CLIPPER

CLIPPER CIRCUITS:

A clipper is a device designed to prevent the output of a circuit from exceeding a predetermined voltage level without distorting the remaining part of the applied waveform.


Voltage clipping limits the voltage to a device without affecting the rest of the waveform

A clipping circuit consists of

• linear elements like resistors,
• non-linear elements like junction diodes or transistors.
• It does not contain energy-storage elements like capacitors. 

Clipping circuits are used to select for purposes of transmission, that part of a signal wave form which lies above or below a certain reference voltage level.

A clipper circuit can remove certain portions of an arbitrary waveform near the positive or negative peaks.

Clipping Circuits are also called as Slicers, amplitude selectors or limiters.

Two shunt diode clipper circuits

A one or two zener diodes are used to clip the voltage V_IN. In the first circuit, the voltage is clipped to the reverse breakdown voltage of the zener diode. The output voltage in the first circuit should also never be more negative than the diode's forward voltage.


In the second, the voltage in either direction is limited to the reverse breakdown voltage plus the voltage drop across one zener diode.

Clippers may be classified into two types based on the positioning of the diode.

• Series Clippers, where the diode is in series with the load resistance, and
• Shunt Clippers, where the diode in shunted across the load resistance.

Clippers may be classified based on the orientation of the diode.

• Positively Biased Diode Clipper
• Negatively Biased Diode Clipper

The signal can be clipped to between two levels by using both types of diode clippers in combination. This clipper is referred to as Combinational Diode Clipper or Two-Level Clippers

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