Aim

To construct a zener diode voltage regulator and measure its line and load regulation.

Apparatus
Zener diode, resistor, variable DC power supply, milliammeter, voltmeter, Rheostat and wire.

Theory
The Zener diode is like a general-purpose signal diode. When biased in the forward direction it behaves
just like a normal signal diode, but when a reverse voltage is applied to it, the voltage remains constant
for a wide range of currents.
Avalanche Breakdown: There is a limit for the reverse voltage. Reverse voltage can increase until the
diode breakdown voltage reaches. This point is called Avalanche Breakdown region. At this stage
maximum current will flow through the zener diode. This breakdown point is referred as Zener voltage.
Fig 1: Zener diode
The Zener Diode is used in its "reverse bias". From the I-V Characteristics curve
we can study that the zener diode has a region in its reverse bias characteristics
of almost a constant negative voltage regardless of the value of the current
flowing through the diode and remains nearly constant even with large changes
in current as long as the zener diodes current remains between the breakdown
current IZ(min) and the maximum current rating IZ(max).
This ability to control itself can be used to great effect to regulate or stabilise a voltage source against
supply or load variations. The fact that the voltage across the diode in the breakdown region is almost
constant turns out to be an important application of the zener diode as a voltage regulator

Characteristics
Figure 2 shows the current versus voltage curve for a Zener diode. Observe the nearly constant voltage
in the breakdown region.

Fig 2: Zener diode characteristic curve

The forward bias region of a Zener diode is identical to that of a regular diode. The typical forward
voltage at room temperature with a current of around 1 mA is around 0.6 volts. In the reverse bias
condition the Zener diode is an open circuit and only a small leakage current is flowing as shown on the
exaggerated plot. As the breakdown voltage is approached the current will begin to avalanche. The
initial transition from leakage to breakdown is soft but then the current rapidly increases as shown on
the plot. The voltage across the Zener diode in the breakdown region is very nearly constant with only
a small increase in voltage with increasing current. At some high current level the power dissipation of
the diode becomes excessive and the part is destroyed. There is a minimum Zener current, Iz(min), that
places the operating point in the desired breakdown. There is a maximum Zener current, Iz(max), at which
the power dissipation drives the junction temperature to the maximum allowed. Beyond that current
the diode can be damaged.
Zener diodes are available from about 2.4 to 200 volts typically using the same sequence of values as
used for the 5% resistor series 2.4, 2.7, 3.0 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.2, 6.8, 7.5, 8.2, 9.1,
10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, etc. All Zener diodes have a power rating, Pz. From Watts law
the maximum current is IZ(MAX)=PZ / VZ. Zener diodes are typically available with power ratings of 0.25,
0.4, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5 watts although other values are available.

Zener Diode as Voltage Regulators

The function of a regulator is to provide a constant output voltage to a load connected in parallel with it
in spite of the ripples in the supply voltage or the variation in the load current and the zener diode will

continue to regulate the voltage until the diodes current falls below the minimum IZ(min) value in the
reverse breakdown region. It permits current to flow in the forward direction as normal, but will also
allow it to flow in the reverse direction when the voltage is above a certain value - the breakdown
voltage known as the Zener voltage. The Zener diode specially made to have a reverse voltage
breakdown at a specific voltage. Its characteristics are otherwise very similar to common diodes. In
breakdown the voltage across the Zener diode is close to constant over a wide range of currents thus
making it useful as a shunt voltage regulator.
The purpose of a voltage regulator is to maintain a constant voltage across a load regardless of variations
in the applied input voltage and variations in the load current. A typical Zener diode shunt regulator is
shown in Figure 3. The resistor is selected so that when the input voltage is at VIN(min) and the load
current is at IL(max) that the current through the Zener diode is at least Iz(min). Then for all other
combinations of input voltage and load current the Zener diode conducts the excess current thus
maintaining a constant voltage across the load. The Zener conducts the least current when the load
current is the highest and it conducts the most current when the load current is the lowest.

