UNIT-2

NON-LINEAR WAVE
SHAPING
Non-Linear Wave Shaping
Definition: The process where by the
form of a signal is changed by
transmission through a non-linear
network is called Non-linear Wave
Shaping.
Types:
i. Clippers.
ii. Clampers.
Clipper Classifications

According to biasing, the clippers may be classified as

Unbiased clippers and

Biased clippers.

According to configuration used the clippers may be

Series diode clippers
Parallel or shunt diode clippers
A series combination of diode, resistor and referencesupply
Multi-diode clippers consisting of several diodes, resistors
and reference voltages
Two emitter-coupled transistors operating as an over-driven
Contd
According to level of clipping the clippers may be

Positive clippers
Negative clippers
Biased clippers and
Combination clippers
Clipper
Clipping circuits are used to remove the part of a
signal that is above or below some defined
reference level.
Clippers also known as
Voltage limiters
Current limiters
Amplitude selectors
Slicers
Unbiased clippers( Parallel
PositiveClippers)
Without the battery, the output of the circuit below would
be the negative portion of the input wave (assuming the
bottom node is grounded). When vi > 0, the diode is on
(short-circuited), vi is dropped across R and vo=0. When vi
<0, the diode is off (open-circuited), the voltage across R is
zero and vo=vi.
 Unbiased clippers( Parallel
Negative Clippers)
+ive cycle :- anode is at ground potential and cathode sees
variable +ive voltage from 0 to +Vm So complete cycle, the
diode is reverse biased and Vo =Vin.At positive peak Vo=+5V
-ive cycle :- anode is at ground potential and cathode sees
variable -ive vols from 0 to Vm. When magnitude of in put
volatge i.e / Vin/ >Vd, the diode become forward biased and
hence Vo =-Vd =0.7V
 Series positive clipper
+ive cycle :- anode is at ground potential and cathode sees
variable +ive voltage from 0 to +Vm.For comlpete, cycle,diode
become reverse biased and hence Vo=0V
-ive cycle :- anode is at ground potential and cathode sees
variable -ive voltage from 0 to Vm. So in complete cycle, the
diode is forward biased and Vo= Vin + Vd andAt negative peak,
Vo= -Vm+ Vd = -5v
 Series Negative clipper
+ive cycle :- anode is at positive potential from 0 to +Vm.For comlpete,
cycle, diode become forward biased and hence vo= 5v
-ive cycle :- Cathode is at ground potential and cathode sees variable -
ive voltage from 0 to Vm. So in complete cycle, the diode is Reverse
biased and negative peak, Vo= 0
Positive Shunt clipping with zero
reference Rvoltage
D
Vi Vo VO VO
Input

Output
Transfercharacteristics equations:
V V
VO=0for Vi>0
[Ideal] Slope =1 Vi
VO=Vi for Vi<0

VO=VforVi>V
DON
VO=ViforVi<V
DOFF
Vi

Input
Positive Shunt clipping with positive
reference vRoltage
D
Vi Vo
VR VO VO
Input
Transfer characteristics
equations: VR + V VR + V Output

Vi < VR+V D OFF

Vi
VO = Vi
Vi > VR+V D ON
VO = VR+V
Positive Shunt clipping with negative
reference voltage
R

D
VO VO
Vi Vo
VR
Input

Vi
Transfer characteristics Vi
equation:

Output
Vi > V - VR D ON VO Vi

= V - VR
Vi < V - VR D OFF
VO = Vi
Negative Shunt clipping with zero
reference voltage
R

VO VO

Vi D Vo
Input

-V -V
Transfer characteristic Vi
equations:
Output
Vi
Vi > -V D OFF VO = V

Vi < -V D ON VO = -V
Negative Shunt clipping with positive
reference voltage
R

D VO VO
Vi Vo
VR DOFF
DON

Transfer characteristics VR - V Vi
equations:

