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Clipper circuit.

An electronic circuit that is used to alter the positive peak or negative peak of the input signal to a definite
value by shifting the entire signal up or down to obtain the output signal peaks at desired level is called as
Clamper circuit.

There are different types of clipper and clamper circuits as discussed below.

Working of Clipper Circuit

The clipper circuit can be designed by utilizing both the linear and nonlinear elements such as resistors,
diodes or transistors. As these circuits are used only for clipping input waveform as per the requirement
and for transmitting the waveform, they do not contain any energy storing element like a capacitor.

In general, clippers are classified into two types: Series Clippers and Shunt Clippers.

1. Series Clippers

Series clippers are again classified into series negative clippers and series positive clippers which are as
follows:

a. Series Negative Clipper

i) Series Negative Clipper

The figure shows a series negative clipper with its output

waveforms.

During the positive half cycle the diode (considered as ideal

diode) appears in the forward biased and conducts such that the
entire positive half cycle of input appears across the resistor
connected in parallel as output waveform.

During the negative half cycle the diode is in reverse biased. No output appears across the resistor.
Thus, it clips the negative half cycle of the input waveform, and therefore, it is called as a series
negative clipper.

ii) Series Negative Clipper With Positive Vr

Series negative clipper with positive reference voltage is similar

to the series negative clipper, but in this a positive reference
voltage is added in series with the resistor.

During the positive half cycle, the diode start conducting only
after its anode voltage value exceeds the cathode voltage value.
Since cathode voltage becomes equal to the reference voltage,
the output that appears across the resistor will be as shown in the
above figure.
iii) Series Negative Clipper With Negative Vr

The series negative clipper with a negative reference voltage is

similar to the series negative clipper with positive reference
voltage, but instead of positive Vr here a negative Vr is
connected in series with the resistor, which makes the cathode
voltage of the diode as negative voltage.

Thus during the positive half cycle, the entire input appears as
output across the resistor, and

During the negative half cycle, the input appears as output until the input value will be less than the
negative reference voltage, as shown in the figure.
b. i) Series Positive Clipper

The series positive clipper circuit is connected as shown in the

figure.

During the positive half cycle, diode becomes reverse biased, and
no output is generated across the resistor, and

During the negative half cycle, the diode conducts and the entire
input appears as output across the resistor.

ii) Series Positive Clipper with Negative Vr

It is similar to the series positive clipper in addition to a negative

reference voltage in series with a resistor; and here,

During the positive half cycle, the output appears across the
resistor as a negative reference voltage.

During the negative half cycle, the output is generated after

reaching a value greater than the negative reference voltage, as
shown in the above figure.

iii) Series Positive Clipper with Positive Vr

Instead of negative reference voltage a positive reference voltage is

connected to obtain series positive clipper with a positive reference
voltage.

During the positive half cycle, the reference voltage appears as an

output across the resistor, and

During the negative half cycle, the entire input appears as output across the resistor.
2. Shunt Clippers

Shunt clippers are classified into two types: shunt negative clippers and shunt positive clippers.

a. i) Shunt Negative Clipper

Shunt negative clipper is connected as shown in the above figure.

During the positive half cycle, the entire input is the output, and

During the negative half cycle, the diode conducts causing no

output to be generated from the input.

ii) Shunt Negative Clipper with Positive Vr

A series positive reference voltage is added to the diode as

shown in the figure.

During the positive half cycle, the input is generated as output,

and

during the negative half cycle, a positive reference voltage will

be the output voltage as shown above.

iii) Shunt Negative Clipper with Negative Vr

Instead of positive reference voltage, a negative reference voltage

is connected in series with the diode to form a shunt negative
clipper with a negative reference voltage.

During the positive half cycle, the entire input appears as output,
and

During the negative half cycle, a reference voltage appears as output as shown in the above figure.
b. i) Shunt Positive Clipper

During the positive half cycle the diode is in conduction mode and
no output is generated; and

During the negative half cycle; entire input appears as output as the
diode is in reverse bias as shown in the above figure.

ii) Shunt Positive Clipper with Negative Vr

During the positive half cycle, the negative reference voltage

connected in series with the diode appears as output; and

During the negative half cycle, the diode conducts until the input
voltage value becomes greater than the negative reference voltage
and output will be generated as shown in the figure.