Fig 3: Zener diode shunt regulator

If there is no load resistance, shunt regulators can be used to dissipate total power through the series
resistance and the Zener diode. Shunt regulators have an inherent current limiting advantage under
load fault conditions because the series resistor limits excess current.
A zener diode of break down voltage Vz is reverse connected to an input voltage source Vi across a load
resistance RL and a series resistor RS. The voltage across the zener will remain steady at its break down
voltage VZ for all the values of zener current IZ as long as the current remains in the break down region.
Hence a regulated DC output voltage V0 = VZ is obtained across RL, whenever the input voltage remains
within a minimum and maximum voltage.
Basically there are two type of regulations such as:

a) Line Regulation
In this type of regulation, series resistance and load resistance are fixed, only input voltage is changing.
Output voltage remains the same as long as the input voltage is maintained above a minimum value.

Percentage of line regulation can be calculated by =

where V0 is the output voltage and VIN is the input voltage and V0 is the change in output voltage for
a particular change in input voltage VIN.

b) Load Regulation
In this type of regulation, input voltage is fixed and the load resistance is varying. Output volt remains
same, as long as the load resistance is maintained above a minimum value.

Percentage of load regulation =

where

is the null load resistor voltage (ie. remove the load resistance and measure the voltage

across the Zener Diode) and

is the full load resistor voltage

Design a Voltage Regulator

When selecting the zener diode, be sure that its maximum power rating is not exceeded.
Imax

VZ

Maximum current for Zener diode

Zener Diode standard voltage

Vin
Vs

Input
Voltage

VL
IS
IZ
IL

Current

Voltage
passing

voltage(it
is
across
series

across
through

Current
passing
Current passing through the load resistance

the
the

through

load
series
the

Calculating voltage and current

The total current drawn from the source is the same as that through the series resistor

The current through the load resistor is

and the zener diode current is

If the voltage source is greater than Vz

and
If the voltage source is less than Vz

known)
resistance
resistance
resistance

Zener

diode

and

The Zener Diode

The Zener Diode
In the previous Signal Diode tutorial, we saw that a reverse biased diode blocks current in the reverse
direction, but will suffer from premature breakdown or damage if the reverse voltage applied across it is too
high.

However, the Zener Diode or Breakdown Diode as they are sometimes called, are basically the
same as the standard PN junction diode but are specially designed to have a low predeterminedReverse Breakdown Voltage that takes advantage of this high reverse voltage.
The zener diode is the simplest types of voltage regulator and the point at which a zener diode
breaks down or conducts is called the Zener Voltage ( Vz ).
The Zener diode is like a general-purpose signal diode consisting of a silicon PN junction. When
biased in the forward direction it behaves just like a normal signal diode passing the rated current,
but as soon as a reverse voltage applied across the zener diode exceeds the rated voltage of the
device, the diodes breakdown voltage VB is reached at which point a process called Avalanche
Breakdown occurs in the semiconductor depletion layer and a current starts to flow through the
diode to limit this increase in voltage.
The current now flowing through the zener diode increases dramatically to the maximum circuit
value (which is usually limited by a series resistor) and once achieved this reverse saturation
current remains fairly constant over a wide range of applied voltages. This breakdown voltage
point, VB is called the zener voltage for zener diodes and can range from less than one volt to
hundreds of volts.
The point at which the zener voltage triggers the current to flow through the diode can be very
accurately controlled (to less than 1% tolerance) in the doping stage of the diodes semiconductor
construction giving the diode a specific zener breakdown voltage, ( Vz ) for example, 4.3V or 7.5V.
This zener breakdown voltage on the I-V curve is almost a vertical straight line.

Zener Diode I-V Characteristics

The Zener Diode is used in its reverse bias or reverse breakdown mode, i.e. the diodes anode
connects to the negative supply. From the I-V characteristics curve above, we can see that the
zener diode has a region in its reverse bias characteristics of almost a constant negative voltage
regardless of the value of the current flowing through the diode and remains nearly constant even
with large changes in current as long as the zener diodes current remains between the breakdown
currentIZ(min) and the maximum current rating IZ(max).
This ability to control itself can be used to great effect to regulate or stabilise a voltage source
against supply or load variations. The fact that the voltage across the diode in the breakdown region
is almost constant turns out to be an important application of the zener diode as a voltage regulator.
The function of a regulator is to provide a constant output voltage to a load connected in parallel
with it in spite of the ripples in the supply voltage or the variation in the load current and the zener
diode will continue to regulate the voltage until the diodes current falls below the
minimum IZ(min)value in the reverse breakdown region.

