TOPIC: Zener Diode and Power Supply
OBJECTIVE: Constructing a 5-V power supply
EQUIPMENTS AND COMPONENT:
1. 6-V AC power supply
2. Bridge Rectifier (BR3)
3. Capacitors (470 μF)
4. IC 7805/ RG 7805
5. Multimeter
6. Oscilloscope
INTRODUCTION
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 is reached at which point a process called Avalanche
Breakdown occurs in the semiconductor depletion layer and a current start to flow through the
diode to limit this increase in voltage.
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.
A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load. The primary
function of a power supply is to convert one form of electrical energy to another and, as a result,
power supplies are sometimes referred to as electric power converters. Some power supplies are
discrete, stand-alone devices, whereas others are built into larger devices along with their loads.
Examples of the latter include power supplies found in desktop computers and consumer electronics
devices.
Electronic circuit needs energy to work. In most cases the energy is provided by a circuit called the
power supply. A power supply failure will affect all the other circuits. The supply is a key part of
an electronic system.
Power supplies used rectifier diodes to convert alternating current to direct current. They also use
special IC for voltage regulation. The 7805 series of IC regulators operate at a fixed output voltage.
The
7805 provides 5-V, the 7812 provides 12-V and 7815 provides 15-V.
PROCEDURE:
1. Used Livewire to create a new blank project/file.
2. Connected the bridge rectifier (found under Discrete Semiconductor > Bridge Rectifier) to the AC
power supply (Power Supply > AC Voltage Source). Set Vrms to 6 V and the frequency to 1 Hz.
3. Connected an oscilloscope (Measuring > Oscilloscope). Attached Channel 1 across the positive and
negative terminals of the bridge rectifier. Observed the waveform displayed on the oscilloscope
screen. (Right-clicked on the oscilloscope and selected Graph.) Set the maximum and minimum
voltages to 9 V and -9 V, respectively, and the time to 200 ms. Captured or sketched the waveform.
Figure 1: Circuit without Smoothing Capacitor & Voltage Regulator
4. Connected a capacitor across the positive and negative terminals of the bridge rectifier and
observed the waveform displayed on the oscilloscope screen/graph. Tried using different capacitor
values. Sketched or recorded the waveform.
Figure 3: Circuit with only smoothing capacitor/filter
5. Difference from the waveform above were explained.
6. The connection of the whole circuit was completed in the figure below with Bridge Rectifier (BR3)
And the waveform across C6 was observed (after the regulator). The types of waveforms were
explained.
Figure 4: Circuit with BR3 after the regulator