Positive unbiased voltage clamping shifts the amplitude of the input waveform so that all parts of it are greater than 0V
A clamper is an electric circuit that prevents a signal from exceeding a certain defined magnitude by shifting its DC value.
A diode clamp relies on a diode, which conducts electric current in only one direction; resistors and capacitors in the circuit can be used to alter the dc level at the clamper output.
Clamp circuits are categorised by their operation; negative or positive and biased and unbiased.
A positive clamp circuit outputs a purely positive waveform from an input signal; it offsets the input signal so that all of the waveform is greater than 0V. A negative clamp is the opposite of this - this clamp outputs a purely negative waveform from an input signal.
A bias voltage between the diode and ground offsets the output voltage by that amount.
For example, an input signal of peak value 5V (VIN = 5V) is applied to a positive clamp with a bias of 3V (VBIAS = 3V), the peak output voltage will be
Voltage clipping limits the voltage to a device without affecting the rest of the waveform
In electronics, a clipper is a device designed to prevent the output of a circuit from exceeding a predetermined voltage level without distorting the remaining part of the applied waveform.
A clipping circuit consists of linear elements like resistors and non-linear elements like junction diodes or transistors, but it does not contain energy-storage elements like capacitors. Clipping circuits are used to select for purposes of transmission, that part of a signal wave form which lies above or below a certain reference voltage level.
Thus a clipper circuit can remove certain portions of an arbitrary waveform near the positive or negative peaks. Clipping may be achieved either at one level or two levels. Usually under the section of clipping, there is a change brought about in the wave shape of the signal.
Clipping Circuits are also called as Slicers, amplitude selectors or limiters.
