Voltage Division and Control with Diodes -

Electronic Building Blocks - Voltage Division and Control with Diodes - #166
A good selection of test gear and tools here: kaiweets.com?sca_ref=1358197.WQbc45IA3a
Use coupon code LE10 and help support the channel!
Lab equipment
Multimeter - Kaiweets KM601 Smart Multimeter
tinyurl.com/e2uny5bf
Oscilloscope (Analog) - Hameg HM 307
• Hameg HM 307 oscillosc...
Oscilloscope (Digital) - Siglent SDS 1104X-E
www.telonic.co.uk/SIGLENT-SDS...
Function Generator - Siglent SDG 1032X
www.telonic.co.uk/SIGLENT-SDG...

[@cjh0751]

I've gotta admit that I've not really thought about using diodes to drop voltage. You always instinctively reach for a couple of resistors. Thanks Bill for your informative videos. I'm 53 and have come to the subject a little late in life but I've always had an interest in electronics.

[@reijoliljedahl7170]

Diode voltage drop dissipates excatly as much heat as would a resistor of same voltage drop. There is no mystery in that, just ohms law.

[@aimforthecenter]

Thank you for another great informative and useful video.

[@bobshifimods7302]

How can it use less power than resistors? Power =VI and that's not gonna change whether resistors of diodes are used.

[@t1d100]

Seems like I may have seen this method used to create a negative voltage rail for op amps in a very basic variable linear power supply circuit?

[@t1d100]

Yes, very interesting. Thank you. I will need to think on it, to sort it out. Seems like the diodes are "demanding" their typical voltage drop, no matter the arrangement. In the second arrangement - resistor then diodes... Your last reading was 0.68V. This is the typical v drop for one diode... So, I am wondering if you made the circuit as a single resistor to a single diode, would not the voltage still be 0.68 before the diode, regardless of the voltage supplied? I think what would change is the v drop on the resistor. It would have to drop the additional 1.4V that the two removed diodes were dropping.

[@t1d100]

Hmm... What about the current?

[@andersjohansson8588]

The ”division” ratio is not constant, as it is in a proper divider. Voltage ”clamp” is a better name.

[@t1d100]

See my comment, above. Yes, "clamping" does seem to be a good descriptive term. Clamping is what my thinking would lead to, I suspect.