The Zener Diode Regulator

Zener Diodes can be used to produce a stabilised voltage output with low ripple under varying
load current conditions. By passing a small current through the diode from a voltage source, via a
suitable current limiting resistor (RS), the zener diode will conduct sufficient current to maintain a
voltage drop of Vout.
We remember from the previous tutorials that the DC output voltage from the half or full-wave
rectifiers contains ripple superimposed onto the DC voltage and that as the load value changes so

to does the average output voltage. By connecting a simple zener stabiliser circuit as shown below
across the output of the rectifier, a more stable output voltage can be produced.

Zener Diode Regulator

The resistor, RS is connected in series with the zener diode to limit the current flow through the
diode with the voltage source, VS being connected across the combination. The stabilised output
voltageVout is taken from across the zener diode. The zener diode is connected with its cathode
terminal connected to the positive rail of the DC supply so it is reverse biased and will be operating
in its breakdown condition. Resistor RS is selected so to limit the maximum current flowing in the
circuit.
With no load connected to the circuit, the load current will be zero, ( IL = 0 ), and all the circuit
current passes through the zener diode which in turn dissipates its maximum power. Also a small
value of the series resistor RS will result in a greater diode current when the load resistance RL is
connected and large as this will increase the power dissipation requirement of the diode so care
must be taken when selecting the appropriate value of series resistance so that the zeners
maximum power rating is not exceeded under this no-load or high-impedance condition.
The load is connected in parallel with the zener diode, so the voltage across RL is always the same
as the zener voltage, ( VR = VZ ). There is a minimum zener current for which the stabilization of
the voltage is effective and the zener current must stay above this value operating under load within
its breakdown region at all times. The upper limit of current is of course dependant upon the power
rating of the device. The supply voltage VS must be greater than VZ.
One small problem with zener diode stabiliser circuits is that the diode can sometimes generate
electrical noise on top of the DC supply as it tries to stabilise the voltage. Normally this is not a
problem for most applications but the addition of a large value decoupling capacitor across the
zeners output may be required to give additional smoothing.
Then to summarise a little. A zener diode is always operated in its reverse biased condition. A
voltage regulator circuit can be designed using a zener diode to maintain a constant DC output
voltage across the load in spite of variations in the input voltage or changes in the load current.
The zener voltage regulator consists of a current limiting resistor RS connected in series with the

input voltage VS with the zener diode connected in parallel with the load RL in this reverse biased
condition. The stabilized output voltage is always selected to be the same as the breakdown
voltage VZ of the diode.

Zener Diode Example No1

A 5.0V stabilised power supply is required to be produced from a 12V DC power supply input
source. The maximum power rating PZ of the zener diode is 2W. Using the zener regulator circuit
above calculate:
a). The maximum current flowing through the zener diode.

b). The minimum value of the series resistor, RS

c). The load current IL if a load resistor of 1k is connected across the zener diode.

d). The zener current IZ at full load.

Zener Diode Voltages

As well as producing a single stabilised voltage output, zener diodes can also be connected together
in series along with normal silicon signal diodes to produce a variety of different reference voltage
output values as shown below.

Zener Diodes Connected in Series

The values of the individual Zener diodes can be chosen to suit the application while the silicon
diode will always drop about 0.6 0.7V in the forward bias condition. The supply voltage, Vin must
of course be higher than the largest output reference voltage and in our example above this is 19v.
A typical zener diode for general electronic circuits is the 500mW, BZX55 series or the larger
1.3W,BZX85 series were the zener voltage is given as, for example, C7V5 for a 7.5V diode giving
a diode reference number of BZX55C7V5.
The 500mW series of zener diodes are available from about 2.4 up to about 100 volts and typically
have the same sequence of values as used for the 5% (E24) resistor series with the individual
voltage ratings for these small but very useful diodes are given in the table below.

