What is a zener diode?

A tutorial on zener diodes and how to use them as voltage clamps, voltage regulators, and how to create audio distortion circuits.
300 assorted zener diodes on Amazon for $10: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI... Check out my webpage for more videos about electronics! www.afrotechmods.com

[@Afrotechmods]

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[@greatscottlab]

Are you planning on doing a kickstarter for your Fartduino. It sounds promising ;-)

[@Afrotechmods]

GreatScott! I am launching it on Kickfarter!

[@TheBrightPixel]

Afrotechmods Much better than Stinky-gogo

[@ahmedelwan9129]

Afrotechmods hahahaha nice names

[@ozzie_goat]

The Bright Pixel What about Fartreon?

[@LNW54]

+Bogdi Gaming and More! you've taken that too far....

[@MyVillageShow]

Your videos are very nice

[@alico797]

This is the video that best explains the operation of zener diodes throughout KZbin!! ... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[@Abdullahjimmy]

Really appreciated the video :) More easier to understand than what the proffesor said.

[@8bits59]

THANK YOU I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOR FOREVER

[@Braeden123698745]

I found you from your transistor video, and I'm so happy to see you have other fantastic tutorials You're channel is exactly what I was looking for.

[@zezeA380]

Thanks for uploading the tutorial I have asked for!

[@mechguy83]

i hope you come back one day its been a few years hope your ok bud, btw you taught my 10 year alot she going to take an electronics course one day.

[@CPOST1CPOST1]

WOW, YOU REALLY MAKE A GREAT TUTORIAL... IF ONLY I HAD THESE VIDEOS IN MY EE CLASSES CIRCA 1976!

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

I'd be surprised if they even had normal diodes back then much less zenith's. Its amazing how much farthered we are the then back then, thinking about a black and white tv, kids idk how they enjoyed cartoons and probably explains that they were always taking drugs in the world.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

I'd heard of diode distortion in modern guitar amps but didn't know where to start - thanks so much! :o)

[@Azam94856]

the TL431 can be used as a programmable voltage regulator (reference). That means you can actually use a Voltage divider to get the output you want. I hope you make a small tutorial about the TL431 and its uses. great video thanks

[@ChrisFredriksson]

Would you consider doing a followup to this video with more circuit "protection", with how to more completely protect an analog input from both negative and high voltage and high currents, for example from a magnet switch in an alarm system, which could be subject to sabotage of hundreds or thousands of volts/amps? How would you easily but very efficiently protect against that? Great video, as always, I love these! =)

[@calogiga]

Terrific ! This is very well explained ! I understand for the first time the Zener diode. Thanks !!!!

[@serenadawn111]

Thank you thank you thank you! I was not grasping Zener diodes in my Introduction to Electronics class at all! You've helped clarify ALOT!

[@darkside5770]

Hi

[@justadreamerforgood69]

@@darkside5770 Desperado

[@kevinbowker2385]

Thank you. As always, very interesting and informative.

[@larrydixon6021]

The best electronics videos out there keep up the good work

[@cbcdesign001]

We use Zener diodes a lot. 0.4W for reference and clamping circuits drawing up to a few milliamps and larger 1.3W versions for regulating rail voltages on comparator circuits with loads up to 50mA in some cases. Zeners only handle the surplus current in a circuit where the load at a given voltage is continuous. It is a very useful component.

[@stemmaster1568]

I have a fartduino...however when I received it in the package it smelled a bit... off.

[@automationsolution]

lol

[@douggale5962]

The description I've heard more often is, it is like a regular diode with a very low breakdown voltage, constructed in such a way as to allow the breakdown voltage to be exceeded without damage. I've wondered how accurate an analogy based description can be, though.

[@hazzardstar]

Awsome explanation your videos continue to help me a tonne with electronics

[@zedlepplin9450]

Very clear, this video an be my whole analog ckt lab report for zener diodes. Thank yousir!

[@Ash99Ob]

شكراً لكم على الترجمة Thanks for translation

[@nitro105]

Another great video, in one of them you mentioned that diodes don't always work well in parallel could you make a video to explain this? Alternators of high amp output frequently use multiple parallel diodes.

[@maxxiang8746]

really late but basically, diodes don't have a linear voltage to current curve like a resistor, and if the voltage is above its forward voltage, the current will increase dramatically if not limited. each diode is slightly different, so if more than one diode is used in parallel, one will likely end up overheating while the others do not heat up at all. I'm not sure why some devices still do that though

[@BrianMann216]

I am working on fuel injection circuit (12v 2.1ohm solenoid) trying to protect 555 timer / arduino driver. Thanks for this help.

