NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

LAB REPORT
Summer 2021

COURSE NAME: Analog Electronics Lab

COURSE CODE: EEE/ETE 111 L
SECTION: 09
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Tasmina Imam
EXPERIMENT NO: 05
EXPERIMENT NAME:

Zener Diode applications.

EXPERIMENT DATE: 28th July 2021

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 3 August 2021
GROUP NUMBER: 07
SUBMITTED TO: Tasmina Imam
SUBMITTED BY STUDENT ID SCORE
1.Mohammad Iftekhar Bin Ashraf 2013199645
2. Nuzhath Tabassum Orpaa 1931052042
3. Ahanaf Tahomid 1831920642
4. Md. Mehraj Hossain Sani (writer) 2013623043
5. Md Kamran Ahmed 2012356643
Objectives:
• Study of the Zener Diode applications.

Theory:
A Zener diode is a heavily doped semiconductor diode which is designed to operate in reverse
direction or in the breakdown region. So, we can say that, it’s a specially designed diode that can
optimize in the breakdown region. The Ordinary diodes we have studied before do not operate in
the breakdown region because this may damage them. But in this case Zener diode operates in
the breakdown region. The Zener diode behaves just like a normal general-purpose diode
consisting of a silicon PN junction and when biased in the forward direction, that is Anode
positive with respect to its Cathode, it behaves just like a normal signal diode passing the rated
current.
However, unlike a conventional diode that blocks any flow of current through itself when reverse
biased, that is the Cathode becomes more positive than the Anode, as soon as the reverse voltage
reaches a pre-determined value, the Zener diode begins to conduct in the reverse direction The
symbol of Zener diode shows in figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1: Symbol of Zener Diode.i

Figure 5.2: I - V Characteristics of Zener Diode.

The Zener diode may have a breakdown voltage from about 2 to 200 volts. These diodes can
operate in any of three regions – forward, leakage and breakdown. Figure 5.2 shows the I-V
characteristics curve of Zener diode.ii

• The first quadrant is the forward biased region. In this region, the Zener diode works like
an ordinary diode. When a forward voltage is applied, current flows through it.
• In the leakage region (between zero and breakdown) it has only a small reverse saturation
current.
• In the breakdown it has a sharp knee, followed by an almost vertical increase in current
without changing the voltage. Once the reverse bias voltage becomes more than the Zener
breakdown voltage, a significant amount of current starts flowing through the diode due
to Zener breakdown. The voltage remains at the Zener breakdown voltage value.
• The voltage is almost constant, approximately equal to Vz over most of the breakdown
region.

Equivalent circuits of Zener diode: Two approximations are used for Zener Diode equivalent
circuit.
First Approximation: As the voltage remains constant across the Zener diode though the current
changes through it, it is considered as a constant voltage source according to the first
approximation.
Second Approximation: A Zener resistance is in series with the ideal voltage source is
approximated.

Equipment and Components:

Serial Component Details Specification Quantity

no.

1. Zener diode 5 volts 1 piece

2. Resistor 220Ω, 470Ω, 1kΩ 1 piece each

3. POT 10 kΩ 1 piece

4. Trainer Board 1 unit

5. DC Power Supply 1 unit

6. Digital Multimeter 1 unit

7. Chords and wire as required

Experimental Setup:

Figure: 5.3- Revere Biased Zener

Figure 5.4: Load Regulations

Figure 5.5: Line Regulations

Data and Table:

Theoretical Practical
470Ω 470Ω
220Ω 220Ω
1KΩ 1KΩ

Table 5.1: Data for I - V characteristics

V VR Vz Iz = VR / R
(volts) (mA)
(volts) (volts)
0.1 9.447 uV 99.991 mV 20.101 nA=2.0101e^-5mA
0.3 28.339 uV 299.972 mV 60.296 nA=6.0296e^-5mA
0.5 47.231 uV 499.953 mV 100.492 nA=0.000100492mA
0.7 66.128 uV 699.934 mV 140.687 nA=0.000140687mA
1.0 94.462 uV 999.906 mV 200.984 nA=0.000200984mA
2.0 188.924 uV 2V 401.967 nA=0.000401967mA
3.0 283.405 uV 3V 602.94 nA=0.00060294mA
4.0 377.873 uV 4V 803.935 nA=0.000803935mA
5.0 92.521 mV 4.9 V 196.853 uA=0.196853mA
6.0 1.044 V 4.956 V 2.221 mA
7.0 2.031 V 4.969 V 4.321 mA
8.0 3.023 V 4.977 V 6.431 mA
9.0 4.017V 4.983 V 8.547 mA
10.0 5.013 V 4.987 V 10.665 mA

Table 5.2: Data for Load Regulation

POT_R (k ohm) V220 (mV) VL (volts) IL (Amp)= V220/220

500 Ω 1.518 V 4.967 V 6.898 mA
1 kΩ 897.643 mV 4.978 V 4.08 mA
5 kΩ 210.119 mV 4.986 V 955.092 uA=0.955092 mA
9 kΩ 118.981 mV 4.986 V 540.828 uA=0.540828 mA
10 kΩ 107.341 mV 4.986 V 487.92 uA=0.48792 mA
 Table 5.3: Data for Line Regulation.

