Clipper Cicuits | Types of Clipper Circuits

Clipper circuits are electronic circuits that remove/limit/clip a part of the waveform thus changing the amplitude of an input waveform.

Mostly clippers are used in:

audio amplifiers

signal generators

voltage regulators

to control the maximum or minimum voltage levels of an input signal

Positive diode clippers

Positive diode clippers are the clipper circuits that allow only positive voltages to pass through while restricting negative voltages. 

Such circuits usually consist of a diode which is connected in series with a load resistor. 

When the input voltage exceeds the forward voltage drop of the diode, the diode conducts and limits the output voltage to the forward voltage drop of the diode.

Negative diode clippers

Negative diode clippers block only the positive voltages and allow negative voltages to pass through. 

Similar to positive Diode clipper circuit, a Diode is connected in series with the load resistance but the polarity of Diode is reveresed.

When the input voltage exceeds the reverse voltage threshold of the diode, the Diode conducts and clips the positive portion of input signal. 

Biased positive clippers

Biased positive clippers are like positive clippers except that they also have an additional bias voltage in series with the diode. 

This bias voltage is obtained from a voltage divider circuit. Bias voltage determines the cutoff level of the clipping operation. 

When we adjust the bias voltage, the clipping level varies accordingly and allows more control over the clipping operation.

Biased negative clippers

Similar to negative clippers, biased clippers work with the same arrangement of Diode in series with resistance. But, the circuit also has a bias voltage that is applied in reverse polarity to the diode.

Usually, bias voltage comes from a voltage divider circuit, similar to biased positive clippers. 

This biasing voltage determines the cutoff level for clipping the negative portion of the waveform.

Clipping of both half cycles

Clipping of both half cycles by clipper circuit is when both positive and negative portions of the waveform are clipped. 

This is used in applications where a symmetrical clipping operation is required. For example, in audio amplifiers to prevent distortion in both the positive and negative alternations of the signal.

Biased Clipping of both Half Cycles

It involves the use of a biasing voltage in a clipper circuit such that it clips both positive and negative half cycles of the input signal. 

By selecting a particular bias voltage, the clipping level for both positive and negative voltages can be adjusted individually which allows precise control over the amplitude of the output waveform.

In Summary,