[@Mframeproductionst]

love your video on zener diode thanks

[@rampitup32]

This was really helpful. Thank you!

[@mdfahd1795]

your videos are so beneficial , thank you

[@jimadams2473]

Another excellent video. Thanks.

[@101AOK]

I like it...at 5min alligator clips on breadboard show previous "high voltage" or grounding experiments etc... NICE touch.

[@AndreClassicCuts]

Dope video bruh!

[@reactor1system]

Very informative video as always. Can you make a tutorial on making short-range radio transmitters? Would be cool to learn how to transmit digital data with radio. I know there are already modules like zigbee but it would be awesome to make a crude DIY digital transmitter.

[@zainmubarak8679]

your videos is great and very helpful.. thank you

[@mrflamewars]

Not really understanding or absorbing much of this but it's still really interesting to watch.

[@Martin-xj9zj]

perfect explanation, thanks.

[@AnalogDude_]

we want more Afrotechmods : )

[@NigelAtkinson256]

One of my bikes, a1973 Norton Commando, orginally had a battery charging circuit involving a large (physically) ziner across the battery to prevent over charging. It used the large hunk of metal the foot peg was attached to in order to disapate the heat generated.

[@nahidxy]

Thanks . It really helps

[@patrikjankovics2113]

Its actually used in LED power supplies, or everywhere where constant current is needed.I think there are a lot of circuit designs on the internet about it if you search for it.

[@passedhighschoolphysics6010]

Very well done.

[@Bianchi77]

Well done, nice video,thanks for sharing it with us :)

[@valentin-razvanlupu4868]

btw love your vids

[@dingski_diy]

hi, nice tut, can i use zener diode to clamp the voltage output to 5.1v 50ma from a 72v input?

[@draftartmart8069]

Hey afrotechmods Great video but could you tell me how to use a 15v zener to reduce 40v to 15v for my MOSFET

[@1984revision]

Thank you for the clarification. The question on my mind: is it ok to use Zener Diode as a rectifier diode? I wasn't aware until I learn of your demonstration.

[@ewhartiii]

In the late 80s and early 90s I worked rebuilding alternators and starters. In the mid 80s GM started making the CS series of alternators, which used 28 V Avalanche (Zener) diodes for the rectifiers. I believe this was to protect the electronics in the ECU from voltage spikes. These alternators were rated up to 120 A @ 12 V. I actually mounted a 120 A GM alternator in place of a 60 A Ford alternator on a 1983 LTD. I modified the GM alternator to use a heavy duty Ford external regulator, and used to jump start semis with it. edit: Oops, I forgot to answer your question. As long as the Zeners are rated to handle the anticipated current and voltage, they will work fine.

[@humayun891]

Thanks for sharing

[@electronic7979]

Useful video

[@rafaelmarroquin4429]

really great video thansk for share your knowledges.

[@kaelthassunstrider4559]

great tutorials ^_^

[@nidalshehadeh6001]

I am working on a small weather emergency broadcast radio with a lot of static in it looking inside it I found a broken zener diode. on the printed circuit board it says 3.9 volt ZD 3 do I need to concern myself with more than 3.9 volt ? is there different amperage on a 3.9v zener diode ? the glass is broken and I could hardly read what it says on it. thank you and have a good day

[@p1nesap]

nice clear

[@guitarguy3688]

Make a video on logic gates & also on photodiode please

[@aajjeee]

thats exaclty what i was missing for my analogy of subway trams and ac current

[@Brokkoli7hun]

Hi, I'm designing a simple radiation detector. The GM tube requires 400VDC. I found a nice plan for the step-up itself, but it still needs some kind of feedback, so when the output reaches the desired voltage, a transistor would pull the base of the oscillator transistor to ground. The best idea seemed to be using a 400V zener diode, but the store I oder from only sells 100V zeners... So my question is the following: Is there an alternative - apart from putting 4 in series - to make the feedback?

[@captainpumpkinhead1512]

So then, are there zener transistors you could buy? This would be super useful in a transistor package!

[@janussQv]

I was planning to make an oscilloscope "divider" for a mobile phone oscilloscope. Placing two 2v2 zeners, to clamp voltage to a safe limit, not to burn down the mic input. Does this sound like the correct way to do it? Of course voltage would be dropped with a resistor voltage divider first and zeners would be used just as extra protection.

