Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

University of Khartoum
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Electrical and
Electronics Engineering
Electronics Lab

Experiment No. (I)

Diode Characteristics

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Contents
Introduction:.......................................................................................................... 3
Objectives:............................................................................................................. 4
Equipment and Parts list:....................................................................................... 4
Method and Procedure:.......................................................................................... 5
Results:.................................................................................................................. 6
Discussion of Results:............................................................................................ 7
Conclusion:............................................................................................................ 9

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Introduction:
A diode is a two terminal device (made from silicon or germanium or any
semiconductor material of the properties to be discussed shortly) that has the
property of blocking current in one direction and allowing the current to flow in
the other with almost no resistance. When current can flow the diode is said to
be forward biased(to bias a diode is to apply voltage across it), when it cant, it is
said to be reverse biased. One of the most popular uses of diodes is in rectifier
circuits where AC is turned into DC using one of the many rectifier circuits
available. The symbol for a diode is shown below in fig.1.

Fig.1:

Typical diode packages in same alignment

as diode symbol. Thin bar depicts the cathode(-ve terminal)

In this Experiment we will be analysing the characteristics of a diode in several

configurations which will be shown in the appropriate sections. By the word
characteristics of the diode we mean its I-V relationship which is given by the
famous Diode Equation. The I-V characteristics are shown on the graph of fig.2.
The Diode Equation:
Fig.2: I-V characteristics of a Diode.

Where:

I0

= Reverse saturation

current. This is the current that

will pass through the diode at
high reverse voltage, i.e. when V
is negative and e|V| >> kT.
e = charge of the electron =
1.602e-19 C.
k = Boltzmann constant = 1.38e23 J/K.
T = Absolute temperature, in
Kelvins.

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003
There are many types of diodes, to each their own characteristics or I-V relations
though the differences are minor. Some commonly used diodes are named below
with their circuit diagrams.

Diode
Varicap

Zener diode
Tunnel diode
Schottky Diode

LED

Photodiode

SCR

In this experiment we also used a zener diode

The Zener diode is a special kind of diode that functions in the same way as a
normal diode in the forward way but it is actually used in the reverse way when
connected in circuits provided that the voltage of its terminals is greater
than the breakdown voltage which is commonly referred to as the zener
knee voltage or just zener voltage. The current-voltage relationship is
shown in the graph below.

As shown in the figure below, the reverse voltage (VR) is increased, the reverse
current (IR) remains extremely small up to the knee of the curve. The reverse
current is also called the zener current, IZ. At this point, the breakdown effect
begins; the internal zener resistance, also called zener impedance (ZZ), begins to
decrease as the reverse current increases rapidly. From the bottom of the knee,
the zener breakdown voltage (VZ) remains essentially constant although it

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003
increases slightly as the zener current, IZ, increases.

Objectives:

To study characteristics of the normal diode

To study characteristics of the Zener diode.

Equipment and Parts list:

Digital Multimeter(2)
Dc Power Supply(1)

Resistors 100 , 200 , 1K , 10K .

6.0V Zener diode, IN4001

Project breadboard(1)

Method and Procedure:

The Experiment was divided into 4 sections namely A,B,C and D.
Part(A):
The circuit shown in fig 3 was set up and the voltage source was varied at a step
of 0.2V from 0.00V to 2.00V and the readings of the ammeter and the voltmeter
were noted with each step.

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003
Part(B):
The circuit shown in fig.4 was set up and the value of R2 was measured and
noted.
voltage source was varied at a step of 1V from 0.00V to 10.00V and then
readings of the voltmeters were noted with each step. And the current Iz going
through the resistance(and the zener diode) was calculated.
Fig.4
Part(C)
The circuit shown in fig.5 was set up and the value of R and RL was measured
and
noted.
The Voltage source was varied at a step of 1V from 0.00V to 10.00V and then
readings of the voltmeters
current

VL , VR

were noted with each step. And the

I R , I z , I L , and going through the resistance(and the zener diode)

was calculated.
Part(D)
The circuit shown in fig.6 was set up and using a variable resistance (A
rheostat)as a load resistance.

IL

and

Iz

V out , I s

were measured and recorded. Then

were calculated.

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Results:
Section A:

Vs

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

2.0

0.00

0.9

3.16

4.79

6.18

8.05

11.4

13.5

15.6

20.2

0.00

0.0
0

0.1

0.7

6.53

19.4
5

101

150

190

800

0.03
4

0.1
0

0.39
4

0.55
3

0.62
3

0.65
2

0.66
8

0.68
4

0.69
6

0.71
5

/V

ID
/mA

IR
/mA

VD
/V

Section B:

0 1

10

0 0

0.61

1.58

2.55

3.46

0 1.01
1
0 0

2.01

2.98

4.49

5.03

5.95

-0.4

-3.9

6.04
4
-11.6

6.04
6
-15.4

-6.048

6.04
3
-7.6

/V

VR
/V

Vz
/V

Iz

-19.2

/mA

Section C:

V /

10

VR /

0.046

0.09

0.14

0.2

0.24

0.28

0.57

1.52

2.55

3.11

VL /

0.914

0.193

2.95

3.95

4.73

5.65

6.42

6.44

6.46

6.47

IR /

0.8

1.6

2.4

3.2

7.8

11.7

15.7

19.4

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003
mA

IL /

0.8

1.6

2.4

3.2

4.1

4.9

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

0.1

2.7

6.6

10.5

14.3

mA

I z /
mA

Section D:

R L /

10K

1K

220

V L /V

9.72

7.99

4.6

I R /mA

0.92

9.9

39.3

I L /mA

8.08

38.5

I z / mA

38.6

38.5

100

*Note: Only the nominal current was required for this part of the experiment.

Discussion of Results:
Section (A)
````

Comparing the two graphs shows that

the experimental results(left) have the same

(approximately) shape as the general diode

graph and the values where the current
starts
to increase is almost the same. The obtained
values are accuarate within experimental
errors.
Experimental results graph.1

Graph.2

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Section(B):

The graph on the left was obtained

when the values obtained were plotted.
The two graphs shown are accurate
(within the range of expeimental errors).
Showing that the zener diode exerimental
results have the same form as the general
form shown to the right.
Experimental results graph.2

Graph.2

The value of R was found to have an average of 57.5 Ohms. And Iz was shown on
the results section above.
The value of the zener resistance Rz was calculated to be Rz=0.526Ohms.
Section(C):
The results of section C were found out to be accurate agreed with the ideal case
of the zener diode, because as shown in the table of section C the current for
voltages less than 6 volts is actually zero which is expected because the zener
breakdown still hasnt occurred. When we reach the value 6 Volts it was found
out that current started to flow because the ammeter used gave a reading. After
that the voltage was increased and as a result the current also increased. The
increase is non-linear because as we increased the voltages by equal steps the
currents didnt increase in equal steps hence it was concluded that the I-V
characteristics were non-linear.

Section (D):
In part(D) part of the reading of the nominal current was found to be 1.36mA.
The resistance was found out to be 127 Ohms.

10

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

Conclusion:
From the obtained results and the discussion of these results, it was concluded
that the experiment was performed with minor errors which didnt affect the
stated objectives and hence all the objectives were fulfilled and the obtained
results were correct within the range of experimental errors due to the fact that
some equipment may not be accurate enough in their readings or output but
luckily the results were not jeopardized and hence the experiment was a success.

11

Name: Ahmed Elsiddieg Abdulaziz Abdalla

Index:114003

12