133

Do-It-Yourself Diodes
Society for Amateur Scientists
National Citizen Science Conference
August 2006
Ed Nisley - KE!N"
ed#nisley$ieee#org
233
Coming Attractions
%adio %oc&s
E! Cur'e (racer
%adio Circuit )odel
)ineral Diodes * (+ingies
%ust Ne'er Slee,s
-+y Diodes )atter
333
In (+e .eginning
.efore integrated circuits###
.efore transistors###
.efore 'acuum tu/es###
.efore electronics###
### t+ere 0ere radios1
)odern radio /y 2E6A.
433
(+e Sim,lest 3ossi/le %adio
Antenna
4round
Ear,+one
Detector
A) demodulator 5+u+67
A roc& on a +ard ,lace
Crystal diode1
(uning6 8a+1
533
)ineral Sam,les
-+o &ne06
No/ody1
Conflicting stories
(ry all com/inations
)ost don9t 0or& at all
8o0 can you tell6
Instrumentation1
633
(+e .ig Idea
:am current 5I7 in
8o0 muc+6
3olarity6
)easure 'olts 527 across
%ange6
3lot results; cur'es1
It can /e done manually
)ore fun automatically
<scillosco,e screen s+ots
733
(+e =ittle Details
(riangle 0a'e in,ut
200 8z> ? 2 ,ea&
2oltage to Current
<scillosco,e @ aAis
)easure 2 at sam,le
Differential to single
<scillosco,e Y aAis
BC0 mA and BC0 2
Still ma&es s,ar&sD
833
Enlarged to S+o0 (eAture
933
Cat9s -+is&er 3ro/e
)ineral in metal ,ot
-ire ,in-,oint ,ro/e
Steel6 .ronze6 Car/on6
E-aAis /all slide mount
S,ringy t+ing
3atience
1033
8e -+o Dies -it+ (+e )ost Stuff###
E-aAis ,ositioner
0#00CF resolution
0#GF accessi/le cu/e
!ero /ac&las+
.lac&-/elt d0ee/dom
1133
3ro/e and Sam,le 8older
(elesco,ing /rass tu/es
(a,ered cloc& ,ins
S,ringy t+ing
E)( fitting
4ratuitous CNC
=o0 freHuency I cli,s
1233
Sam,le 8older
-ood9s )etal
)a&es solid contact
.ut; PbJCdJ.iJSn
.ut; melts at C60K L
"se Lield9s )etal6
Lriction-fit ,ro/e ti,s
Steel> /ronze> car/on
Small differences6
1333
Cali/ration M C &N %esistor
C 2 in,ut I C mA
Sco,e AAes
@ I current 52 mAOdi'7
Y I 'oltage 52 2Odi'7
=inear1
-+e0D
Set DC offset I 0
1433
Cali/ration M CNPC
:elly/ean Si diode
2
f0d
I 0#G 2
3retty close
I
re'
I zilc+
=imited /y diff am,9s
in,ut resistance
1533
Iron 3yrite
4reen trace
Nearly a resistor
%ed trace
)ore li&e a diode
.lue trace
.ot+ /etter * 0orse
Same lum,1
3ro/e material6
1633
S,ice Circuit )odel
Diode I s0itc+
2oltage controlled
)ay/e a lousy s0itc+
%esistance from ,lots
% I Q2 OQ I I slo,e
CC * %2 R ear,+one
8ig+ im,edance
2CS22 I A) signal1
1733
A) Demodulation
=o0 'oltage %L
(+is is /efore tu/es1
3oor diodes are <K
4reen R E#6 O C 5re'Of0d7
%ed R G#6 O C
)odern diodes are N4
3ur,le I Sc+ott&y R T O C
.ut 2
f0d
still too +ig+
1833
Iron 3yrite
8u+6
Sorta !ener-is+
)arginal diode
Lor lo0 I * 2> any0ay
1933
=ead - 4alena6
.ac&0ards ,olarity
-+ate'er t+at means
=o0 2
f0d
.ronze ,ro/e
.est of a /ad sam,le
-+o &ne06
)ay/e it9s Uust lead6
2033
C+alco,yrite
Say &al9V&e+V,ie9Vrig+t
=oo&s diode-is+
If you sHuint
=o0 2
f0d
.ut 0ait###
2133
C+alco,yrite
It9s a Diac1
.ilateral trigger diode
It9s a resistor1
Lor very lo0 I
Negati'e resistance
Current W I 2oltage X
Note scale c+ange
G 2 and G mA O di'
2233
4al'anized Steel
3ro,ane torc+
=ittle /lac& s,otsD
Do t+is outdoors1
Iron-tin-zinc alloy6
Cadmium6 Ick!