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

A reliable variable power supply is quite a lot of work to design. It's a rabbit hole if you're doing it for the first time. Lots of things to learn. For easy solutions of a fixed voltage there are some simple voltage regulator ICs that work well though. Throw in a capacitor too and you can get a pretty stable dc out of the end. Higher power ones require cooling though. Also if you want to start from AC you usually have to take a few prerequisite steps too sadly.

[@ArthurSeijiNishikawa]

Clarence Zener was a remarkable scientist. Besides discovering the Zener effect, that lead to the development of the Zener diode, he did quite a lot of discoveries in metallurgy (my field of study).

[@kabeza79]

good explanations

[@notionSunday]

Nice vid.

[@marvinlewis2375]

Very good info

[@bsvenss2]

Great video!! Thanks!

[@shwethal7427]

nice.....

[@CoolDudeClem]

Great tutorial, I'll be looking out for the "fartduino"! On a more serious note I know you can add a transistor to the zener circuit when more power is needed. The collector goes to +, the base connects to where the resistor and zener meet, and the load connects to the emitter and ground, that kind of circuit has been around for years.

[@Afrotechmods]

CoolDudeClem Yes that's a very common way to make a linear regulator!

[@power-max]

CoolDudeClem Yup! To achieve better _load regulation_, (lower the apparent output impedance) then use a transistor with a high gain, because when you use a BJT as an emitter-follower like you describe, you create effectively a feedback loop within the transistor, and higher gain is like a higher 'P' factor, so better regulation. You can use a darlington to further improve load regulation, but the disadvantage is that the "dropout voltage" will be considerably higher. If instead you use the complementary darlington pair, you will get the advantages of a low Vbe saturation voltage (which is the main culprit for dropout voltage) as well as additional gain, and better line regulation! :D I actually use this set up a lot when I cannot find a suitable regulator in my junk bin! However, if you are simply using resistors to bias the zeners instead of a proper current source, then the current through the zeners will be proportional to the input voltage, and since the zener voltage changes a bit with respect to that current, the overall line regulation will be pretty crap, but good enough for most non-critical things. You can actually use a small regulator as a voltage reference to replace the zener diodes and improve performance.

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

Superb. Thanks.

[@rawmoo1990]

Thank you for these videos, once I'll make a donation once I start applying this knowledge to my bank account.

[@ivanhuzjak9644]

Afrotechmods i saw one of your videos about speed control H-bridge. So i was thinking if you can build same think but for more power and amps. I builded fan from old motor for windscreen whipers and it is drowing around 5.5 amps on 7.2 v whit load (fan in this case).So can you build one or sand me schematics.

[@motek346]

Very nice and interesting videos! They are really helpful for electronic projects. How about a video about ground loops?

[@josephcalderone3987]

Nice Channel thanks for the info

[@markfinn825]

What about a relay with a big electromagnet that turns on with only (for example) a small amount of electricity? All the extra electricity is converted to magnetism. The common and normally open contacts bring in whatever voltage you need (as long as the source can supply the needed current its good ). It may not be fancy but it is a beginning.

[@austin3013]

Fartduino! lol how is that trademarked XD

[@CurtisEFlush5962]

BigShack By the power of his keyboard

[@marcfoster715]

Along with the Strawberry Rho®, I guess.

[@KermitFrazierdotcom]

Unicode, I guess... I've already Trademarked "New Age" a couple times, but it never made me any money...

[@abdalrhmansy7707]

Can the zener diode be used at the end of the 12 V phone charger to regulate the output voltage and what is the highest ampere it can be allowed to pass through? Thank you.

[@KevinDay]

You could have mentioned that you can use a power transistor in the common collector or "emitter follower" configuration to buffer the voltage and provide more current. This would have helped me a while back...

[@alejandroperez5368]

How dare you speak like that to him?

[@eugenepohjola258]

Howdy. Nice. An idea is to use zener diodes to kill switch on / off spikes. The approach is good but zener diodes are too slow to work as spike killers. Varistor resistors are a much better choice. Regards.

[@cjdelphi]

As a fun thing to look at and explore for a future video is the joule thief and how it's able to light an led from a battery considerd flat/dead :)

[@pollydor07]

THANK YOU MUCH

[@chimeranzl9147]

When you say reverse biased, that current starts to flow in the opposite direction, do you mean from cathode to anode? (rather than the normal anode to cathode direction for fwd bias) So if you built a circuit specifically to utilize the reverse bias of a zener, you wire in the zener backwards so it starts conducting when it hits a certain threshold? So + to cathode and - to anode?

