Voltage Clamping Diode. During the negative half cycle the diode becomes reverse biased and acts as an open circuit. In an informal sense clamping diodes refer to diodes used as voltage clamps to protect sensitive components against transients and overvoltages.
During the negative half cycle the diode becomes reverse biased and acts as an open circuit. This method is a more straightforward one wherein the circuit is designed to cut off the power to the load side when the voltage exceeds the given set values. The diode d will be forward biased and the capacitor c is charged with the polarity shown when an input signal is applied.
Transients are steep voltage spikes lasting in the region of 10 100 microseconds that can occur due to lightning strikes inductive load switching and electrostatic discharge.
The trough of the signal will be on the 0v line. As the diode becomes forward biased current flows through the amplifier s inputs to the respective supply. The actual clamping occurs in roughly one picosecond but in a practical circuit the inductance of the wires leading to the device imposes a higher limit. Transient voltage suppressor diode is a clamping device so whenever the induced voltage exceeds the avalanche breakdown voltage it absorbs the excess energy of the overvoltage event and then it automatically resets after overvoltage condition.