Laboratory Activity #4

Laboratory Activity #4
Current-Voltage Characteristics of Resistors and Diodes

Objective: In this lab you will measure and plot the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics
of two common circuit elements, resistors and diodes. You will also learn how to utilize
Analog Discovery to generate non-DC waveform and to plot I-V characteristic of a
circuit.

To complete this experiment, you will use the function generator and the oscilloscope
instrument in the DIGILENT package.

Supplement for DIGILENT: Analog Discovery device and Waveforms 2015 software:
- https://reference.digilentinc.com/reference/software/waveforms/waveforms
-3/reference-manual
(Reading: Waveform Generator and Oscilloscope)

In this experiment, you will use these following pins:

- Waveform Generator 1 (Yellow)
- Ground (Black)
- Scope Channel 1 Positive (Orange)
- Scope Channel 1 Negative (Orange/White)
- Scope Channel 2 Positive (Blue)
- Scope Channel 2 Negative (Blue/White)

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Exercise I – I-V characteristics of resistors (50 points):

Exercise I - Part 1 – Fundamental of waveform generator and measurement

Randomly select two resistors with different values between R = 100W and R = 1,000W.
Setup a circuit in the protoboard following the schematic in the figure.
o The voltage source VSG that you will use in this experiment is the output from the
waveform generator (Yellow).
o Use oscilloscope channel 1 (Orange and Orange/White) to measure the voltage across
the resistor VR, while set the channel 2 (Blue and Blue/White) to measure the voltage
VSG.

+ +
VSG VR
Scope Scope
Channel 2 Channel 1
- -

First, similar to the previous experiment (experiment #3), we will utilize the function
generator to generate signal. However, this time, we have a time-varying signals with
different temporal shapes (saw-tooth, sinusoidal, square, etc..). Utilize the function
generator to power your circuit. Set the function generator to a saw-tooth signal with an
amplitude of 5V and a period of 1s. Note that the voltage varies from -5 volts to 5 volts in
a single period. As shown here in the screenshot:

EX
AM
PLE
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Second, you need to set up your oscilloscope. Go back to the “Welcome” tab and select
“Scope”. Assuming all of your wiring are connected properly, follow this step:

1. Click the green arrow on the top right to extend option bar window.
2. Click “Auto Set” to automatically set your oscilloscope to show the best magnitude
and temporal scale.
3. Click “Run” button.

Occasionally you will need to set the scaling and offset, manually. The steps for this are
as follows:
1. “Base” sets the time increments for the oscilloscope display. Set the “Base” to a
fraction of the period that you expect. For a 1 Hz signal (period of 1 second), a
good “Base” would be around 200 milliseconds per division. This allows us to
display two full periods of the signal.
2. The “Range” is similar to the “Base.” It defines the voltage increments for the
oscilloscope display. For a signal with an amplitude of 5 volts, a good range would
be around 1-2 volts per division. The offset allows us to shift the signal up or down
on the vertical axis. There is no need for this functionality at this time. Set the
offset to 0 volts.

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Exercise I - Part 1 - Questions:

a- Capture a screen shot of the oscilloscope screen showing output of VSG and VR. Attach
the screen shot to this report.

b- Describe both signals outputs. (Be careful with the scaling and offset, you have to
switch between Scope 1 and Scope 2 scale bar by clicking on the “C1” or “C2” button
under the “Run” button.)

c- Using you circuit knowledge, how can you calculate the current through the circuit?

Exercise I - Part 2 – MATH function in Analog Discovery device

First, you will create a MATH function in the oscilloscope windows. Create a MATH
channel in the oscilloscope to display the current by right clicking under the channel 2 box
and select “Custom”

EX
AM
PLE 1

Once the “Math 1” box shows up, click on the box pointed here: 2

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Next, you need to change the script to C1 (output readings

of VSG) divided by your R2 resistance (in this case, R2 =
1,000W). Then, change the units into A for Ampere. In
other words, this script calculates I = V/R, the Ohm’s law.

Once you click OK, there will be one more line (red curve) 3
showing the current value over the whole range of input
voltage based on the resistance value you put in (in this
case, R2 = 1,000W).

At last, you want to generate the current-voltage (I-V)

characteristic. With the new “Math 1” curve already
created, select View – Add XY, and change “X:” to C1 for
voltage and “Y:” to M1 for current.

EX
AM
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Exercise I - Part 2 - Questions:

d- Capture a screen shot of the oscilloscope screen showing output of VSG, VR, and Math
1 (the current of R2). Attach the screen shot to this report.

e- Using the XY feature in the oscilloscope, display the voltage/current characteristic

curve of the resistor R2.

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f- Repeat the procedure for resistor R1, using the same voltage and current scales you
used in point e).
VR
Scope
Channel 1
+ -

+
VSG
Scope
Channel 2
-
g- Compare XY plots of R1 and R2; give comment on the results.

h- Using the data you have collected for I and V in the resistors, calculate the power, P,
dissipated in the resistors using the formula you’ve learned in class. Plot (P vs I) and
(P vs V) for both resistors in MATLAB. Attach the plots to your report.

i- What is the relationship between P and I (for example, is it linear)?

j- What is the relationship between P and V?

Exercise II – I-V Characteristics Diodes (50 points):

Diodes- The Simplest Semiconductor Device

A diode is a two terminal circuit element that has a high resistance to current in one
direction and a low resistance to current in the other direction.

A diode can be thought of as an electrically controlled switch. It acts as a one-way valve

for electrons. The two ends of the diode are called the anode and the cathode. Current
flows easily from anode to cathode, but not the other way.

Note that the diode’s behavior depends on the polarity of the current. This is not true for
resistors. Thus you can swap the leads of a resistor in a circuit without causing any
changes, but doing so with the diode can cause the circuit to fail or worse, damage
components and equipment.

The cathode end of a physical diode is indicated by a band around the diode near the
cathode lead.

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Questions:
a- Construct the circuit shown in the figure selecting a resistor with a value between R =
100W and R = 1,000W and one of the diodes in the components box. Set the function
generator, VSG, to deliver 5V amplitude and a sinusoidal wave function.

b- Record the voltage across the diode (VD) and the calculated current through the circuit
(ID) using the two channels of the oscilloscope instrument in the DIGILENT package.
To calculate the current in the circuit, use the voltage across the resistance (VR). Why?
Capture a screen shot of the screen and attach it to this report.

c- Plot the Current ID (y axis) vs. the Voltage VD (x axis) using the XY option. This plot is
called the “I-V” characteristic of the diode. How this curve should look like?

d- Capture a screenshot and attach the diode I-V characteristic curve to this report.

e- Capture the diode I-V characteristic curve with three different input waveforms, VSG,
(sinusoidal, saw tooth, and square), each with randomly selected offset. Capture the
I_V characteristic and provide comment for each case.

f- Describe the waves that you recorded and compare them with the waves generated
by the function generator.

g- From the plots that you obtained, can you calculate the resistance of the diode?

h- At what value of VD does it appear that the diode begins conducting (at what voltage
did the diode ‘switch’ on)?

i- What was the maximum current you measured?

j- Is the relationship between ID and VD linear for the entire measurement range?

k- Replace the diode by a LED (Light Emitting Diode) and repeat question c to i.

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