V (volts) VL (volts)
1.0 721.844mV
=0.721844V
3.0 2.166 V
6.0 4.331 V
8.0 4.958 V
9.0 4.97 V
10.0 4.978 V
11.0 4.983 V
12.0 4.988 V

Graph:

Graph 5.1: I-V characteristics of Zener diode

Graph 5.2: IL vs V graph
 Graph 5.3: VL vs V graph

Result analysis and Discussion:

In this experiment, we were introduced to key concepts like Zener diodes, breakdown voltages
and their applications in a circuit. All the required simulations were performed using multisim
and the results were verified from the theory section of the lab manual. We experimented with
Zener diodes three ways namely- reverse biased Zener, load regulations and line regulations. The
three sets of readings were then used to corroborate Zener diodes functioning on breakdown
regions. For table 5.1, we created a simple circuit with three components only. We then changed
the values of DC supply voltage periodically. The value of voltage across Zener and resistor
were recorded. The Vz values in all cases were less than 5V. In 5.2, we took a steady DC voltage
and a load comprising of resistor and a varied resistor. We varied the resistance value and still
found the V z values never touched 5V. For table 5.3, we constructed a similar circuit as part 2
but swapped the power supply with a variable DC supply. The VL values continued to fluctuate
between 4.945V to 4.993V. Our experiment confirmed that Zener diodes can run efficiently even
on breakdown regions.

Question/Answer:
1. Plot I-V characteristics of Zener diode. Determine the Zener breakdown voltage from

the plot.
Answer:

Graph: I-V characteristics of Zener diode

From the plot the Zener breakdown voltage is 5V.
2. Plot IL vs VL for the data table 4.2. Scale [ x-axis: 0.1V/DIV, y-axis: any suitable range].
Find the Load regulation from the graph.
Answer:

From the graph and table 4.2 the load regulation is 0.48792 mA to 0.955092 mA because in this
region the load voltage is constant.
3. Plot VL vs V for the data table 4.3. Find the line regulation from graph.
Answer:

From the graph the line regulation is 8V to 12V because in this region the load voltages are
almost constant.
Attachment: Class Assignment.
Table 5.1: Data for I - V characteristics

V VR Vz Iz = VR / R
(volts) (mA)
(volts) (volts)
0.1 9.447 uV 99.991 mV 20.101 nA
0.3 28.339 uV 299.972 mV 60.296 nA
0.5 47.231 uV 499.953 mV 100.492 nA
0.7 66.128 uV 699.934 mV 140.687 nA
1.0 94.462 uV 999.906 mV 200.984 nA
2.0 188.924 uV 2V 401.967 nA
3.0 283.405 uV 3V 602.94 nA
4.0 377.873 uV 4V 803.935 nA
5.0 92.521 mV 4.9 V 196.853 uA
6.0 1.044 V 4.956 V 2.221 mA
7.0 2.031 V 4.969 V 4.321 mA
8.0 3.023 V 4.977 V 6.431 mA
9.0 4.017V 4.983 V 8.547 mA
10.0 5.013 V 4.987 V 10.665 mA

Table 5.2: Data for Load Regulation

POT_R (k ohm) V220 (mV) VL (volts) IL (Amp)= V220/220

500 Ω 1.518 V 4.967 V 6.898 mA
1 kΩ 897.643 mV 4.978 V 4.08 mA
5 kΩ 210.119 mV 4.986 V 955.092 uA
9 kΩ 118.981 mV 4.986 V 540.828 uA
10 kΩ 107.341 mV 4.986 V 487.92 uA

Table 5.3: Data for Line Regulation.

V (volts) VL (volts)
1.0 721.844 mV
3.0 2.166 V
 6.0 4.331 V
8.0 4.958 V
9.0 4.97 V
10.0 4.978 V
11.0 4.983 V
12.0 4.988 V

Figure 5.3: Reverse Biased Zener

Figure 5.4: Load Regulations.

Figure 5.5: Line Regulations

i
https://circuitglobe.com/zener-diode.html
ii
https://www.electrical4u.com/characteristics-of-zener-diode/