=oo&s li&e +ig+ %
And not a diode
.ut 0aitD
2333
4al'anized Steel .estiary
2433
%ust Ne'er Slee,s
<rdinary steel /olt
Salt J to0el J co,,er
Cu J Le I 6G0 m2
At only C mA
Slo0 and steady
AA cell
CG00 m2 * C0 mA
+ours laterD
2533
Steel Corrosion
Nonlinear
Symmetric
Sorta> &inda
Negati'e resistance
<scillator1
No .attery Needed
Self-/iasing circuitry
DC /ias J small AC
2633
=inear )iAing Circuit
=inear miAing
<nly YresistorsF
Sum of am,litudes
No sur,rises
<+m9s =a0> etc
2733
=inear )iAing %esults
2833
Nonlinear )iAing Circuit
Nonlinear miAing
"sually a diode> /ut D
Any nonlinearity 0ill do
B nL
C
B mL
2
Am,litudes6 8a+1
No analytic eHuations
Simulation 'alues6
2933
Nonlinear )iAing %esult
3033
%L 's# (+e %usty .olt
)ountainto, radio
Many transmitters
8ig+ %L field intensity
Sensiti'e recei'ers
4al'anized to0ers
Acid rain
Corrosion
Intermodulation1
BnL
C
BmL
2
B,L
E
B D )t .eacon NY - 3+oto /y -.2"-"
3133
DIY Diodes
(+ey9re e'ery0+ere
(+ey9re c+ea,
<K> not t+at ,ositioner
(+ey9re easy> sorta
You9ll learnD
D a/out electronics
D a/out ,atience
Demo: Sunday AM!!
3233
%eferences
)y column in Circuit Cellar magazine; 000#circuitcellar#com
<cto/er 2006 is mostly t+is tal&> +as file of scri,ts> ,ictures> ot+er stuff
Le/ruary * A,ril 200E descri/e nonlinear freHuency miAing
Semiconductor cur'e tracer using 3C sound card; 4eorge Ste/er> -.P=2I
Circuit Cellar> :an 200
A%%= ZE@> :uly 2006; +tt,;OO000#arrl#orgOHeAO2006O0[OHA[ste/er#,df
4ood o'er'ie0 of crystal-set ,arameters; +tt,;OO000#oldradio0orld#deOgollumOanalysis#+tm
!inc negati'e resistance oscillators; +tt,;OO+ome#eart+lin&#netO\lenyrOzincosc#+tm
4al'anic Series ta/le; +tt,;OO000#ocean#udel#eduOseagrantO,u/licationsOcorrosion#+tml
-ood9s metal> s,rings> ,+os,+or /ronze s+eet> tools from )icro)ar&; +tt,;OOmicromar&#comO
(a,er ,ins and small ,arts from S# =a%ose> Inc; +tt,;OO000#slarose#comO 5dead on C? Aug 067
Ca,turing oscillosco,e traces 0it+ Kermit; +tt,;OO000#colum/ia#eduO&ermitOindeA#+tml
Con'erting 834= to /itma,s 0it+ +,2AA utility; +tt,;OO000#gnu#orgOsoft0areO+,2AAO
3333
-+o Am I6
Ed Nisley
Say YNISS-leeF> e'en t+oug+ my
ancestors 0ere +alf-essed
Engineer> aut+or> tin&er> family guy
Circuit Cellar; A/o'e t+e 4round
3lane - 000#circuitcellar#com
Analog * %L stuff
Dr Do//9s :ournal; Nisley9s
Note/oo& - 000#ddU#com
Em/edded systems * +ard0are stuff
Se,t 62