[@MrLaTEchno]

In Holland we have a "free current of 5V" coming from the telephone line in.Is this when using it traceable ???by the company

[@sumeeththallapelly9801]

A great making thanq clear to me

[@RajeshKumar-nx7yh]

gud explanation sir 👍

[@lightbulbgonewild3205]

Please come back 😭

[@hornylink]

bi-directional diodes? HERESY!

[@allanrichardson1468]

hornylink Actually, all semiconductor diodes exhibit Zener behavior at high enough reverse bias voltages. Even though the carrier depletion layer at the P-N junction becomes thicker (which is also the basis of another diode device called a varicap) with reverse voltage, eventually the tiny trickle of electrons crossing the layer becomes so energetic that they knock other electrons out of their shells, creating electron-hole pairs which allow more current to flow, which creates more electron-hole pairs, etc. When a certain voltage is reached, this happens very quickly, like an avalanche (Zener diodes are also called avalanche diodes), the voltage needed to sustain the avalanche drops, and current increases without restraint unless limited by a resistance in series. This can destroy a general purpose rectifying diode, and is the reason for the reverse voltage breakdown specification on a diode. A Zener diode is one that is designed to have a lower and precisely defined breakdown voltage, and to recover normal rectifying action (ie stop current flow) at almost exactly the same voltage (rather than at a much lower voltage). And external current limiting resistors prevents destruction of the diode on the first avalanche event. Now how about a video on the varicap diode, which is used to frequency-modulate an oscillator and to keep its frequency constant?

[@marceichelsheim1740]

They totally missed the chance to call them biodes.

[@cat-lw6kq]

that symbol is seldom used in service manuals, I don't know why. used to work in a repair shop. of course you can tell by looking at them the no. on it or the color they are different.

[@yeshecan7]

Afrotechmods......i have small diode like you show on the video....but my diode has writen code which is 23 on the first line on the second line OB or 0B......please can you tell me what does it mean? and what kind of diode it is? thank you.

[@anandrattu]

I need help to find a diode number 5G2.G ? It is used in door lock actuator.

[@rdelectronics2790]

Good video!! Is avalanche diode the same like zener diode? Thanks

[@silasfatchett5693]

'Zener diodes' operate on two different principles, 'avalanche breakdown' which predominates above approx. 5.6V and below 5.6V by 'quantum tunneling' which is known as the 'Zener effect' after its discoverer, Clarence Melvin Zener.

[@brahmanandatarai9299]

it is clear all my doubts..................

[@gromswift]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

[@adamdavey6102]

dose it drop off, 3.3 volt, or limit it to 3.3 volt, and 1 volt?

[@obtsai8015]

nice clip.

[@xerejuneseve6333]

Ad base of transistor betwen resistor and zener and you can take couple of A.

[@ChrisDIYerOklahoma]

Used to work on backswing diode thyristors...big ones. They don't work well when soaked in coolant. Haaa!

[@Mixbag]

anyone help me ? i want to protect voltage over 5.50v but i cant seem to select correct zener. i have tried a 5.10v zener but it does not work

[@ethanrowlette9912]

HaY!!! I love this channel!!! Do you have any suggestions for me? I want to become nothing short of an electrical master. I have been learning here on KZbin it is very useful! especially considering I'm fairly lacking in financial endowment. Afrotechmods and GreatScott! and mjorton are the best sources I have found thus far. I would like to know if you have any recommendations if I was to seek formal education. Specifically: What would be my best choice to get a deep understanding of electrical and electronic workings and inner workings. I want to know everything! :D

[@LoganDark4357]

It's called... school....

[@yurigagarin4974]

I agree with you youtube is great for learning electronics 🇬🇧😎👍

[@dohlucafe]

I want to know about electrical field.

[@rumblertag8933]

Who made the brand BEICH such a good brand

[@GeorgeSariev]

GREATE GREATE THANK YOU

[@sp3ctr418]

What advantages does this offer over a voltage divider circuit (swap the zener diode with another resistor)?

[@alejandroperez5368]

Voltage dividers don't provide any kind of regulation. Plus, they will heat up pretty quickly.

[@pseudotronics]

I think you mean clipper. In a clamper the swing of the input has to match the swing of the output.

[@Crux161]

Mentioning some of the benefits (as you just did at the end) for a patreon subscription sounded really enticing,m! If I had the cash to spare, I'd love having advanced access to your videos lol :) most other people I've seen on KZbin just mention patreon, but they don't always mention the benefits of a subscription it seems.

[@xmenxwk]

Why did you put 220Ohm resistor when using zener as voltage regulator ?