the Ohm’s law in each voltage

value.
4. Plot the resulting curve (diode current versus
diode voltage). Graphically, determine the diode
barrier potential (V ), and forward resistance (R ),
B F

record your results in Table 1.2.

5. Disconnect the power from the breadboard and
wire the circuit shown in Figure 1.3. Then set the
oscilloscope’s control to the following
approximate setting.
​ ​ ​
​ ​Vertical (or Y) input sensitivity: 10mV/division DC
coupling
​ ​Horizontal (or X) input sensitivity: 1V/division DC
coupling

6. Adjust the sine wave frequency of the signal

generator to approximately 100Hz, and vary the
generator’s output level so that you observe the
characteristics diode curve similar to the one
plotted in Step 4 or Figure 1.1. The horizontal
measures the voltage across the diode (V ), D

neglecting the small voltage across the voltage

drop across the 10ohm resistor, which is the same
as the diode voltage.

​ ​Vertical sensitivity = (10mV/div)/ 10Mohm

​ ​ = 1mA/division

7. As in step 4 from the oscilloscope display

graphically determine the diode’s barrier
potential and forward resistance, recording your
results in Table 1.2. How does this compare with
step 4 for the same diode?

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VI. DATA AND RESULTS

Table 1.1
Input Voltage Diode Voltage Diode Forward Current
Vin (V) VD (V) ID (mA)
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Table 1.2
Parameter Step 4 Step 7
Diode Barrier Potential VB(V)
Diode Forward Resistance RF(Ω)

VII. SAMPLE COMPUTATIONS

VIII. GRAPHS
IX. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
X. CONCLUSIONS

XI. QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS
1. When an ohmmeter is used to test a diode, as shown in
Figure 1.1, a very low resistance (but not zero) in one
direction means that the diode is
a. Open

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 b. Forward bias
c. Shorted
d. Reversed bias

2. In the experiment, the measured diode barrier potential is

approximately

a. 0.3V
b. 0.6V
c. 0.9V
d. 1.2V

3. In Figure 1.3, the 10ohm resistor is changed to 100ohm and

the oscilloscope’s vertical sensitivity is 0.5V/division, then
the vertical the vertical axis in terms of current is

a. 0.5 mA/division
b. 5 mA/division
c. 50 mA/division
d. 0.5 A/division

4. For which region of your experimental diode curve does

the diode look an open circuit.
a. Diode voltage less than the barrier potential
b. Diode voltage greater than the barrier potential

5. For the region of the diode curve greater than the diode’s
barrier potential
a. The curve is essentially horizontal
b. The diode forward resistance approaches an open circuit
c. The diode voltage increases rapidly
d. The diode current increases

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 EXPERIMENT 1B: DIODE RECTIFIERS
I. OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate three diode rectifier circuits; half-wave
rectifier, center-tapped full-wave rectifier, and full-wave
bridge type rectifier.
2. To determine which diode rectifier circuit will give an
improved dc level from sinusoidal input.
II. BASIC CONCEPT
Rectification is the process of obtaining a DC level voltage
from an AC source. Rectifier circuits can be half-wave, full
wave, and full-wave bridge rectifier circuits.
A circuit is known to be a half-wave rectifier if the load
current flows approximately one-half of the sine-wave period.
Only one-half of the waveform is seen in the oscilloscope
because the diode is “cut-off” during one-half of the cycle.
V =V -V
m s(pk) D

I =V /R
m m L

V = 0.318V
DC m

where
V = output rectified voltage
m

V = secondary voltage
s(pk)

m
I = output current
V = diode’s voltage drop
D

​V = DC or average voltage
DC

The full-wave center-tapped rectifier is constructed using

two diodes and a center-tapped transformer. The load current
flows through during the entire cycle because at one-half of the
cycle, the diode is “cut-off” and the other diode is operating and
vice-versa.
V = (V / 2) - V
m s(pk) D

I =V /R
m m L

V = 0.636V
DC m

The full-wave bridge rectifier is done by using four diodes

instead of just two diodes, avoiding the use of a center tapped
transformer. The load current flows through the load during the

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entire cycle because at the time when two diodes are “cut-off”,
the other two are operating.
V =V -2V m s(pk) D

I =V /R m m L

V = 0.636V DC m

III. MATERIALS
Quantity ​ ​ ​ ​ escription
D
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​1-K Ω resistor (1/2 watt)
6 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​1N4001 silicon diode
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​12V/1A secondary center tapped
transformer (with plug)
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Multimeter
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Breadboard
1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Dual Trace Oscilliscope
1set ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Connecting wires

IV. WIRING DIAGRAM

Figure 1.1 Half-Wave Rectifier

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 Figure 1.2 Center-tapped Full Wave Rectifier

Figure 1.3 Bridge-Type Full Wave Rectifier

V. PROCEDURE
1. Connect the half-wave rectifier circuit shown
in Figure 1.1
2. Set the oscilloscope to the following:
​Channels 1 and 2: 10V/division, DC coupling
​Time Base: 5ms/Division
3. Measure the transformer’s peak secondary
voltage and record this as V in Table 1.1.
s

Measure the output peak voltage across the 1

KΩ resistor and record this as V in Table 1.1.
m

4. Plot both waveforms (V and V ) using the

s m

same scale.
5. With your VOM or DMM, measure the DC
voltage (V ) across the 1 KΩ resistor and
DC

record your results in Table 1.1. Compare the

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 results with that obtained from the ideal
equations for the average or DC voltage of the
half-wave rectifier.
6. Turn off the power to the transformer and wire
the center-tapped full-wave rectifier circuit
shown in Figure 1.2.
7. Now set the oscilloscope to the following
approximate settings:
​ ​ ​Channel 1 and 2: 5V/division, DC coupling
​ ​ ​Time base: 5ms/division
8. Repeat steps 3-5.
9. Turn off the power to the transformer and wire
the full-wave bridge rectifier circuit shown in
Figure 1.3.
10. Repeat steps 3-5.

VI. DATA AND RESULTS

Table 1.1
Measured Parameter HW Rectifier C-T FW Rectifier FW Bridge Rectifier
Vs
Vm
VDC

VII. SAMPLE COMPUTATIONS

VIII. GRAPHS
IX. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
X. CONCLUSIONS

XI. SELF TEST QUESTIONS

1. What is the purpose of a rectifier in a power supply?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a full-wave
rectifier circuit over a bridge-rectifier circuit?
3. Which rectifier configuration represents the best selection?
Why?

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XII. APPLICATION (CIRCUIT SIMULATION)

A full wave bridge rectifier with a 12V sinusoidal input has

a load resistance of 2.2Kohms, determine the voltage available
at the load. Show the output waveform of the circuit and
compare the results based on your computed values.

12V

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