Zener Diode Standard Zener Voltages

BZX55 Zener Diode Power Rating 500mW
2.4V

2.7V

3.0V

3.3V

3.6V

3.9V

4.3V

4.7V

5.1V

5.6V

6.2V

6.8V

7.5V

8.2V

9.1V

10V

11V

12V

13V

15V

16V

18V

20V

22V

24V

27V

30V

33V

36V

39V

43V

47V

BZX85 Zener Diode Power Rating 1.3W

3.3V

3.6V

3.9V

4.3V

4.7V

5.1V

5.6

6.2V

6.8V

7.5V

8.2V

9.1V

10V

11V

12V

13V

15V

16V

18V

20V

22V

24V

27V

30V

33V

36V

39V

43V

47V

51V

56V

62V

Zener Diode Clipping Circuits

Thus far we have looked at how a zener diode can be used to regulate a constant DC source but
what if the input signal was not steady state DC but an alternating AC waveform how would the
zener diode react to a constantly changing signal.
Diode clipping and clamping circuits are circuits that are used to shape or modify an input AC
waveform (or any sinusoid) producing a differently shape output waveform depending on the
circuit arrangement. Diode clipper circuits are also called limiters because they limit or clip-off
the positive (or negative) part of an input AC signal. As zener clipper circuits limit or cut-off part
of the waveform across them, they are mainly used for circuit protection or in waveform shaping
circuits.
For example, if we wanted to clip an output waveform at +7.5V, we would use a 7.5V zener diode.
If the output waveform tries to exceed the 7.5V limit, the zener diode will clip-off the excess
voltage from the input producing a waveform with a flat top still keeping the output constant at
+7.5V. Note that in the forward bias condition a zener diode is still a diode and when the AC
waveform output goes negative below -0.7V, the zener diode turns ON like any normal silicon
diode would and clips the output at -0.7V as shown below.

Square Wave Signal

The back to back connected zener diodes can be used as an AC regulator producing what is
jokingly called a poor mans square wave generator. Using this arrangement we can clip the
waveform between a positive value of +8.2V and a negative value of -8.2V for a 7.5V zener diode.
So for example, if we wanted to clip an output waveform between two different minimum and
maximum values of say, +8V and -6V, we would simply use two differently rated zener diodes.
Note that the output will actually clip the AC waveform between +8.7V and -6.7V due to the
addition of the forward biasing diode voltage. In other words a peak-to-peak voltage of 15.4 volts
instead of expected 14 volts, as the forward bias volt drop across the diode adds another 0.7 volts
in each direction.
This type of clipper configuration is fairly common for protecting an electronic circuit from over
voltage. The two zeners are generally placed across the power supply input terminals and during
normal operation, one of the zener diodes is OFF and the diodes have little or no affect. However,
if the input voltage waveform exceeds its limit, then the zeners turn ON and clip the input to
protect the circuit.
In the next tutorial about diodes, we will look at using the forward biased PN junction of a diode to
produce light. We know from the previous tutorials that when charge carriers move across the
junction, electrons combine with holes and energy is lost in the form of heat, but also some of this
energy is dissipated as photons but we can not see them.
If we place a translucent lens around the junction, visible light will be produced and the diode
becomes a light source. This effect produces another type of diode known commonly as the Light
Emitting Diode which takes advantage of this light producing characteristic to emit light (photons)
in a variety of colours and wavelengths.

ELECTRIC CHARGES MOVEMENT

Electric Field and the Movement of Charge

Electric Potential
Electric Potential Difference

Perhaps one of the most useful yet taken-for-granted accomplishments of the recent
centuries is the development of electric circuits. The flow of charge through wires
allows us to cook our food, light our homes, air-condition our work and living space,
entertain us with movies and music and even allows us to drive to work or school
safely. In this unit of The Physics Classroom, we will explore the reasons for why
charge flows through wires of electric circuits and the variables that affect the rate at
which it flows. The means by which moving charge delivers electrical energy to
appliances in order to operate them will be discussed in detail.
One of the fundamental principles that must be understood in order to grasp electric
circuits pertains to the concept of how an electric field can influence charge within a

