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Class Exercise 5 (March 29 - April 10, 2004)

5. Diode Circuits

So far, we have managed to derive, build and even "invent" a total of 36 circuit building blocks. Here, we will derive a further 10 building blocks which we will put in the library; thus it will grow to 46 basic circuits:

KINDS parallel series
limiters positive negative both positive negative both
stabilizers parallel voltage stabilizer potential shifting circuits
functional devices logarithmic converters antilogarithmic converters

5.1.1. Series diode limiter (clipping circuit). Applications: signal former; rectifier; separating element; reverse polarity protector etc. Error caused by the forward voltage VF. Discussion: How do we decrease the error (a settlement by compromise)? How do we remove completely the error (looking for an ideal solution)?
5.1.2. Parallel diode limiter (clipping circuit). Applications: signal former; reverse polarity protector (with series connected fuse); transient protector etc. Error caused by the forward voltage VF. Decreasing the error. Completely removing the error (looking for an ideal solution)?

5.2. Diode as a voltage-stable non-linear element. Functional notion of RV non-linear element. Characteristic curves of an ideal RV element. Simplified IV characteristic curve of kind 2.
5.2.1. Circuits with parallel connected diode elements. Applications: voltage stabilizer (regulator); overvoltage op-amp input protector; current self-switching circuits (LED indicators, emitter-coupled circuits; differential amplifiers, TTL logic circuits etc.). Temperature influence (is it harmful or useful?). Discussion 1: How do we make good voltage source in electricity? What are its imperfections? How do we overcome the imperfections by using electronic components? Discussion 2: Is it feedback circuit? Might we imagine that it is? What is the benefit of this approach?
5.2.2. Circuits with series connected diode elements. Applications: static potential "shifting" circuits in transistor circuits (biasing in push-pull amplifiers).

5.3. Diode as a logarithmic non-linear element. Real IV characteristic curve of kind 3.
5.3.1. Logarithmic converters.
5.3.1.1. Diode logarithmic converter with current input and voltage output
(D log converter). Applications: an elementary building block for assembling more complicated integrators. Imperfections caused by a real current source. Looking for a remedy.
5.3.1.2.
RD log converter. Building the circuit by using the more elementary voltage-to-current converter and D log converter. Applications: signal compressing circuits. Imperfections and remedies.

5.3.2. Antilogarithmic converters.
5.3.1.1. Diode antilogarithmic converter with voltage input and current
output
(D antilog converter). Applications: an elementary building block for assembling more complicated antilog converters. Imperfections caused by a real current source. Looking for a remedy.
5.3.1.2. DR antilog converter. Building the circuit by using the more elementary D antilog converter and current-to-voltage converter. Applications: signal expanding circuits. Imperfections and remedies.

Last updated June 28, 2004


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