Shunt Positive Clipper with Positive Vr

During the positive half cycle the diode conducts causing the
positive reference voltage appear as output voltage; and,

During the negative half cycle, the entire input is generated as the
output as the diode is in reverse biased.

In addition to the positive and negative clippers, there is a combined

clipper which is used for clipping both the positive and negative half cycles as discussed below.
Positive-Negative Clipper with Reference Voltage Vr

The circuit is connected as shown in the figure with a reference

voltage Vr, diodes D1 & D2.

During the positive half cycle, the diode the diode D1 conducts
causing the reference voltage connected in series with D1 to
appear across the output.

During the negative cycle, the diode D2 conducts causing the negative reference voltage connected across
the D2 appear as output, as shown in the above figure
Clamper Circuit

Working of Clamper Circuit

The positive or negative peak of a signal can be positioned at the desired level by using the clamping
circuits. As we can shift the levels of peaks of the signal by using a clamper, hence, it is also called as
level shifter.

The clamper circuit consists of a capacitor and diode connected in parallel across the load. The clamper
circuit depends on the change in the time constant of the capacitor. The capacitor must be chosen such
that, during the conduction of the diode, the capacitor must be sufficient to charge quickly and during the
non conducting period of diode, the capacitor should not discharge drastically. The clampers are
classified as positive and negative clampers based on the clamping method.

1. Negative Clamper

During the positive half cycle, the input diode is in forward

bias- and as the diode conducts-capacitor gets charged (up to
peak value of input supply).

During the negative half cycle, reverse does not conduct and
the output voltage become equal to the sum of the input
voltage and the voltage stored across the capacitor.

Negative Clamper with Positive Vr

It is similar to the negative clamper, but the output waveform is

shifted towards the positive direction by a positive reference
voltage.

As the positive reference voltage is connected in series with the

diode, during the positive half cycle, even though the diode
conducts, the output voltage becomes equal to the reference
voltage; hence, the output is clamped towards the positive
direction as shown in the above figure.

Negative Clamper with Negative Vr

By inverting the reference voltage directions, the negative

reference voltage is connected in series with the diode as
shown in the above figure. During the positive half cycle, the
diode starts conduction before zero, as the cathode has a
negative reference voltage, which is less than that of zero and
the anode voltage, and thus, the waveform is clamped
towards the negative direction by the reference voltage value
2. Positive Clamper

It is almost similar to the negative clamper circuit, but the

diode is connected in the opposite direction.

During the positive half cycle, the voltage across the output
terminals becomes equal to the sum of the input voltage and
capacitor voltage (considering the capacitor as initially fully
charged).

During the negative half cycle of the input, the diode starts conducting and charges the capacitor rapidly
to its peak input value. Thus the waveforms are clamped towards the positive direction as shown above.

Positive Clamper with Positive Vr

A positive reference voltage is added in series with the

diode of the positive clamper as shown in the circuit.

During the positive half cycle of the input, the diode

conducts as initially the supply voltage is less than the
anode positive reference voltage. If once the cathode
voltage is greater than anode voltage then the diode stops conduction.

During the negative half cycle, the diode conducts and charges the capacitor. The output is generated as
shown in the figure.

Positive Clamper with Negative Vr

The direction of the reference voltage is reversed, which

is connected in series with the diode making it as a
negative reference voltage.
During the positive half cycle the diode will be non
conducting, such that the output is equal to capacitor
voltage and input voltage.
During the negative half cycle, the diode starts conduction
only after the cathode voltage value becomes less than the
anode voltage. Thus, the output waveforms are generated as shown in the above figure.
Applications of Clippers and Clampers

Clippers find several applications, such as

 For the generation of new waveforms or shaping the existing waveform, clippers are used.
 The typical application of diode clipper is for the protection of transistor from transients, as a
freewheeling diode connected in parallel across the inductive load.
 Frequently used half wave rectifier in power supply kits is a typical example of a clipper. It clips either
positive or negative half wave of the input.
 Clippers can be used as voltage limiters and amplitude selectors.

Clampers can be used in applications

 Clampers are also called as direct current restorers as they clamp the wave forms to a fixed DC potential.
 These are frequently used in test equipment, sonar and radar systems.
 For the protection of the amplifiers from large errant signals clampers are used.
 Clampers can be used for removing the distortions
 Clampers can be used as voltage doublers or voltage multipliers.