circuit as it movesfrom one location to another. The concept of

electric field was first introduced in the unit on Static Electricity.
In that unit, electric force was described as a non-contact
force. A charged balloon can have an attractive effect upon an
oppositely charged balloon even when they are not in contact.
The electric force acts over the distance separating the two
objects. Electric force is an action-at-a-distance force.
Action-at-a-distance forces are sometimes referred to as field
forces. The concept of a field force is utilized by scientists to explain this rather
unusual force phenomenon that occurs in the absence of physical contact. The space
surrounding a charged object is affected by the presence of the charge; an electric field
is established in that space. A charged object creates an electric field - an alteration of
the space or field in the region that surrounds it. Other charges in that field would feel
the unusual alteration of the space. Whether a charged object enters that space or not,
the electric field exists. Space is altered by the presence of a charged object; other
objects in that space experience the strange and mysterious qualities of the space. As
another charged object enters the space and moves deeper and deeper into the field,
the effect of the field becomes more and more noticeable.
Electric field is a vector quantity whose direction is defined as the direction that a
positive test charge would be pushed when placed in the field. Thus, the electric field
direction about a positive source charge is always directed away from the positive
source. And the electric field direction about a negative source charge is always
directed toward the negative source.

Electric Field, Work, and Potential Energy

Electric fields are similar to gravitational fields - both involve action-at-a-distance forces.
In the case of gravitational fields, the source of the field is a massive object and the
action-at-a-distance forces are exerted upon other masses. When the concept of the
force of gravity and energy was discussed in Unit 5 of the Physics Classroom, it was

mentioned that the force of gravity is an internal or conservative force. When gravity
does work upon an object to move it from a high location to a lower location, the
object's total amount of mechanical energy is conserved. However, during the course of
the falling motion, there was a loss of potential energy (and a gain of kinetic energy).
When gravity does work upon an object to move it in the direction of the gravitational
field, then the object loses potential energy. The potential energy originally stored
within the object as a result of its vertical position is lost as the object moves under the
influence of the gravitational field. On the other hand, energy would be required to
move a massive object against its gravitational field. A stationary object would not
naturally move against the field and gain potential energy. Energy in the form of work
would have to be imparted to the object by an external force in order for it to gain this
height and the corresponding potential energy.

The important point to be made by this gravitational analogy is that work must be done
by an external force to move an object against nature - from low potential energy to
high potential energy. On the other hand, objects naturally move from high potential
energy to low potential energy under the influence of the field force. It is simply natural
for objects to move from high energy to low energy; but work is required to move an
object from low energy to high energy.
In a similar manner, to move a charge in an electric field against its natural direction of
motion would require work. The exertion of work by an external force would in turn add
potential energy to the object. The natural direction of motion of an object is from high
energy to low energy; but work must be done to move the object against nature. On
the other hand, work would not be required to move an object from a high potential
energy location to a low potential energy location. When this principle is logically
extended to the movement of charge within an electric field, the relationship between
work, energy and the direction that a charge moves becomes more obvious.

Consider the diagram above in which a positive source charge is creating an electric
field and a positive test charge being moved against and with the field. In Diagram A,
the positive test charge is being moved against the field from location A to location B.
Moving the charge in this direction would be like going against nature. Thus, work
would be required to move the object from location A to location B and the positive test
charge would be gaining potential energy in the process. This would be analogous to
moving a mass in the uphill direction; work would be required to cause such an
increase in gravitational potential energy. In Diagram B, the positive test charge is
being moved with the field from location B to location A. This motion would be natural
and not require work from an external force. The positive test charge would be losing
energy in moving from location B to location A. This would be analogous to a mass
falling downward; it would occur naturally and be accompanied by a loss of
gravitational potential energy. One can conclude from this discussion that the high
energy location for a positive test charge is a location nearest the positive source
charge; and the low energy location is furthest away.
The above discussion pertained to moving a positive test charge within the electric field
created by a positive source charge. Now we will consider the motion of the same
positive test charge within the electric field created by a negative source charge. The
same principle regarding work and potential energy will be used to identify the locations
of high and low energy.

In Diagram C, the positive test charge is moving from location A to location B in the
direction of the electric field. This movement would be natural - like a mass falling
towards Earth. Work would not be required to cause such a motion and it would be
accompanied by a loss of potential energy. In Diagram D, the positive test charge is

moving from location B to location A against the electric field. Work would be required
to cause this motion; it would be analogous to raising a mass within Earth's
gravitational field. Since energy is imparted to the test charge in the form of work, the
positive test charge would be gaining potential energy as the result of the motion. One
can conclude from this discussion that the low energy location for a positive test charge
is a location nearest a negative source charge and the high energy location is a location
furthest away from a negative source charge.

