Choosing Resistors for Diode AND and OR Gates

In summary, the voltage drop across the D1 diode is much bigger than the voltage drop across the D2 diode. This is because the D1 diode is in forward bias, while the D2 diode is in reverse bias. The voltage drop across the resistor is also constant, since it is connected with the diode in a series.
  • #1
dobry_den
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Hi! There's a schema of a diode AND gate attached. Could anyone of you, please, explain me why the voltage drop across the D1 diode is so big compared to the voltage drop across the D2 diode? Thanks a lot in advance!
 

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  • #2
It says that the output voltage (=voltage at the black node) is 0.6V, but I can't really see how they came to this result...
 
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  • #3
One diode is in forward bias, and the other is in reverse bias. What limits the reverse bias voltage that you can put across a diode, BTW?
 
  • #4
Oh I see, so the diode with 4.4V voltage drop is reverse biased then...? shame on me for not noticing that... And btw, when using the constant-voltage-drop model for a diode, does it also mean that the voltage drop across the resistor is also constant since it is connected with the diode in a series..? and to your question - i think i don't know what limits the reverse bias voltage across a diode.
 
  • #5
dobry_den said:
Oh I see, so the diode with 4.4V voltage drop is reverse biased then...? shame on me for not noticing that... And btw, when using the constant-voltage-drop model for a diode, does it also mean that the voltage drop across the resistor is also constant since it is connected with the diode in a series..? and to your question - i think i don't know what limits the reverse bias voltage across a diode.

Yup, the 4.4V is reversed biased. In most cases the, the voltage drop across the resistor would be constant becuase of a constant current in the circuit. Temperature would have some effects, but usually very little.

Have you ever heard of breakdown voltage?
 
  • #6
I meant the following..: assume A=1 (i.e. 5V) and B=0 (i.e. 0V). when the voltage drop across the diode is constant (say e.g. 0.6V), then - according to Kirchhoff's Voltage Law - the voltage drop across the resistor has to be constant as well (4.4V in this case), independently of its resistance. The current will change with the change of resistance (I = U/R), but the voltage drop (U) will remain the same*. Is this reasoning correct?

* The resistance will of course have to remain in a certain interval, since the constant-voltage-drop model of a diode is restricted to a certain interval of current magnitudes (like 1mA to 10mA).
 
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  • #7
Hope I understand the notion of breakdown voltage correctly - it is the minimal voltage drop across a reverse biased diode that makes the diode conduct.
 
  • #8
And one more question - if both inputs are 5V, then D1 and D2 diodes are reverse biased and the output is equal to (5V - voltage_drop_across_the_resistor) instead of 5V, isn't it?

So when creating these diode gates, should I use resistors with low resistance in case of an AND gate and high resistance in case of an OR gate?
 

1. What is a diode AND gate?

A diode AND gate is a type of logic gate that uses diodes to perform the AND operation, which is a basic logic operation that outputs a high signal only when all of its input signals are high.

2. How does a diode AND gate work?

A diode AND gate works by connecting two or more diodes in series, with each diode representing an input signal. When all of the input signals are high, current can flow through the diodes and the output will be high. If any of the input signals are low, the current will be blocked and the output will be low.

3. What is the voltage drop in a diode AND gate?

The voltage drop in a diode AND gate refers to the amount of voltage that is lost when current flows through the diodes. This voltage drop is typically around 0.7 volts for silicon diodes and 0.3 volts for germanium diodes.

4. How does the voltage drop affect the performance of a diode AND gate?

The voltage drop in a diode AND gate can affect its performance by reducing the voltage available at the output. This can lead to a smaller voltage swing between the high and low output levels, which can affect the reliability and speed of the gate.

5. What are the advantages of using a diode AND gate?

Some advantages of using a diode AND gate include its simplicity, low cost, and high reliability. It also has a wide range of applications in digital circuits, such as in multiplexers, encoders, and adders.

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