Talk:Clamper (electronics)

Electronics Mid‑importance

	Electronics portal This article is part of WikiProject Electronics, an attempt to provide a standard approach to writing articles about electronics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Leave messages at the project talk pageElectronicsWikipedia:WikiProject ElectronicsTemplate:WikiProject Electronicselectronic articles
Mid	This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale.

ambiguity[edit]

"a different dc level" is a very ambiguous statement, at least I don't understand it. Fresheneesz 21:29, 2 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

correction - i do understand it, but don't know how to reword that. Fresheneesz 08:12, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You mean its not very clear to you--Light current 01:30, 7 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Clipper?[edit]

"A different arrangement restricts the input waveform from going beyond a certain voltage."

Would this different arrangment happen to be a clipper rather than a clamper? Fresheneesz 08:12, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen the term "clamper" used for either circuit. - mako 08:25, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So should that sentence include "This may also be known as a clipper. " ?? Fresheneesz 20:26, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe merge clipper here. - mako 20:40, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The term 'clamping' implies to me that protection of succeeding circuitry is the prime purpose. Although the term 'black level clamp' was in use on earlier analog TVs to get a defined video dc level for the 'black' signal. In this case it probably would have had a level shift- but Id have to look it up to be sure.

The term 'clipping', OTOH implies, to me, chopping off part of a (generally) low power signal. For instance protection diodes across the i/ps of an op amp I would call clampers. Clipping is what happens in an audio power (or any other sort of) amp when overdriven. Clamping on its own does not(without the addition of a dc block or level shift change the dc baseline value of the signal). The difference is subtle, but perhaps the 2 pages could be merged, and the differences explained.--Light current 23:17, 6 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In Horowitz and Hill, a diode clamp is described thus:

Sometimes it is desirable to limit the range of a signal (ie prevent it from exceeding certain voltage limits) somewhere in a circuit. The cct shown will accomplish this (cct showing series resistor and shunt diode with cathode connected to +5v).

Later in the chapter the following:

One interesting clamp application is 'dc restoration' of a signal that has been ac coupled.. THe fig shows the idea( cct showing series capacitor, then shunt diode with anode to ground.

The term clipping is not mentioned in this chapter on Diode circuits.--Light current 02:14, 7 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Graphs[edit]

The graphs are slightly misleading. At no point will the output voltage U_A be negative by more than a diode drop for a positive unbiased clamp or positive by more than a diode drop for a negative unbiased clamp. Similar comments for all the other graphs. During a transient the output voltage will be clipped until it has risen (fallen) to the clamp voltage. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.99.43.47 (talk) 00:57, 2 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. 86.121.186.32 (talk) 03:24, 23 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I replaced the graphs. --Flexxxv (talk) 22:30, 22 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

The original diagrams were much clearer. I suggest that you use the original diagrams as a template and just replace the waveform plots with the corrected ones (with thickened lines like in the original) leaving everything else as it is. SpinningSpark 23:05, 22 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I changed the line width and a little more. The current graphs use an ideal diode. This obviously ins't realistic. How about creating some more realistic graphs?--Flexxxv (talk) 12:38, 23 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

A more realistic plot is probably beneficial. I don't think that the circuit diagrams should be made any more complex however. Keep those to just what is needed to explain the circuit in as simple a way as possible. The basis of the plot can be explained in the description on the image page. SpinningSpark 16:36, 23 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

The schematic will be the same. Just the plots will change due to the different characteristics of a real diode. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Flexxxv (talk • contribs) 17:09, 23 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Output voltage equations[edit]

In the calculation for the maximum output Voltage the diode forward voltage is missing. It should be V_out = 2*V_in - V_forward (as example for the positive unbiased case). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.169.177.116 (talk) 15:49, 29 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I totally agree that the diode voltage is missing but I disagree with the equations which are incorrect. They should be V_in+V_bias-V_D for the positive clamper and -V_in-V_bias+V_D for the negative clamper. I verified the equations with PSpice. The equations used is this article are completely off. I don't understand where the 2 multiplier comes from. Likewise, the equations for the unbiased circuits has the same problem. Vbias clearly drops off but the equations should be V_in-V_D for the positive clamper and -V_in+V_D for the negative clamper. The beginning of the "Types" section is also wrong because it shows an example based on wrong equations.

ICE77 (talk) 20:10, 6 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What is Bridge rectifiers[edit]

Bridge rectifiers 102.91.30.45 (talk) 13:14, 11 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

They are bridge rectifiers. SpinningSpark 15:20, 11 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]