May 2005
Beginner to intermediate
398 pages
12h 12m
English
Content preview from Designing Embedded Hardware, 2nd Edition
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Diodes
Diodes are semiconductor devices that are extremely useful. They have the interesting characteristic that they will pass a current in one direction but block it from the other. They can be used to allow currents to flow from one part of a circuit to another but prevent other currents from "backwashing" where you don't want them.
The schematic symbol for a diode is shown in Figure 4-46. The arrow indicates the direction of conduction. The arrow represents the anode , or positive side, of the diode, while the bar represents the cathode , or negative side, of the diode. A higher voltage on the left of the component will allow current to be passed through to the right. However, a higher voltage on the right will be prevented from causing current flow to the left.
Figure 4-46. Schematic symbol for a diode
Diodes have a forward voltage drop when conducting. This means there will be a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode. For example, a diode may have a forward voltage drop of 0.7 V. If this diode is part of a larger circuit and the voltage at the anode is 5 V, then the voltage at the cathode will be 4.3 V.
Diodes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Figure 4-47 shows a small power diode. The white stripe indicates the cathode (negative) end of the diode.
Figure 4-47. Power ...
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