How Do Diodes Work? An Explanation

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    Diodes Work
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the functioning of semiconductor diodes, including their operation in both DC and AC circuits. Participants seek explanations and resources to better understand diode behavior and characteristics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a lack of knowledge about diodes and requests an explanation of their operation and voltage determination in circuits.
  • Another participant suggests a non-technical resource for understanding diodes.
  • A different participant recommends the Wikipedia entry for diodes and emphasizes the importance of the V-I plot and the diode equation, mentioning the reverse breakdown characteristic relevant to Zener diodes.
  • Questions arise regarding the existence of a vacuum tube version of a Zener diode, prompting further exploration of the topic.
  • Some participants share links to resources that discuss vacuum tube implementations related to Zener diodes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the specific workings of diodes or the existence of vacuum tube versions of Zener diodes, as participants are exploring various aspects and resources without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various resources and equations, but the discussion lacks detailed technical explanations that could clarify the assumptions and definitions involved in diode operation.

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I do not know much about diodes and I wanted to know if someone could explain me how do semi conductor diodes work and how do we determine in a circuit(dc and ac) the input voltage and the output voltage...
 
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The wikipedia entry for diodes is pretty good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode

It's important to have the V-I plot of a diode in your head when you are working on problems that include diodes. You should learn the diode equation

[tex]I = I_s (e^{\frac{qV}{kT}} -1)[/tex]

and learn about the reverse breakdown characteristic (used in Zener diodes, for example).
 
Was there a vacuum tube version of a zener diode?
 
wolram said:
Was there a vacuum tube version of a zener diode?
Interesting question. So I googled +"vacuum tube" +"zener diode" and got some hits. Go to this one for example:

http://members.aol.com/sbench101/

and do a text search on Zener. That will get you down the page to one way to do it with tubes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
berkeman said:
Interesting question. So I googled +"vacuum tube" +"zener diode" and got some hits. Go to this one for example:

http://members.aol.com/sbench101/

and do a text search on Zener. That will get you down the page to one way to do it with tubes.

Great site, Thanks berkeman.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

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