Don't understand clipper circuit

  • Thread starter Thread starter iScience
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Circuit
AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on understanding how a battery limits output voltage in a clipper circuit, particularly when the input voltage exceeds the battery voltage. When the input voltage (V_in) is greater than the battery voltage (V_battery), the diode conducts, resulting in an output voltage equal to V_battery minus the diode's forward voltage drop. If V_in is less than V_battery, the diode does not conduct, and the output voltage equals V_in. The resistor's role is questioned, with clarification that if it is zero ohms, there would be no voltage drop across it when the diode is conducting. The analogy of water temperature is used to illustrate how the battery's voltage influences the output without changing the input voltage itself.
iScience
Messages
466
Reaction score
5
i've only drawn the necessary stuff to show half a cycle.

fhTC4SV.png


i don't understand how the battery acts to limit the voltage at V_out. how does battery counteract the part of the cycle where V_in > V_battery? for this part of the cycle shouldn't it be V_in - V_b?
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
Write Kirchoff's Voltage Law around the loop Vout-diode-battery...
 
As Jim said. When the diode is conducting, what is the sum of the voltages : Vbattery + Vdiode?
 
what about the outer loop? what is happening to V_source?and is the resistor absolutely necessary?
 
iScience said:
and is the resistor absolutely necessary?
What do you think, what's going on with current when diode conducts and the resistor value is R=0 Ω ?
 
Your output voltage should be the rightmost one. In the diagram, the one V(out) you have written in black.

When V(in) < V(b) then the diode won't be forward biased and won't conduct. So the output voltage is V(in). There is no voltage drop across the resistor, since no current is flowing across it.

When V(in)>V(b) then the diode will be forward biased and will conduct. So the output voltage will be V(b). When forward biased the drop across diode is around 0.4 or 0.7V.

The battery does counteract the input voltage, which is reflected across the resistance. Think of it as cold water flowing from V(input). There is a thermometer at Resistance and hot source of water from V(b). The difference of temperature is reflected at the thermometer but the temperature of either source of water won't change. So if you place another thermometer across the cold source of water, you will get the cold water's termperature.
 
I have recently moved into a new (rather ancient) house and had a few trips of my Residual Current breaker. I dug out my old Socket tester which tell me the three pins are correct. But then the Red warning light tells me my socket(s) fail the loop test. I never had this before but my last house had an overhead supply with no Earth from the company. The tester said "get this checked" and the man said the (high but not ridiculous) earth resistance was acceptable. I stuck a new copper earth...
Thread 'Electromagnet magnetic field issue'
Hi Guys We are a bunch a mechanical engineers trying to build a simple electromagnet. Our design is based on a very similar magnet. However, our version is about 10 times less magnetic and we are wondering why. Our coil has exactly same length, same number of layers and turns. What is possibly wrong? PIN and bracket are made of iron and are in electrical contact, exactly like the reference design. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks. edit: even same wire diameter and coil was wounded by a...
Thread 'Beauty of old electrical and measuring things, etc.'
Even as a kid, I saw beauty in old devices. That made me want to understand how they worked. I had lots of old things that I keep and now reviving. Old things need to work to see the beauty. Here's what I've done so far. Two views of the gadgets shelves and my small work space: Here's a close up look at the meters, gauges and other measuring things: This is what I think of as surface-mount electrical components and wiring. The components are very old and shows how...
Back
Top