The Novice Writer: CLIPPERS

Before starting with clippers, we must know the basic working of the diode: (Shown in the pic Above)
(Or Refer this link http://wp.me/p6vMKz-4 or click on this link DIODE – A Basic SemiConductor Device.)

Clippers :

Clipping circuits (also known as limiters, amplitude selectors, or slicers), are used to remove the part of a signal that is above or below some defined reference level.
A Half-Wave Rectifier is a Clipper circuit that basically cut off everything at the reference level of zero and let only the positive-going (or negative-going) portion of the input waveform through.
To clip to a reference level other than zero, a dc source is put in series with the diode.
– Depending on the direction of the diode and the polarity of the battery, the circuit will either clip the input waveform above or below the reference level.

Series Clippers : –

1.) Unbiased clipper : –

In the above images, the image (b) shows negative clipper(removing the negative half cycle) and the second image (a) shows a positive clipper(removing the positive half cycle).
As we can see clearly in the first image that the circuit is open in the negative half cycle as the diode becomes reverse biased when the negative half cycle of input waveform passes through the circuit.
Hence, we get a clipped output waveform.

2.) Biased Clipper : –

In the above, images we see four different biased clipping circuits. In this, circuits we are just moving the reference voltage(or threshold voltage – Em) from zero to a value of our choice (E) using a DC battery.
In the ‘ a ‘ part of the image, initially, when a positive half cycle of input wave is passed through the diode, the diode is still negative biased due to the voltage sources connected to it further in the circuit.
Due to this diode acts as an open switch and we do not get any output waveform until the input voltage reaches a voltage value similar to that of the applied voltage source(E).
As soon as the input voltage exceeds its voltage value with respect to E, the diode is forward biased and the current starts flowing through the circuit giving us the output waveform. We get this waveform till the input voltage again reaches to E voltage after which the circuit does not conduct till the next cycle exceeds the voltage value of E.
Similarly, we can deduce the waveform for other three circuits using the basic characteristic of a diode.

Parallel Clippers : –

1.)Unbiased Clipper : –

In the image alongside, we see two parallel clipper circuits.
In the first circuit of the image (a), we clip the positive part of the input wave, as the diode is forward biased in the positive half cycle and hence, diode acts as a closed switch resulting a current flow through that branch of the circuit giving no output at the terminals of the resistor. In the negative half-cycle, the branch of the circuit having diode will act as an open circuit resulting in the flow of current through the resistor thus showing us the output waveform.
Similarly, we can deduce the waveform for the second circuit in the above image.

2.) Biased Clipper : –