As we begin to discuss circuits, we will apply these principles regarding work and
potential energy to the movement of charge about a circuit. Just as we reasoned here,
moving a positive test charge against the electric field will require work and result in a
gain in potential energy. On the other hand, a positive test charge will naturally move in
the direction of the field without the need for work being done on it; this movement will
result in the loss of potential energy. Before making this application to electric circuits,
we need to first explore the meaning of the concept electric potential.

Chapter
C
apte 2
ZENER DIODE

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Analysis of networks employing Zener diodes is quite similar to that applied to the analysis
off semiconductor
i
d t diodes
di d iin previous
i
sections.
ti
Here, first the state of the diode must be determined followed by a substitution of the
appropriate
pp p
model.
Then, the other unknown quantities of the network will be determined.

Equivalent circuit

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

(i) Vi and R Fixed

Basic zener regulator

Analysis procedure
Step (1) Determine the state of the zener diode by removing it from the network and
calculating the voltage across the resulting open circuit.

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Step (2) Substitute the appropriate equivalent circuit and solve for the desired unknowns.
Ex: In case of on state.

Voltages across the parallel elements must be the

same.

When the system is turned on

on, the Zener diode will turn on
on as soon as the voltage across
The Zener diode is Vz volts. It will then lock in at this level and never reach the higher
Level of V volts.
Zener diodes are most frequently used in regulator networks or as a reference voltage.
Regulator is designed to maintain a fixed voltage across the load RL. For values of applied
voltage greater than required to turn the Zener diode on, the voltage across the load will
be maintained at Vz volts.
volts

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Example (1): (a) determine VL, VR, Iz and Pz.

(b) change RL to 3 kOhm.

Solution (a)
Step (1) Removing the diode

V < Vz
The diode is
off

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Step (2) Substitute open-circuit equivalent.

Solution (b)
( )
Step (1) Removing the diode

V > Vz , the diode is on

Step (2) Substitute the equivalent circuit.

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

(ii) Fixed Vi, Variable RL

Too small a load resistance RL will result in a voltage
g VL
across the load resistor less than Vz and the Zener device
will be in the off state.
To determine the minimum load resistance that will turn
the Zener diode on,
on simply calculate the value of RL that
will result in a load voltage VL = Vz.

Any load resistance value greater than the RL obtained above will ensure that the
Zener diode is in the on state and the diode can be replaced by its Vz source
equivalent.
equivalent
Then, we obtain
The Zener current

Once the diode is in the on state,

the voltage
g across R remains fixed at

Resulting in a minimum Iz when IL is a

maximum and a maximum Iz when IL is
a minimum value since IR is constant.
constant

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Example (2) (a) Determine the range of RL and IL that will result in VRL being maintained
at 10V.
( ) Determine the maximum wattage rating off the diode.
(b)

Solution (a):
First determine the value of RL that will turn the Zener diode on
First,
on.

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

Th range off RL and

The
d IL that
th t will
ill resultlt iin VRL being
b i maintained
i t i d att 10V
10V.

Solution (b):

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

(iii) Fixed RL, Variable Vi

For fixed
F
fi d value
l off RL, the
th voltage
lt
Vi mustt be
b sufficiently
ffi i tl
large to turn the Zener diode on. The minimum turn-on
voltage Vi = Vimin is determined by

The maximum value of Vi is limited by the maximum Zener current IZM. Since
IZM = IR IL,

Since IL is fixed at Vz/ RL and IZM is the maximum value of Iz, the maximum Vi is
defined by

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

10

Example (3): Determine the range of values of Vi that will maintain the Zener diode in the
on
on state.
state

Solution:

Chapter 2 ZENER DIODE

11

Dr. Mark Andrews Microelectronic Circuits ELECTENG207

Problem Set
Zener Diodes
The model of a Zener diode is shown below. When forward biased (A more positive than K) the
Zener acts like an ideal diode D IDEAL . When reverse biased (K more positive than A) the Zener is
modelled as an ideal voltage source V Z in series with the resistance R Z .
K

K
VZ

DIDEAL
RZ
A

Question 1
For the circuit shown below calculate the Zener diode current I Z and the circuit output voltage
VOUT assuming (a) R Z = 0 and (b) R Z = 20 .

