Welcome to our tutorial on how to draw the I-V characteristic curve of a diode in Proteus. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of simulating a diode circuit in Proteus, measuring the current and voltage values, and plotting the results to create the I-V characteristic curve. We will also cover some basic concepts of semiconductor physics and diode operation. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to draw the I-V characteristic curve of a diode in Proteus and how to interpret the results.
In many cases during circuit making or circuit prototyping you need to know the current voltage characteristic curve of a diode for which you don't have data. For example in construction AM modulation circuit using diode one should know the diode transfer characteristics in order the input and output signal magnitude. So in this educational tutorial it is illustrated how you can draw Current–Voltage Characteristic Curve or I-V Characteristic Curve of an unknown diode in Proteus Professional Software. Here it is show how to draw the IV curve of an ordinary diode and of a zener diode.
In this tutorial we will use the 1N4148 diode. The 1N4148 diode is a small signal diode that is widely used in electronic circuits. It is a fast switching diode with a low forward voltage drop and a high reverse breakdown voltage. It has a low capacitance and is suitable for use in high-frequency applications. The 1N4148 diode is made of silicon, which makes it suitable for use in a wide range of temperatures. It is commonly used in switching power supplies, signal processing circuits, and other applications where a fast switching diode is needed. Due to its compact size, it is also a good fit for portable devices and other circuits that require minimal space.
Proteus is a software suite for microcontroller simulation, schematic capture, and printed circuit board (PCB) design. The software is developed by Labcenter Electronics and is widely used in the electronic design industry. The Proteus schematic editor is a powerful tool that allows users to design and simulate electronic circuits before they are built in real life. It provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create, edit and analyze electronic circuit diagrams. The schematic editor in Proteus allows the user to place and connect various electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, and diodes, to create a functional circuit. It also includes a wide range of simulation tools that can be used to test and verify the circuit's performance. The Proteus package also includes a PCB layout editor that allows users to design and optimize the physical layout of their circuit. The combination of schematic editor, simulation and PCB layout tools makes Proteus a complete solution for electronic design and it is widely used in academic and professional settings.
The I-V characteristic curve of a diode is a graphical representation of the relationship between the current flowing through the diode and the voltage across it. In the case of the 1N4148 diode, the I-V curve shows how the current through the diode changes as the voltage across it is varied. The curve has two distinct regions: the forward-bias region, where the diode is forward-biased and current flows through it, and the reverse-bias region, where the diode is reverse-biased and no current flows through it. In the forward-bias region, the current increases exponentially with the increase in voltage, which is typical of PN-junction diodes. In the reverse-bias region, the current is very small, typically in the order of microamperes. The breakdown voltage of the diode is the voltage at which the diode enters the breakdown region, where the current increases rapidly. In the case of 1N4148 the breakdown voltage is typically around 75 Volts. The I-V characteristic curve is an important tool for understanding the behavior of a diode and for designing circuits that use diodes.
Steps to draw diode I-V characteristic curve in Proteus
Place a diode like 1N4148 on the proteus schematic editor.
Place a DC signal generator and wire to the anode side of the diode.
Place a ground on the cathode side and connect it to the cathode of the diode.
Place a current probe on the anode side of the diode and rename it Id.
Also rename the DC input as Vin.
Next place a Transfer graph on the schematic.
Right click on the Transfer graph to bring up its properties window. There in the Source 1 select ROOT_Vin and change the Start value to -2 and Stop value to 3, then click OK.
Again right click on the graph and click on Add Trace.
Select ROOT_Id as the trace in Probe P1.
Right click on the graph again and click on Stimulate Graph or press SPACE key on keyboard.
Then you should obtain the IV characteristic curve of the 1N4148 diode as shown below.
In the same way we can draw the current voltage characteristics of a Zener diode. Here we have chosen a 1N4370A Zener diode which has zener voltage of 2.4V.
First we replace the 1N4148 with the 1N4370A zener diode as shown below.
Then we adjust the transfer curve graph voltage limits with the Start value to -20 and Stop value to 10, then click OK.
Then as before we simulate the circuit by right clicking on the graph and clicking on the Stimulate Graph. We then get the following zener diode IV characteristics graph.
As can be seen above the zener breakdown voltage is around 2.5V which is close to the actual value of 2.4V.
So in this way you can draw a Diode I-V Characteristic Curve in Proteus electronics design software.
See the following video demonstration.
Tutorial Summary
In this tutorial, we covered the process of simulating and drawing the
I-V characteristic curve of a diode in Proteus. We discussed how to set
up a diode circuit in Proteus, how to measure the current and voltage
values, and how to plot the results to create the I-V characteristic
curve. By
the end of the tutorial, readers should have a solid understanding of
how to draw the I-V characteristic curve of a diode in Proteus, and how
to use it to analyze and design electronic circuits that use diodes. The
tutorial also discussed how to use Proteus as a powerful simulation
tool for electronic design and how it can help to verify and optimize
the circuit's performance before being built in real life.
If you are interested in using Proteus circuit simulation software and interested in similar tutorial like this, see the tutorial Import spice model in Proteus and draw JFET drain curve.
