The primary function of clippers is to "clip" away a portion of an applied alternating signal. The process is typically performed by a resistor-diode combination, But DC batteries are also incorporated to provide additional shifts or "cuts" of the applied voltage. The analysis of clippers with square wave inputs is the easiest to perform since there are only two levels of input voltage for the corresponding time determined. For sinusoidal and triangular inputs, various instantaneous values can be treated as DC levels and the output level determined. Once a sufficient number of points for o have been determined, the output voltage can be sketched in total. Once the basic behavior of clippers is established, the effect of the placement of elements in various positions can be predicted and the analysis completed with less effort and less concern about accuracy.
Determine the threshold voltage for the silicon and germanium diodes using the diode-checking capability of the DMM or a curve tracer. Round off to hundredths place when recording in the designated space below. If the diode-checking capability or curve tracer is unavailable assume T=0.7 for the silicon diode and 0.3 for the germanium diode.
T()= ________
T()=________