RS
V IN = 12 V

VIN

VOUT

RS = 320
I Z (MIN ) = 5 mA
V Z = 8.2 V

IZ

Question 2
The circuit in Question 1 is connected to an unregulated voltage source VS that varies between
10.0 V and 20.0 V. Calculate the corresponding variation in output voltage assuming (a) R Z = 0
and (b) R Z = 20 .

Question 3
The circuit below shows a simple Zener regulator with a permanently connected load R L .
Calculate the Zener diode current I Z and the circuit output voltage VOUT assuming (a) R Z = 0 and
(b) R Z = 20 .

RS

V IN = 12 V
RS = 75

VIN

RL
IZ

VOUT

I Z (MIN ) = 5 mA
V Z = 8.2 V
R L = 250

Dr. Mark Andrews Microelectronic Circuits ELECTENG207

Question 4
Design a Zener regulator to supply 8.2 V to a constant, permanently connected, 50 load. The
input to the circuit is an unregulated DC supply in the range 15.0 V to 24.0 V. Assume that the
Zener diode needs 5 mA to ensure operation and R Z = 0 .
Notes:

1.

The Zener diode must have 5 mA flowing through it at ALL times for the circuit to function
correctly.

2.

You need to calculate the value and power rating of the source resistor together with the
power rating of the Zener diode.)

Question 5
With reference to your design in Question 4, calculate the power dissipated in the Zener diode if
the load is accidentally disconnected. Is this a problem?

Dr. Mark Andrews Microelectronic Circuits ELECTENG207

Outline Solutions
Question 1
(b) Sum the voltages around the loop to get V IN = I Z RS + I Z R Z + V Z .


VOUT

Thus I Z =

V IN V Z
= 11.176 mA and VOUT = I Z R Z + V Z = 8.424 V .
RS + R Z

Question 2
(b) VS ( MIN ) = 10.0 V and VS ( MAX ) = 20.0 V . Using the results of Question 1 we get
I Z (MIN ) =

VS (MIN ) V Z
RS + R Z

= 5.294 mA giving VOUT (MIN ) = I Z (MIN )R Z + V Z = 8.306 V . Similarly,

VOUT (MAX ) = 8.894 V . The variation in the output is 8.894 8.306 V or 0.588 V or 7.1 % Note
that the input variation is 10.0 V or 100.0 % .

Question 3
(b) Replace the Zener diode with its equivalent circuit:

RS

RZ

VIN

RL

VOUT

VZ

Sum the currents leaving the node N to get

output voltage VOUT =

1
RS

V IN
RS

VZ
RZ

1
RZ

1
RL

VOUT V IN VOUT V Z VOUT

+
+
= 0 . Now solve for the
RS
RZ
RL

= 8.465 V . The Zener current is I Z =

VOUT V Z
= 13.267 mA .
RZ

Islamic University of Gaza

Electrical Engineering Dept.
Eng. Jawdat Abu Taha
Eng. Alaa H. Abu Auda

Electronics 1
Problem set (3)
Zener Diode

Problem#1:
For each circuit below, assume voltage drop (0.7)
a-Sketch the output voltage waveform.
b-Sketch transfer curve

Problem#2:
For each circuit below, assume voltage drop (0.7)
a-Sketch the output voltage waveform.
b-Sketch transfer curve

Problem #3
The regulated in figure is provide 6v load voltage for all load current s, I
load .5A.The unregulated supply varies between 8 and10 V,and the zener
diode provides regulation for Iz >0, determine
a-the series resistance Rs needed
b-the power dissipation rating of the zener diode

Problem #4
Figure shows a regulator circuit with two zener diodes. The first stage is
called a preregulator. The source has a large ripple and varies from 35 V to
60 V. Determine the final output voltage

Problem #5

In the regulator circuit, the resistance R is arbitrarily chosen as 20 while

the load resistance is 100. The ideal zener has a zener voltage of 15 V. The
input voltage
voltage

v S (t)

varies as 15 + 9 sin (1000t) V. Sketch the output