5.0 Wave Shaping Circuits
Wave shaping circuits alter the shape of an applied waveform by attenuating parts of it or shifting its DC level.
5.1 Clippers
A clipper removes a part of the input signal above or below a certain reference value, reducing the peak-to-peak amplitude.
- Positive Clipper: Clips the positive portion of the input signal. The output follows the input when V_i < V_{ref} and is clamped to V_{ref} when V_i > V_{ref}.
- Negative Clipper: Clips the negative portion of the input signal. The output follows the input when V_i > V_{ref} and is clamped to V_{ref} when V_i < V_{ref}.
5.2 Clampers
A clamper shifts the entire input signal vertically by a DC value, without changing its peak-to-peak amplitude.
- Positive Clamper: Shifts the input waveform vertically upward by a positive DC reference voltage.
- Negative Clamper: Shifts the input waveform vertically downward by a negative DC reference voltage.