Vi < VR-V D ON Vi
VO = VR-V

Vi > VR-V D OFF

VO = Vi
Negative Shunt clipping with negative
reference voltage
R
VO VO
D
Vi Vo
VR
Vi
Transfer characteristic - (V +VR
equations:

Input
Vi < -( V + VR) D ON VO Vi
= -( V + VR)

Vi < -( V + VR) D OFF VO = V i

 Negative Series clipper with zero
reference
D

VO VO
Vi R Vo
Output
Vi
Transfercharacteristicequations:

Vi<0 DOFF VO=0

IdealDiode Vi
Vi>0 DON VO=Vi

Vi<V DOFF VO=0

PracticalDiode
Vi>V DON VO=Vi-V
 CLIPPING ATTWO
INDEPENDENT
R
LEVELS
D D
Vi VR Vo
VR VO VO
Input
Transfercharacteristicequations:
Output
Inp Outp VR Vi
DiodeState 1
ut ut
(Vi) (VO)
Vi VR D1 ON,D2 OFF VO=VR
1 1
VR Vi VR D1 OFF,D2 OFF VO=Vi Vi
1 2

Vi VR2 D1 OFF,D2 ON VO=VR

2
Contd..
 Transistor Clipper circuit
The transistor has two types of linearities
One linearity happens when the transistor passes from cut-in region to the
active region. The other linearity occurs when the transistor passes
from the active region to the saturation region. When any input signal
passes through the transistor, across the boundary between cut-in region
and active region, or across the boundary between the active region and
saturation region, a portion of the input signal waveform will be clipped o ff.
 CLAMPING CIRCUIT
The need to establish the extremity of the positive (or) negative
signal excursion at some reference level. When the signal is
passed through a capacitive coupling network such a signal has
lost its d.c. component. The clamping circuit introduces the d.c.
components at the outside, for this reason the coupling circuits are
referred to as d.c. restore (or) d.c. reinserter.

Def : A clamping circuit is one that takes an input waveform and

provides an output i.e., a faithful replica of its shape, but has one
edge clamped to the zero voltage reference point.

There are two types of clamping circuits.

1) Negative clamping circuit.

2) Positive clamping circuit.
 Diode :- Clamper
Positive Clamper
The circuit for a positive
clamper is shown in the figure.
During the negative half cycle
of the input signal, the diode
conducts and acts like a short
circuit. The output voltageVo
0 volts . The capacitor is
charged to the peak value of
input voltage Vm. and it
behaves like a battery. During
the positive half of the input
signal, the diode does not
conduct and acts as an open
circuit. Hence the output
voltage VoVm+ Vm This
gives a positively clamped
Vo Vm+ Vm = 2
voltage.
Vm
 Negative Clamper
During the positive half cycle
the diode conducts and acts
like a short circuit. The
capacitor charges to peak
value of input voltage Vm.
During this interval the
output Vo which is taken
across the short circuit will
be zero During the negative
half cycle, the diode is open.
The output voltage can be
found by applying KVL.
Biased Clamper
 CLAMPING CIRCUIT THEOREM
Therefore the charge acquired by the capacitor during
the forward interval
Af Rf
=
Ar R
Consider a square wave input is applied to a clamping circuit under
steady state condition
If Vf (t) is the output waveform in the forward direction, then from below figure
the capacitor charging current is
V
if = f
Rf
Therefore the charge acquired by the capacitor during the
forward interval T1 T1

1 Af
f Rf f Rf .. (1)
i dt = V dt =
0 0
Similarly if Vf (t) is the output voltage in the reverse direction,
then the current which discharges by the capacitor is

T2 T2
1 Ar
ir dt = R Vr dt = R .. (2)
T1 T2

In the steady-state the net charge acquired by the capacitor

must be zero.
Therefore from equation (1) & (2) this equation says that
for any input waveform the ratio of the area under the output voltage
curve in the forward direction to the reverse direction is equal to the
ratio .
Clamping Circuit taking Source and Diode
Resistances into account
Practical Clamping circuit
Effect of diode characteristics on clamping
voltage
Synchronized Clamping