Electronic – Principle of diode in DRL AND gate

circuit analysisdigital-logicdiode-clampdiodeslogic-gates

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The explanation (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode_logic) states that

R is connected to +12 volts to provide the forward bias current for the diodes and current for output drive. If all inputs A AND B AND C are a positive voltage (+6 volts here),
current flowing through R will pull the output positive till the
diodes clamp the output to +6 volts, the logical 1 output level. If
any input switches to 0 volts (logical 0 level), current flowing
through the diode will pull the output voltage down to 0 volts. The
other diodes would be reverse biased and conduct no current.

Why the explanation says that R is connected to 12 V? Is the 12V obligatory given "1" is 6V? What are the Kirchhoff equations for this… well it is not a circuit. Is this a kind of star topology connection? What is the mathematical nature/description of this? What exactly does clamp mean – does this mean diodes connected in parallel with cathodes to input, anodes to output will sink all the voltage until it is equal to minimum of their input?

Best Answer

There is more than just logic going on in this circuit due to using that +12 V. If that was +6 V things would be more clear I guess.

Fact is that all 3 inputs are either 0 V or 6 V. When only one of the inputs is 0 it "overrules" the others and pulls the output low. This is the logic AND function. All have to be +6V for the output to be 6 V as well.

Why 6 V and not 12 V?

Because the diodes will not allow it, the output voltage is "clamped".

For there to be +12 V at the output all diodes would have to be non-conducting. This can only happen when all 3 input voltages are +12 V.

Since the inputs are defined to be either 0 V or +6 V, this (all three inputs at +12 V) is never going to happen so the output will never be +12 V. It can only reach +6 V.

well it is not a circuit

What would you call it then? In my opinion a circuit consists of at least two components having at least one common connection. So I'm quite sure that this is a circuit.

And I'm even more sure that Kirchoff's laws still apply.

But rather than "throwing" Laws and formulas at circuit (which I often see beginners do) I look at the circuit and ask myself "What happens here".